The road to make the Zone 6 (Vancouver Island-Central Coast) girls basketball team for the 2016 B.C. Summer Games in Abbotsford began back in April with tryouts at Mark Isfeld secondary in Courtenay.
Since then, the West Shore players named among the 10 roster members and two alternates for the under-14 squad B次元官网网址� not to mention their parents B次元官网网址� have shown even greater commitment. TheyB次元官网网址檝e made regular weekend trips to the Comox Valley, where the coaches are based, and since school ended, Wednesday evening practices in Nanaimo have been added.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been hard, because while school was on you had to bring your homework in the car,B次元官网网址� said team member Jordan Scoville, 14, adding that social time has also been curtailed due to the extra travel.
Not that sheB次元官网网址檚 complaining about the sacrifices this opportunity has involved. Scoville, one of seven Zone 6 players who played and won together at Dunsmuir middle school the past two seasons and in the Victoria Night League as Westshore Warriors, is enjoying playing with and getting to know girls from outside of her immediate area.
B次元官网网址淭he teamwork is definitely there (with the Dunsmuir crew), and itB次元官网网址檚 been building with the players we donB次元官网网址檛 know,B次元官网网址� she said. Asked about the teamB次元官网网址檚 prospects for a podium finish at the Games in two weekendsB次元官网网址� time, Scoville said, B次元官网网址淚 think that if we really come together as a team weB次元官网网址檒l have a good chance (of medalling). I think weB次元官网网址檝e really improved since we started.B次元官网网址�
Other team members who came through Dunsmuir and will attend Royal Bay next fall include Emilie Daitl, Mikayla Strandberg, Emily Brown, Rachel Gshiel, Mya Bains and Makenna Gargus. TheyB次元官网网址檙e joined by Sessaly Buck (Nanaimo), Memphis Dick (Port Alberni) and Myah Erikson (Comox Valley) on the Zone 6 team.
As ScovilleB次元官网网址檚 mom Michelle reports, by the time they leave for Abbotsford on July 21, the West Shore girls will have logged a staggering 3,800 kilometres just for practice. That doesnB次元官网网址檛 include travelling for tournament play on the mainland twice during the preparation phase.
Two players in the group competed in 13-under three-on-three basketball at the Games two years ago. TheyB次元官网网址檝e given Jordan Scoville a sense of what to expect, especially from the social events and nighttime activities.
While she admitted to being B次元官网网址渞eally excitedB次元官网网址� about the whole experience, she has a mature philosophy about handling the distractions.
B次元官网网址淚 think you just take it all in in the moment, but when itB次元官网网址檚 time to play basketball you just centre your attention on the court.B次元官网网址�
Zone 6 head coach Sherri Bohmer, whose Isfeld girls lost the Island Grade 8 final to Dunsmuir this past season, acknowledged that the Colwood schoolB次元官网网址檚 program has produced a number of good players in recent years. That said, players at this age have strengths and weaknesses and have a lot of things to work on, especially in the mental aspects of the game, she said.
B次元官网网址淭his is a high-level program and if they want to succeed in the future B次元官网网址� this is an important process,B次元官网网址� Bohmer said of the girlsB次元官网网址� experience. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about things like learning to self-reflect, not letting other teams get into your head and not getting frustrated when youB次元官网网址檙e down.B次元官网网址�
Results from the SFU tournament (the team went 3-0) and the Basketball BC provincial tournament (fourth place against several rival Games teams) give the coach a good feeling about her squadB次元官网网址檚 chances for success in Abbotsford.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 confident that weB次元官网网址檒l do well,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗opefully the stars align and we donB次元官网网址檛 have injuries or illness.B次元官网网址�
The West Shore will be well represented in the sport of basketball at the Games.
Markus Modrovic from Dunsmuir and Noah Messelink, a Langford resident who attended Glanford middle school, are on the boys five-on-five under-14 Zone 6 team. And in the girls three-on-three under-13 competition, DunsmuirB次元官网网址檚 Maggie Fehr and Hannah Massey and SpencerB次元官网网址檚 Tiana Maat will wear the Island-Central Coast green and white jerseys.
The Games run from July 22 to 24 at various sites around Abbotsford. More than 3,000 athletes, coaches, and officials will be participating in 22 different sporting events representing eight zones from across the province.
Watch upcoming print and online editions of the Gazette for more athlete and team profiles from the West Shore.
B次元官网网址� with files from Michelle Scoville
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
