The Competitive Sports Unit forms an integral and important part of the Cosell Association’s activities. The unit, which was managed from its inception by Gabi Sarig, is now being run by Ron Rosenbloom. The unit is responsible for managing all competitive sports groups and the ASA Jerusalem Association. ASA Jerusalem initiates and manages the internal student sports competitions, the decathlon team, the chess club, the student basketball team in the B League, and women’s basketball teams, that focus on advancing young women athletes with a special division for girls that is among the largest in Israel as well as two adult women’s teams

The unit is responsible for overseeing each and every player and athlete including medical check ups, insurance, training facilities, training hours etc. In addition, the unit works directly with the Hebrew University in order to support and assist students and encourages academic and athletic excellence through the granting of scholarships to outstanding athletes

 

Competitive sports activities began at the Hebrew University in 1952 when the Student Federation set up a special committee for sports.  A year later the Academic Sport Association (ASA) was founded by the federation with the leadership of Adin Talber and Ami Riklis and with the participation of other student athletes from the Hebrew University and the Technion in Haifa.  Over the years ASA has expanded to include other universities and colleges. Today ASA Jerusalem has a wide range of activities

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

ASA Jerusalem manages numerous women’s basketball teams that train at the new sports facility at Givat Ram

The women’s team in the premier women’s league is managed by the association for promotion of women’s basketball of ASA Jerusalem. 

This is a separate association that manages the team which plays in the premier league.  Last season the team won the championships and the trophy of the National League and returned to play in the premier league after a four year absence. The team’s coach for the past twenty years is Boaz Tayeb who is also the professional manager of the ASA Jerusalem club

The team is comprised of foreign players who have come to Israel from the U.S., Israeli players who have played and grown up so to speak with the team and a sixth year medical student at the Hebrew University. The home court is the new sports center at Givat Ram with games played on Mondays at 7 P.M. In addition to this team the Cosell Association and the Competitive Sport Unit run one of the largest and leading youth departments in Israel

The National A team for girls is coached by Or Ben Porat; the Regional A team for girls by Samer Alian; National B team for girls by Rivka Ross (a player on the premier league team); Regional B team for girls by Osnat Ginati; and the “Etna’ team for girls in grades 4-6 which is coached jointly by Osnat Ginati and Shani Naot (who is also a player in the premier league)

As part of its activities, the association over the years fostered talented young female players, some of whom became major assets in leading teams in Israel and abroad and even led the Israeli national teams. In the past few years ASA Jerusalem has cooperated with the Peace Players organization in organizing teams of Arab and Jewish girls who play together on the same team. The cooperative project is run by Samar Alian, the coach of the Regional A team for girls.

STUDENT TEAMS

The association also runs two student teams.  The first is a women’s team that plays in the National Basketball League, Southern District.  The team has been playing for several years and is made up of students and graduates of the Hebrew University along with a number of other players. The team is coached by Itzik Babai, who took over this season

The second team is of adult players who play in the Southern Regional A League of the Basketball Association.  Last year the team won the Jerusalem Region B League Championships and by doing so advanced to the Regional A League. As is the case with the women’s team this team is also comprised primarily of Hebrew University students and is coached by Yoad Agmon, who has trained the team for the past few years and this season advanced with them to the Regional A League