Team

Dear Basketball Fans:

Every team in every sport at almost every level starts a new season with the same goal: Win a championship! Most teams fall short of this goal due to a lack of talent, unforeseen injuries or the emergence of a dominant opponent. Some factors can be controlled, others cannot.

I am a believer that champions are built from the inside out verses the outside in. Let me explain. Great physical talent does not necessarily lead to a title. Many physically superior teams have fallen to less talented, more cohesive opponents who are willing to do all the little things that are necessary for the team to succeed. Therein lies the 'heart of a champion.'

The professional level changes the landscape. All teams have tremendously gifted players. A championship contender has to be built with the right blend of athleticism, skill and chemistry. Roles have to be both defined and accepted by the players. Sacrifices have to be made. Practice habits have to be focused. Players and coaches have to be ready every night to compete to the best of their abilities in a relentless pursuit of success.

This is the Edmonton Energy. We are assembling a team that is made up of players of both skill and character. Many of the players have grown up in Edmonton and want to give back all they can on the court to the community. All will be able to play.

I look forward to our team giving their best efforts every time they step on the court. They owe it to themselves and their teammates to strive to meet and exceed expectations. They owe it to the fans because you are the reason we have this opportunity to play!

Come join us this season. Let our team's Energy join with yours for a great year!

Coach Paul Sir
Head Coach & General Manager
Edmonton Energy Professional Basketball
paul@edmontonnrg.com

Coaches

Paul Sir Head Coach Paul Sir's first year as head coach and general manager of Edmonton's International Basketball League franchise (2008) was a major success on the floor. He led an expansion team to 13 wins and nine losses, then they created an upset and moved all the way to the league semi-finals before being eliminated. Those familiar with Sir's record were not surprised. Paul showed great promise at high school in Iowa, being named to the all-state team. He was also recognized as a Catholic High School All-America. Before embarking on a lengthy professional career overseas, he earned a berth in the Winona State University Hall of Fame as a player. While starring in Belgium, he was named league MVP on one occasion. Now the executive director of Basketball Alberta, Sir has spent more than 20 years as a coach in North America. Provincial and state titles occupy a lot of space on his record. As head coach of the Concordia Thunder of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, Sir has them ranked among the top 10 in Canada with about half a season to go. Two sons, Sam and Ethan, are part of the team. Another son, Steve, set several NCAA three-point shooting records before graduating from Northern Arizona University. Steve plays in Switzerland and hopes to return for at least part of the upcoming season here with the Energy. "We were good last year," the coach recalls. "We learned a lot about the quality of the IBL and we think those lessons will help us to be better this season. "Our goal is to win the title -- nothing less -- and it's certainly within our capacity as a group."