The Team 360 squad is rapidly returning to action, after the restrictions during recent months, with both UK and non-UK members headed to their respective PDC Development Tours this week.
The joint Winamu and JDC development project seeks to create a smooth pathway from junior excellence to professional tour success and seems to be making an early impacts
The Development Tour (UK edition) will feature Team 360’s Keelen Kay (Pictured), who made such a strong debut on the Challenge Tour recently, who will be looking to consolidate his recent progress in all areas. The staging of the event back in the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, will ensure that the young English thrower feels right at home.
Keelan will not be alone in representing Team 360 in the opening DT events of 2021. Ben McCaffrey and Nathan Potter will also be looking to score some early season wins and gains some momentum after enduring such a disjointed 18 months. It may be that the true benefit will simply be to be back playing with their peers and friends.
Nathan’s potential has been spotted by Opus Sports Management who have now included him on their growing list of supported players. Among Opus’s clients is 2021 Tour card winner Jason Heaver who is performing solidly on the Pro Tour. They seem to have a good eye.
Ben McCaffrey is enjoying a successful restart to competitive darts, the 17-year-old Irish thrower has qualified for the JDC World Championship and to represent his Country in the JDC World Cup. Ben had worked hard for the last few weeks to ensure both of these goals were met and now travels to the Development Tour with a spring in his step.
Over at the H+ Hotel, Niedernhausen, Germany, Jurjen van der Velde (Lead Image) will be looking to maintain his superb run of recent form. Indeed, so many of Jurgen’s games have resulted in a -0 scoreline that the Dutch youngster has been dubbed ‘The Bagel Boy’. It is unlikely he will be dishing out quite so many at what is sure to be an eagerly contested European Development Tour weekend, but Team360 will be closely following his progress nonetheless.
One player feeling a little disappointed at missing the Development Tour will be Cayden Smith. Sady, Cayden is a couple of years short of the age range permitted by the Tour and will have to be content with his recent superb efforts within the JDC structure and at the England Grand Prix. During last weekend alone Cayden finished runner up on the overall Order of Merit for his JDC Tour and gained the same result in the England Grand Prix only being headed by the vastly experienced Luke Littler.
There is a strong camaraderie developing between the team 360 squads and they are being strongly supported by their coach/mentor Steve Brown, the Go Darts Pro system is being utilised to improve their performance and Winmau are supplying their equipment and accessory needs.
A team approach and a multi-disciplinary style program are unusual in darts and we shall be keeping a close eye on TEAM 360 and their forthcoming efforts.
—–ENDS—–
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