Sheffield Sharks have continued their summer signings by bringing Mike Tuck back to the city.

Canadian forward Tuck, aged 27, was a mid-season addition to the team last year and impressed so much that he was near the top of player-coach Atiba Lyons' wish list as he looked to build his squad again.

Lyons said: "Mike is a very talented player who came in half way through the year and really added something to our squad.

"He can score in a variety of ways and has a habit of getting points at vital times.

"With myself, Ryan Patton at point-guard and Mike already signed, and a couple of new faces that we'll be announcing shortly, the squad is shaping up to be very competitive again."

Last year Tuck joined a team that was already flying high in the league and through to the semi-final of the BBL Cup.

He played a key role in getting Sharks into the final with 11 points in the first leg against Leicester Riders and then 16 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, in the second match to see his new club through.

In the final against Cheshire Jets he scored 15 points and made several big plays late on as Sheffield allowed a big lead to crumble before eventually holding off the Chester-based club.

Tuck said he was looking forward to returning to Sheffield when pre-season training begins later this month:

"I really enjoyed my time with the Sharks. Picking up a trophy in my first few weeks with the club was a bonus and hopefully we can have the same feeling again this season. Atiba has told me about some of the players he is bringing in and I think we'll be strong once again."

Sharks have also confirmed that promising young bench player Ash Chandley will be part of Lyons's roster again.

The Sharks season is less than a month away with the first home game on 17^th September at the EIS – Sheffield, when the Glasgow Rocks match-up with Coach Lyons’ team. Tip-off will be at 7:30pm. The season begins with a number of BBL Trophy games before the BBL Championship campaign starts on 1^st October when Plymouth visit the EIS – Sheffield. A complete fixture list can be viewed here.

The Sharks have announced the first signing for the new season, with Point Guard Ryan Patton returning to the fold for the 2010-2011 Season. The Sharks star said “The city is somewhere I have always felt comfortable playing basketball. We had an excellent season last year winning a trophy and coming close in the league. I’m confident we can play to a high standard again when the guys return to Sheffield.”

Shark's Holiday Camp

March 24, 2010

The Sheffield Sharks and EIS – Sheffield will be holding an Easter Holiday basketball camp on 12^th and 13^th April. At just £20 per day including lunch, it’s a great way to improve your skills with the Sharks players. To book your place, download the form and send it to the EIS – Sheffield along with payment.

Send your booking forms to:

Rachel Crack,
The English Institute of Sport – Sheffield,
Coleridge Road,
Sheffield,
S9 5DA.

For more information, call the EIS – Sheffield on (0114) 2235601,
or the Sharks office on (0114) 257 1994.

To view more information and download the booking form click here.

Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile

March 10, 2010

Sport Relief is back and it’s coming to Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park. The city is set to host one of Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Miles on Sunday 21st March, and needs local people to show their support by entering now. The first wave of the Sheffield Hillsborough Park Mile sets off at 11.30am and the second one sets off at 12noon.

For the more adventurous, there will be 3 and 6 mile events starting at 10am and 11am. Before each start, there will be a 15 minute warm up session, so be there in good time.

There will also be stilt walkers, circus workshops, street dancers, face painters and a climbing wall to keep you entertained throughout the day.

along with a number of sporting personalities present so keep your eyes peeled!
Hundreds of thousands of people across the country will rise to the challenge at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile, and have a great time too, whether they do 1, 3 or 6 miles. Comic Relief will spend the money raised through sponsorship helping poor and vulnerable people both here in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.

As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. The Sport Relief Weekend takes place from Friday 19th March to Sunday 21st March 2010 including a night of Sport Relief telly on BBC One and the Sport Relief Mile events across the UK on Sunday 21st March. All the cash raised will help transform the lives of those in desperate need across the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

To enter click here.

heartresearch|uk

February 8, 2010

Yorkshire’s own national heart charity, Heart Research UK will be hitting the streets of Sheffield next Friday (12 November) and offering city centre shoppers the chance to have a quick Healthy Heart check.

The checks will involve a simple waist and blood pressure measurement being taken, along with a couple of questions about diet and lifestyle. Using this information, Heart Research UK’s Lifestyle team will be able to offer you some practical tips to improve your heart health.

Diseases of the heart and circulation are the UK’s biggest killer and in 2007/08, the emergency admission rate for patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in Sheffield was higher than the England and regional average.  Heart Research UK is running a health promotion campaign in Sheffield throughout next week (8 – 12 February) to tell people about how to improve their heart health and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Friday will be the final day of the ‘Treasure you Heart’ campaign and the Heart Research UK team will be at the heart of Sheffield city centre offering you the opportunity to get some simple tips to help take better care of your heart health.

So if you’re out shopping, don’t be shy, come along and see our friendly team.

For more information contact Heart Research UK’s Lifestyle team on 0113 234 7474, email lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk or visit www.heartresearch.org.uk

PIONEERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HEART DISEASE

Registered Charity Number 1044821. Registered office: Suite 12D, Joseph’s Well, Leeds LS3 1AB.
Company limited by guarantee No. 3026813 registered in England

Sharks are BBL Cup Champions  

January 17, 2010

Sheffield Sharks secured the first silverware of the season with a thrilling 89-86 victory over Chester Jets in Sunday’s BBL Cup Final at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

Atiba Lyons Player/Coach of the Sharks commented, “It‘s great to win the first silverware of the season. Chester made it tough for us in the final quarter, but we are delighted to get our hands on some silverware.”

