Huntley to play only league basketball

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 64

Huntley to play only league basketball

By

FRANK DUGGAN

The Converse Canterbury national men’s basketball league captain, Clyde Huntley, will not play club basketball or do any coaching this season. Instead, he will restrict himself to playing league basketball and taking on a new role as an insurance agent Last evening Huntley said that he had to look to his future and he had decided that club or coaching commitments would not only interfere with the demands of playing league basketball but that he wanted to devote as much time as possible to a business

career. Huntley, already a permanent resident in New Zealand, plans to stay in the country. “I want to become a New Zealand citizen,” he said. "Basketball might not provide me with a lifetime’s work in New Zealand and a few months ago I decided to diversify, that is to train as an insurance agent” Huntley’s decision is a blow to Canterbury basketball, particularly the Admiral Lodge Checkers club. The highly - professional Washington State guard came to Christchurch in 1983 from the Porirua club under contract to the Canterbury associa-

tion and the Checkers club. His impact was immediate, not only on the playing court but in the coaching field, climaxed last year with the Checkers women’s side winning the national club championship. He involved himself deeply with many organisations in physical education programmes, particularly the Christchurch City Council. Huntley, aged 28, wants more “free” time to enjoy his league basketball and his new job. “I regret leaving my other part-time positions, and in particular, the Checkers club, who have been good to me,” said

Huntley. “However, in the long run I want to mix a playing career with a business one,” he said. Huntley’s hiccups with the Canterbury Basketball Association over a renewal of his contract have been resolved; also suspicion over his fitness for the new season have been rubbished. The American explained that 10 minutes before the start of the final squad trials at Cowles Stadium recently he refused to go on court because his contract had not been confirmed. “I was not prepared to go trialing until Peter (Crowhen, the president of the association) and I

came to an agreement,” said Huntley. “I felt sorry for Garry (Pettis, the team coach), but there was a question of principle. If I had gone on court, it would have been an acceptance of the association’s conditions. There was still a lot of matters unresolved. On reflection there could have been a better rapport between the two of us.”

After further discussions between Huntley and Mr Crowhen, the American signed and delivered the contract to the Canterbury president the following day. “We had a talk; since then we have been in daily contact,” said Huntley.

Serious knee surgery late last year placed some doubt over Huntley’s full fitness for this year. Early concern has now turned to full confidence. “Me and the knee are 99 per cent fit,” said Huntley. “You can’t get over an operation like that overnight.” Huntley will train with the 14-man squad this evening. “A few more runs and I will have made up that 1 per cent of full fitness that I have been missing,” he said.

• The latest American import to the Canterbury squad, Angelo Hill, has joined the Checkers club. The club president, Mr John Inkster, said yester-

day that Hill and the club had reached an agreement on a contract and it would be signed in the next few days. “Angelo will coach the women’s side along with Sharon Constable and he will be available for men’s club competition in the last round of the championship,” said Mr Inkster. Steve Quarles will coach the senior men’s club side, replacing John Fairweather. The final men’s Checkers trials will be held on February 3 and 29 players are expected to trial out, including two new members to the Canterbury squad, Graeme Timms (Ashburton) and Chris Simpson (Otago).