Welcome to another season of high-performance girls basketball in Yellowknife. One which everyone involved hopes will be different than the last one.
The Eagles program is getting its ducks in a row for the 2021-22 season and that means hosting tryouts for the three teams under the program鈥檚 banner: U19, U15 and U13. The U19 and U15 tryouts are all over while the U13 division is having its final look-see on Wednesday evening at William McDonald Gymnasium at 6 p.m.
The U19 division finished things up at St. Pat鈥檚 Gymnasium on Saturday with coaches head coach Aaron Wells and assistants Scott Green, Kyla Lesage and Sierra Nesbitt having the task of figuring out who will be wearing the colours.
Wells said Saturday was merely finalizing the last few spots.
鈥淚t was a good week (of tryouts),鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of good talent coming up from the younger programs 鈥� that鈥檚 good to see 鈥攁nd we鈥檙e finally looking forward to getting things started after the worst of Covid-19.鈥�
One thing the girls had over the course of the tryouts, said Wells, was rust but something else he saw was hunger.
鈥淵ou can tell they missed being out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been working hard, really enjoying being back in the gym and I think that outweighs the rust. It鈥檚 nice to see the energy and the competition was great. Didn鈥檛 matter if it was one-on-one drills or five-on-five 鈥� they鈥檝e been competing hard and talking and it鈥檚 been fun to watch.鈥�
The U13 division will have an idea of what it will look like following proceedings on Wednesday.
Tina Locke-Setter, one of the assistant coaches alongside head coach Richelle Castillo, said around a dozen players came out to the first tryout and there鈥檚 always room for more.
鈥淲e would love to talk to people who want to reach out that are interested in giving this a go,鈥� she said.
U13 is the youngest division in the program and while there is a competitive aspect to it, Locke-Setter said it serves as more of an introduction to the Eagles.
鈥淪ome of the players have gone through the grassroots (GO Ball, Steve Nash Youth Hoops) but we have some who are playing for the very first time,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e cover the fundamentals and we mix in some strategy and philosophies so they鈥檙e able to progress through.鈥�
Being that it鈥檚 a girls-only program also brings a level of comfort for the players, she added.
鈥淵ou may get girls who don鈥檛 know each other but we鈥檙e one big family,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want them to know that there are people who will support them and help them through the process.鈥�
The U19 program will be playing in the Yk Basketball Association鈥檚 women鈥檚 league, which is scheduled to get up and running in January, but one of the big things the program wants to do is have some sort of travel this season.
Wells said his team is champing at the bit to fly somewhere.
鈥淚f we can (travel), we鈥檙e going, no doubt鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we can get to a tournament next month, we鈥檙e there. Hopefully, we鈥檒l be able to get some fundraising in but I鈥檓 hoping we鈥檒l be able to get in three or four tournaments before the end of May to make up for the better part of the last two years. They鈥檙e always asking when we鈥檙e going.鈥�
The situation is a bit trickier for the U13 group as there are players who can鈥檛 yet be vaccinated due to being under the age of 12.
Locke-Setter said that鈥檚 not a big issue because Basketball NWT has taken care of all the return-to-play paperwork but there are limitations.
鈥淩ight now, we can鈥檛 have more than 25 in the gym due to restrictions from the (chief public health officer),鈥� she said. 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 impacted us and if the situation improves, I鈥檇 like to see the girls head to at least one tournament. The U13 division has usually gone to one or two tournaments each year and we鈥檇 like to get them to at least one so they can get some game experience against other players they wouldn鈥檛 see all the time.鈥�
