Wolfpack re-building season begins
Three-quarters of players in program new to the sport: coach
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, December 18, 2014
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
When a team on the hardwood has just a handful of returning players, the first few games out of the gate can be a bit rough.
Fort Simpson's female players rest on the bench during the tournament in Fort Nelson last weekend. - photo courtesy of Ray Irwin
|
Such was the case this past weekend when 22 Wolfpack players took a road trip from Fort Simpson to Fort Nelson, B.C. for a series of exhibition games.
Coach Neil Barry said this is a rebuilding year for the Fort Simpson basketball program, with three-quarters of its players new to the sport.
Just seven of the players who left the village Dec. 12 on the bus had previous experience, he said.
"For everyone else, it was brand new," Barry said. "The first games were a struggle as players learned the rules as they went, and needed to find some chemistry."
He said that defence was the biggest challenge the team faced.
However, there was progress made with the players over the two days of games played in Fort Nelson.
"Our veteran players did a great job teaching and mentoring the newer players and they caught on quickly," Barry said. "By the second day, the improvements on all teams were substantial."
The team went up against just Fort Nelson as a third team expected to attend dropped out at the last minute.
Barry, who has been coaching basketball for 15 years, said while the girls - eight in total - struggled to hit the scoresheet in the first game they played, they scored 31 points in the final game.
The senior boys - also a team of eight - had a much closer match-up in the final game, he said.
Grade 11 student Tyler Lafferty was one of the players on the senior team, having played basketball since Grade 7.
He was one of the local players who went to Phoenix, Arizona to compete at the Native American Basketball Invitational over the summer.
While he felt a bit rusty at the start of the Fort Nelson tournament, he said as the games continued, he improved.
He said he enjoyed the trip and that he was able to catch up with students he met in Fort Nelson when he played there previously.
"They got a lot more skill, a lot better," Lafferty said.
His favourite part of the trip was seeing his fellow players improve as the tournament continued, he said.
According to Barry, the junior boys had a one point loss to the Fort Nelson junior boys and a one point win against the Fort Nelson senior girls.
"As coaches, we really appreciate the positive attitudes of the players and their eagerness to learn," Barry said. "This has helped them to progress more quickly than we expected. The amount of growth we saw in two days was phenomenal and we are excited to see this team's play again in the new year."
Following the tournament, the coaches will be focusing on defensive footwork and positioning, as well as ball movement and passing, said Barry, who was joined on the trip by fellow teachers Kristen Morrison and Travis MacQuarrie and chaperone Laurent Isaiah.
The highlights for the coaches, Barry said, were the growth of the new players, the leadership shown by the veteran players and the attitudes and sportsmanship shown by all players.
Lafferty said from here he'll be continuing to practice with the team two times a week.
"Just have to keep improving," he said.
He can look forward to several tournaments in the coming months.
First up in the new year is the annual Wolfpack Invitational, which will be held in Fort Simpson from Jan. 9 to 11, featuring teams from across the territory and also Fort Nelson.
Barry said the season will culminate with the Junior and Senior Cager tournaments in Yellowknife Feb. 13 to 15 and Feb. 20 to 22, respectively.
