“We’re half-way through training,” White said. “The girls are getting a lot confident than before.”
The draft picks have started their practice sessions in late June.
White pointed out the girl contingents have to improve on their speed and skills to be ready for their taller and more capable ball handling counterparts in Oceania.
“Individually, the girls need to improve on those areas,” White emphasized.
One of the draftees, Jacque Wonenberg, is CNMI’s tallest girl cager – 5”8’.
Wonenberg is a gold medalist in the 100-Meter Hurdles Under 18 at the 2008 Oceania Championship.
He noted the girls need to concentrate particularly on their ball dribbling and other skills.
The Variety asked White to rate CNMI’s girls’ basketball team with their training with a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as the highest mark, he said: 6.
It is said Australia, one of the participants in the Oceania basketball games, will be the team to watch out for because of their tall players.
“We need to change our mentality to playing sports… We need the proper training,” he added.
Despite their deficiencies, White said the female basketball draftees “are getting a lot confident than before.”
The girls are very receptive in the training, White said, saying he will move to give them “reality check”.
CNMI will be sending also boy contingents for the 19-under Oceania basketball tournament.
This year’s Oceania Youth Basketball Tournament will be CNMI’s first attempt to join a higher basketball league that is sanctioned by the Federation of the International Basketball Association.
The Oceania games will be held in September on Guam.
