LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Two basketball players from Fort Simpson will be going to the Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks, Alaska in March.

Hannah Paulson, left, recovers the ball, while doing a one-on-one, close-out drill with Reannda Cli. The two Fort Simpson athletes were among 25 competitors who were looking to secure a spot on the NWT girls basketball team during the Arctic Winter Game trials in Fort Simpson from Dec. 12 to 14. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Kevin Roche and Devan Horassi were chosen for the NWT boys basketball team during the trials that were held in Fort Simpson from Dec. 12 to 14. Twenty-two male athletes from six NWT communities competed for the 10 spots on the team, and three alternate positions.

During the lunch break on the second day of the trials, Horassi, 17, said he was eager to make the team, but if he did he knew it would mean having to work even harder.

"It's pretty intense," Horassi said describing the trials.

Basketball is a lot different when you are playing against athletes who are at the same competition level as you, he said.

"It's very difficult."

Horassi said he was learning new skills during the trials, including different ways to dribble the ball.

Three other Fort Simpson athletes also competed in the trials – Tyler Lafferty, Hannah Paulson and Reannda Cli. The two female athletes were among 25 competitors from four communities attempting to make the girls team.

It was the first time Paulson, 15, had tried out for the Arctic Winter Games.

"I think they are hard, but they really help me develop as a player and develop my fundamental skills," she said on Dec. 13.

Paulson said she was improving her ball handling, and starting to think and act more quickly during the drills.

The male and female athletes spent approximately 15 hours on the court over the course of the trials, with six people from Basketball NWT evaluating them. The trials involve fitness testing that looks at their strength, speed and endurance as well as skill development, said Nick Diem, the Basketball NWT technical director and the coach for the boys team.

The athletes need to show how developed their skills are and if they haven't had the chance to learn a certain skill, how quickly they can adapt and pick it up. The athletes also played in scrimmages.

"We see what they can do in a game situation," he said.

Because there were so many male athletes with similar skill levels, Diem said they would also have to show leadership, communication skills and mental toughness.

"We want to see their desire and dedication and hustle," he said.

Similarly, Melissa Bard, the head coach for the girls team said the decision would factor in athletes who showed grit, work ethic and attitude.

"We have some tough decisions, because there are a lot of girls who are similar in ability," she said.

The trials are also an opportunity for player development.

"We're doing as much teaching as we can at the same time as evaluation," Bard said.

"It's really a wonderful opportunity for the girls to learn."

The trials can also create friendships and on-court relationships between athletes who previously only saw each other as competitors, she said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.