New Brunswick’s Rothesay Netherwood First National Preparatory Association Member Announced!
The National Preparatory Association is proud to announce its first official member, representing Atlantic Canada and New Brunswick–Rothesay Netherwood
Rothesay is lead by Head Coach Damian Gay, a former CIS and CCAA player who spent time overseas playing Semi-Pro ball in England. Gay returned to the East Coast and got into teaching, where he began his career with Rothesay Netherwood.
When Gay first arrived in Rothesay, the team was in the lowest division in New Brunswick basketball. But the coach knew the potential for basketball in Atlantic Canada, and with the approval of the Head of School, the coach began organizing a serious basketball program.
“The second I stepped foot on campus, I knew we would create something extremely special here for Atlantic Canada basketball players. The campus is what you picture any top level prep school in the States to look like, and the facilities match it,” explained Gay.
“We just didn’t have any basketball influence. The school has a dominant hockey program, and now we are not only going to match that, we are looking to surpass that.”
Gay even started playing in the NBLC with the Saint John Mill Rats looking to bring basketball to the attention of his students, and within a few years the team was competing and beating the top teams in the province.
The head coach then started recruiting students who were specifically coming to Rothesay for their basketball program and Gay’s tutelage.
Andrew Milner, a Nova Scotia provincial team member and one of Atlantic Canada’s top prospects, was the first player to come to Rothesay for basketball, and in his senior year is now the cornerstone of this program and enters the NPA as one of their top prospects.
Developing a basketball program out East brings with it a unique set of problems. Most of the top talent in the area look to improve their game outside of Atlantic Canada, which usually means the U.S or Ontario. For the rest of the developing talent, Gay explains the biggest problem they face is perspective.
“The kids are extremely talented, extremely motivated to succeed, but success comes too easily when you’re just playing in Atlantic Canada. Before now, kids felt they had to leave to expand their perspective, now we can provide that right here with everything we have been doing here and with the NPA.”
Rothesay enters this season with a solid core of returning players who have developed with Gay and patiently bought into his program, but the team is still recruiting the top talent to expand its roster. Gay takes pride in helping develop the talent in Atlantic Canada, but one of the benefits of being at an International boarding school is that talent from across the globe could walk into your gym come September.
Rothesay Netherwood will be the Easternmost program competing in the NPA, and will face some of the top talent from across the country.
Stay tuned on NPH as new league programs will be announced weekly!
A Nation Inspired.
For more information on RNS, Contact Damian.Gay@rns.cc
