A group of 10 junior basketball players gathered at Smithers Secondary School last Saturday for a regional tryout camp that could lead to a chance at the provincial U14 team.
The boys came from Smithers, Houston and Terrace for a day full of practice, drills and games, as part of Basketball B.C.’s U14 Development Camp program. The six week Northwest camp hosted in Smithers is one of 18 around the province, and the team, coached by Chris Steenhof, aims to play a number of exhibition games and then compete in a provincial tournament with the other 17 teams. At that tournament, officials will be watching for players they believe have the potential to try out for the B.C. Provincial U14 team.
Steenhof said the group were enjoying the hard work they were putting in on Saturday, since there was no huge pressure to perform.
“There were no cuts, and all 10 kids make the team,” he said.
The big challenge for the players on Saturday was playing on the same team with players that they’d previously faced as opponents.
“They all know each other from the court,” said Steenhof.
The team will train over the next month for the 2011 Spring Tip Off Tournament, held the first weekend of May at Simon Fraser University.