"..I am a student of the game because I am constantly trying to study other player’s habits and mistakes and learn from them. I am the type of player that when they watch games aren't just following the ball and interested in the outcome, but rather interested in how players are able to get away with things and what kinds of plays work on different scenarios..."
-Sean Burke, Sr. Argyle
"The player that I model my game after is Steve Nash. Ever since I really started to become serious about being a basketball up to Steve and tried to model my game after him. I'm not the quickest, fastest, most athletic guy, nor is Steve, but I do believe that I am one of the smartest, and similar to Steve I am able to get away with things because I am smart."
- Sean Burke, Sr. Argyle
"The North Shore will be the toughest league to get out of this year, and because of the problem that we are faced with in that we only get 1 birth into the provincials, we always have intense and fierce games with Handsworth and Sentinel. This year will be no exception with Handsworth and Argyle being 1-2 this year and Sentinel up in the top 5."
- Sean Burke, Sr. Argyle
Q&A WITH SEAN BURKE
DRIVE was fortunate enough to recently sit down with Argyles lead point guard and pre-season 1st team member Sean Burke to ask him his thoughts about this upcoming season.
DRIVE: Do you consider yourself a student of the game? Why?
Sean Burke: I am definitely a student of the game. I am a student of the game because I am constantly trying to study other player’s habits and mistakes and learn from them. I am the type of player that when they watch games aren't just following the ball and interested in the outcome, but rather interested in how players are able to get away with things and what kinds of plays work on different scenarios. I have plenty of game tapes that I watch and I pick highlights and moves that I try to practice and incorporate in my game. I am the type of player who understands roles, and watches other players in order to increase my personal growth as a basketball player, and that is why I would consider myself a student of the game.
DRIVE: Who’s your favorite player in the League and why?
Sean Burke: I have two players that I really enjoy watching. Both are players that have just recently joined the league. I really like
Kirk Hinrich because of his style of play and the way he makes other players look better by finding them in the right places at the right times and knowing who should get the ball at appropriate times. I also liked watching
Jameer Nelson at St. Joseph’s and will be looking forward to watching him grow into an NBA player.
DRIVE: Do you model your game after anyone?
Sean Burke: The player that I model my game after is
Steve Nash. Ever since I really started to become serious about being a basketball up to Steve and tried to model my game after him. I'm not the quickest, fastest, most athletic guy, nor is Steve, but I do believe that I am one of the smartest, and similar to Steve I am able to get away with things because I am smart.
DRIVE: Describe a typical day (of working out) for you.
Sean Burke: Now that school has started, it is pretty tough to find time in the gym to work on my game because of volleyball and other sports. However a typical day would be, wake up and go for a run with the x-country team. Than I would have school all day, and after school since all gyms are being used I would go to the weight room and lift for 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours. Come home and eat and do some homework and then go back to the school for gym time for 1 hour and a bit. This would go on every other day, and on the second day I would just play or workout in the gym for about 1-2 hours.
DRIVE: In your opinion what’s the best way to workout?
Sean Burke: I believe that working out as hard as you can for shorter periods of time is the best way for training. If you work out for longer than 2 hours than your intensity while your doing the drills must be too low, and on the contrary, if your working out for less than 30 minutes your not working long enough for your cardio. I think that going game speed for 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes is the best way to train.
DRIVE: Who are the best players (top 5) in BC this year in your opinion?
Sean Burke: Top 5 in no particular order are:
Sinclair Brown, Tyler Kepkay, Tyrell Mara, Sean Burke and Kevin Shaw
DRIVE: What are your top 5 teams in BC?
Sean Burke: NO particular order: Argyle, Handsworth, Pitt Meadows, Sentinel, and McMath
DRIVE: Are you excited for this upcoming season?
Sean Burke: I am extremely excited for this upcoming season. Over the summer it is going to be interesting to see how much each team has improved and should make the season that much more interesting to see whose going to come out on top and earn that single birth into the BC's.
DRIVE: What’s the best conference in BC this year?
Sean Burke: The biggest cross-town rivals that we have are Handsworth and Sentinel. The North Shore will be the toughest league to get out of this year, and because of the problem that we are faced with in that we only get 1 birth into the provincials, we always have intense and fierce games with Handsworth and Sentinel. This year will be no exception with Handsworth and Argyle being 1-2 this year and Sentinel up in the top 5.
DRIVE: What are your future goals in basketball?
Sean Burke: My future goals in Basketball are to get a full ride scholarship to college or university. Once I get into the school wherever I will be going I want to bring my skills and do whatever is necessary for our team to be successful. After I finish my college/university career, I want to be able to go somewhere and play Professional. Along the way if the opportunity presents itself I would like to play on the Canadian National Team. In the mean time, I’ll be focusing on another provincial banner that I want to help bring back to
Argyle.
Drive would like to wish Sean Burke and his Argyle teammate’s good luck on this up coming season.
