Ballyholland’s Charlie Shields is off to a flyer

Charlie Shields, an 11-year-old from Ballyholland is starting to make a little bit of noise in Irish underage basketball circles.

The Newry Fliers U12 player won a place on the U13 Cleveland NI All Star team back in May, which led to the young County Down boy playing in numerous tournaments around Ireland in recent months.

Young Ballyholland lad Charlie Shields pictured in Newry Picture: Brendan Monaghan

placeholder image — Young Ballyholland lad Charlie Shields pictured in Newry Picture: Brendan Monaghan

Charlie also made the Irish select team which played against a USA college team recently.

On a visit to Molina in Spain during the month of September, the lighting quick Shields scored 18 points in his first game for the Cleveland NI All Star team and totalled a sum of 35 points across the three-day event.

Young Charlie also attended U14 Irish Basketball Talent ID Trials and made selection for the Northern Region.

Getting through these trials will keep the young Ballyholland Harps footballer and keen golfer busy in the season ahead.

Next year, Charlie will aim to play at an Inter-Regional Tournament in Limerick with his Northern-Region team mates before hopefully travelling to Cleveland, Ohio with the U13 Cleveland NI All Star team later in the year.