Another season is over. It’s always a strange feeling of mixed emotions and I do struggle with the speedy ending of yet another cycle. It’s tough because, as you appreciate, it takes a lot of hard work to make Hemel Storm what it is and then, suddenly, it’s all over and we have to immediately start again.
We can be so proud of our efforts. Our men are NBL Division One Champions, they were runners up in the KitKing Trophy and reached two other national semi-finals. Our women’s team have made further progress and our partnership with the University of Hertfordshire helped them secure their first ever BUCS Premier Championship, with the University of Hertfordshire Storm team also finishing third in NBL Division Three Pool II.
Across the board, that’s an excellent season and a huge effort from many people, both on and off the court.
Speaking of the University of Hertfordshire, I want to thank their Deputy Director of Sport, Bryn Clark, for such a special alliance across these past four seasons. The educational/playing opportunity provided for many of our joint players means both the University and Hemel Storm programmes have enjoyed growth and gone from strength to strength.
Sadly, we will, in all probability, be saying goodbye to some of the players that have so brilliantly represented us this season, whether that be in the men’s, women’s or university teams. Change is an inevitable part of our existence and so, to all our players across all our teams, it’s a huge thank you from us and we wish you great happiness and health for the future.
We need to thank all of our sponsors for their support and without them we would not be here delivering this fantastic community project. As we say goodbye to Vanarama, we do so with huge gratitude.
We must acknowledge our wonderful volunteer-led management committee and match night teams who deliver ever-growing workloads in such a magnificent and dedicated way.
Finally, to you, our expanding number of fans, thank you for being the most loyal, fun, appreciative and noisy gang we could ever hope for and I know the players love you for it.
Have a great summer and watch out for the news across the weeks ahead!
Tony Humphrey
Chairman