Cheshire Jets’ veteran James Hamilton - named the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) - spear-headed an impressive fight back at Sunday’s  BBL  Cup Final, but was eventually thwarted in a thrilling game at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

It was an even opening to the game, despite two three-pointers from Sharks’ Ryan Patton. However, it was Cheshire Jets who took the first significant advantage - they enjoyed a 9-2 run to lead 18-11, with threes from James Hamilton and Chez Marks. Sheffield battled back and scored the final 11 points of the quarter to take a 22-18 lead into the second quarter.

Sharks’ lead was extended to eight points at 20-28 midway through the second stanza on the back of a Tuck bucket. However, the quarter proved to be a relatively low scoring affair, as both teams looked to limit their opponents chances. Sheffield pulled out the biggest lead of the half at 37-26, courtesy of seven unanswered points, including a Perry Lawson three-pointer.

Sharks applied the pressure in the third quarter - a 7-2 start saw them leading 48-35, thank in no small part to the scoring of Mike Cook. Jets managed a few long range shots, but ultimately struggled to find their range and Sharks led 64-48 going into the final quarter.

James Hamilton stepped things up in the fourth, notably in the final five minutes and galvanised his team into an exciting comeback. A Colin O’Reilly three pointer with 1.33 to go saw Jets get back to within three points at 76-79. Michael Tuck pulled Sharks back, before Hamilton and then O’Reilly again cut the gap back to three points.

Paul Peterson had the chance to cut it back to a one-point ball game, but failed to convert his free throws with 26 seconds remaining and with Jets in the penalty they were forced to foul to try to re-gain possession. Perry Lawson scored four from four free throws to keep Jets at arms length and while Chez Marks scored twice it was not enough to secure the win.

Hamilton was the game’s leading scorer - he bagged 24 points and 12 rebounds, while also netting all six of his free throws. Team-mate Chez Marks also contributed 22 points, while Mike Cook led the way for Sharks with 19 personal.

Cheshire Jets - Hamilton 24, Marks 22, Gayle/O‘Reilly 11
Sheffield Sharks - Cook 19, Patton 17, Tuck 15

Glasgow Rocks V Sheffield Sharks
Sunday 10th January @ 5pm Kelvin Hall, Glasgow   

 January 6, 2010

In the first round of the BBL Trophy, Glasgow Rocks take on BBL Cup Finalists, Sheffield Sharks. Atiba Lyons’ Sharks have wowed their supporters so far this season, as they currently sit in first place in the BBL Championship. However, in the Trophy knockout competition, anything can happen, and Sterling Davis’ Rocks have shown that they can compete with the best so far this season.

Davis said Sheffield were ‘the team to beat right now’, as his side are trying to ‘knock off that Christmas rust.’ He explained: ‘It will be a tough match up again for us. Everyone knows Sheffield are the team to beat right now, so it will be a big task.’

Lyons, who is now in his second season as player-coach of the Sharks, said the following: ‘I feel we match up well with the Rocks. They have a very dynamic offense and can really light it up from the outside.’ He continued: ‘We have to bring defensive intensity, especially playing in Glasgow. Ryan Patton is still battling injury and has been out the last few weeks, but the Christmas break is always positive to refresh guys mentally and physically. You just hope that your team doesn't come out flat for the first game back. I feel like we may have been a little sluggish, but on the whole, the break was a positive.’

The Trophy is another chance for all clubs to start a clean sheet in terms of their hunt for silverware, but although the Sharks have had a blinding start in the other two competitions, the BBL Cup and league fixtures, Lyons is refusing to let his side rest on their laurels. The 6’6’’ forward said: ‘I feel it is important for us to improve the efficiency of our offense, and also keep up our defensive intensity and focus for forty minutes. We still have the tendency to take plays off and we have to rectify that.’

The last time these two franchises went head-to-head, the Sharks walked out winners by 10 points, with the score line reading 67-77, behind 25 points from Molten BBL Player of the Month for November and December, Mike Cook.

After a tight opening, in which the sides were tied at 6 points and then again at 14 points after the first seven minutes, the Sharks broke away at the end of the first quarter, as Mike Tuck’s three pointer sparked a 10-3 finish, during which Cook added a further five points. They then held onto this advantage, edging further ahead with a 14-4 surge at the end of the second period, to lead 33-45 at the half.

A stellar defensive effort in the third period was pivotal in the outcome of the game, as the Sharks shut their opponents down to just 7 points, followed by Tafari Toney, Atiba Lyons and Mike Cook closing the game out in the fourth quarter with easy scores around the basket.

Book your Cup Final Tickets  

 January 6, 2010

The Sheffield Sharks are in the BBL Cup Final on Sunday 17th January, where they will play the Cheshire Jets at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. Seats are still available, but in order to make sure you sit behind the Sharks bench, you need to book through the Sharks Office. To book tickets through the Sharks, the Sharks Office must have received your ticket application by Friday 8th January at the latest.

This will be a great event, not to be missed, so book your tickets now to get the best seats amongst the Sharks fans.

Tickets cost £21 for adults, and £16 for concessions.

Doors open at 11:30am and the order of events is as follows:

12:30pm Manchester Magic V Worthing Thunder (BBL Trophy Game)
2:30pm BBL Dunk Competition
3:30pm BBL Cup Final – Sheffield Sharks V Cheshire Jets

For more information, call (0114) 257 1994.
To download your booking form please click here.

Kind Regards,
Joel Mills
Operations Manager
Sheffield Sharks