Tom Henihan
Express Staff
Ten teams from five schools in the region took part in the Grades 4, 5 and 6, Basketball tournament hosted at Glenmary School on February 22.
The schools that took part were TA Norris, Good Shepherd and École des Quatre-Vents in Peace River, E E Oliver Elementary School, Fairview and Ecole Providence, McLennan. The tournament featured boys, girls and mixed teams.
“This is basically for learning,” says coach and Good Shepherd teacher, Terry Hogan. “We just want kids to learn how to play, so we call the occasional fowl but it is mostly about getting the kids comfortable playing, learning how to play and getting them ready for a junior high team.”
Following the scheduled five games that each team played, the teams had the opportunity to put forward four boys and four girls to play in the all-star game.
It is usually the older kids in Grade 6 who are picked to play on the all-star teams, which prepares them for playing on a full court when they go into Grade 7 the following year.
“I am not going to deny that there is disappointment, but for the kids who are chosen it is pretty exciting for them to play on the full court,” says Hogan. “And the grade five and four kids, sure they are disappointed but they watch and say ‘well I’m going to practice and next year I’ll be on the all-star team.”
