In-person basketball training has been limited for 15-year student-athlete Daire Patterson because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But resources provided by the P.H.A.S.E 1 academy at the Herbert Morrison Technical High school, have allowed Patterson to push beyond those limits and remain on top of his game.
“I get exercises from coach Black and the other coaches to do at home. He would give me pushups and other workouts to do when we are not having online training that helps to keep my physique in shape,” he said.
The academy was established in August at the Montego Bay-based high school after a two-week period ID camp. Patterson, who plays point guard and shooting guard for his high school’s under 16 basketball team, was selected to be a part of the academy.
And since then, he shared that he’s been getting better at basketball.
“It has been great, I’ve seen a lot of improvement in myself and in other players at the academy. The coaches teach you to stuff you don’t know and help you on stuff you already know. I can now jump a bit higher because of the exercises we’ve done and I’ve seen better improvements in my shooting form.”
Patterson said he attends face-to-face training on Saturdays at the academy, and during the week he does online training. And although he’s gotten used to the transition, he often has to deal with a slow internet connection.
But his form isn’t the only thing that the academy has been helping him with, according to Patterson, it’s also assisting in making him a more well-rounded individual.
“I have been anti-social during the quarantine period, until I started going to the academy, and started socializing more overall and then I started to socialize with people not only at the academy but everywhere I go.”
It was only two years ago that Patterson started playing the sport. The student-athlete, who is from the inner city community of Granville, became interested in basketball when he started attending the Herbert Morrison Technical High School.
He said the resources provided by P.H.A.S.E 1 academy will only propel him to go further, train harder, and become better at his game.
“I think it’s very important because other students see you in the sport, and they want to come and excel too, and they see that you’re doing great stuff. If it wasn’t for the academy, I don’t think I’d stop playing video games, and getting up and exercise.”