NWT
Aboriginal hoopsters from the Deh Cho and around the territory are attending the Native American Basketball Invitational this summer, but high travel costs mean the team needs financial support.

Grade 11 student Tyler Lafferty from Fort Simpson is gearing up for the Native American Basketball Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona, this summer. The key to winning this year will be running the floor, he said. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

That's why Neil Barry, coach and teacher at Thomas Simpson Secondary School, is trying to crowd fund some of the cost online.

"It's an amazing experience," said Barry, who has taken four teams to the Phoenix tournament in the past.

"It really changes lives I think. It has a very positive influence on the young people we take. The other side of that though is it's a very expensive trip to go all the way from the Northwest Territories to Phoenix, Arizona, especially when you have athletes from fly-in communities."

The tournament will cost between $25,000 and $30,000

to attend, he said.

"It's a pretty full-service tournament," said Barry, pointing out that it involves not only basketball games but motivational speakers, cultural components and a career fair.

"One of the aims of the tournament is to encourage First Nations youth to go onto post-secondary education and careers after high school. The theme running throughout is pursuing your goals and having positive role models," he said.

Grade 11 Fort Simpson student Tyler Lafferty has been to the Native American Basketball Invitational in the past.

He admitted his first trip to the tournament, which features teams from the United States and elsewhere, was tough.

"I was nervous of playing people from other countries," said Lafferty. "I was scared a little bit but as time went on I started getting to know my teammates better and it was lots of fun."

He said the key to beat bigger players is to "run the floor," meaning making a lot of passes instead of dribbling up the court and looking for players in open positions.

"I think we'll do a lot better this year," said Lafferty. "We've got more skilled and bigger players."

The team will be made up of four players from Fort Simpson, five from Inuvik, three from Yellowknife and one from Deline.

Barry wants to make sure everyone can make it and he's using crowd funding to help with that.

"What we don't rase online the players will have to pay for out of pocket," said Barry. "I'm hoping I don't have to exclude anyone because of that - I never have - but it's becoming more expensive."

The team is scheduled to leave the territory June 26 and arrive back July 6.

Barry's fundraiser can be found by going to Gofundme's website.

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