By ADEM SARICAOGLU
MITCHELL Angleton’s defection from football to basketball is starting to pay off in a big way.
The 15-year-old Werribee boy will be headed for Adelaide in July as part of the Vic Metro men’s team taking part in the Under-16 Australian Junior Championships.
And the young fella still can’t believe his luck.
“It was unexpected, like I wasn’t ready to make it because there were a lot of good players,” Angleton said.“When I got told I was in, I was ecstatic. I was extremely happy.
“The coach Ross Clark said ‘I hate doing this’ and then he read out all the names, and when he said my name I was just shocked.”
His father Craig, a handy basketballer himself back in the day, said the whole family was beaming with pride for Mitchell.
“I think his mum and dad got a bit emotional, that’s for sure,” Craig said.“We both know just how hard he’s just focused on getting into this team and improved his game to get there.”
It was Craig who eventually managed to lure his son (who was a strong Werribee Tigers junior) out of footy for the game he grew up playing himself.
“I wanted to coach the domestic team so I told him to come and he said; ‘No way, dad, I’m not playing basketball it’s all about the footy’,” Craig explained.“But I hounded him and finally got him there.”
Angleton gave up the Sherrin a few years ago and had only previously played lunchtime hoops in the schoolyard.
But since joining the Werribee Devils, his game has flourished to the point where he’s seriously considering a college career in the US.
However Angleton knows wanting to get to the States and actually doing so are two completely different things, and he’s willing to commit to the long haul … eventually.
“I’ll have to work hard because it’s not an easy task,” Angleton said.“I’m in Year 10 now so I’d have to finish Year 12 – and when I finish Year 12 I’ll definitely go talk to them.”
But while school remains his priority, Angleton will definitely make the most of the latest opportunity the game has offered him in the meantime.
“I can’t wait to go to Adelaide,” he said.“It’s going to be so much fun and I just want it to hurry up.“The team really bonded straight away and every training session’s really enjoyable, so I can’t wait to go play with them.”
When asked if he’d ever go back to footy, Angleton was quick to sum up his intentions with four simple words.
“I’ll stay with basketball.”
