Battle of Seattle 2018 Team Profile: Team Singapore 17u
As the AAU season starts to wind down and the tournaments aren’t as often, you start to see the usual suspects at most local tournaments. So when a new team arrives on the scene, you always wonder what’s their story. Team Singapore’s story is one of a love of basketball and a focus on getting better.
Team Singapore’s coach Jeff Wood is no stranger to the Northwest. After spending multiple years in both Oregon and Washington coaching basketball, he is in his second year as the coach of this team. All of the players for the team attend the Singapore American School but this is their first summer trip to the area. Coach Wood hopes to make this a regular trip.
One thing Coach Wood did seem the most impressed with regarding his teams were the attitudes and their approach towards this trip and its purpose. They’ve been on the road in the NW since June 20. Team Singapore has attended a couple of team camps, they’ve played in some exhibition games with some high school teams in Oregon, and they’re finishing up the trip with the Battle in Seattle. “We’ve been working to help them understand the level of basketball that is here and what is expected of anyone who’s looking to play at the next level. We want to make sure they know that we’re not competing against another team, we’re not competing with the scoreboard, we’re just working to get better at basketball and get a better chemistry as a team,” says Coach Wood.
As someone who lives in the NW, it’s quite easy to take for granted the opportunity we have. When you hear stories like Team Singapore’s, it makes you appreciate what the NW has to offer on the prep scene for locals and international teams alike.