LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Using what's commonly a sport for taller people, a trio of anti-bullying advocates made a stop in Fort Simpson over the weekend to educate youth on treating others with respect.

Mourtouzali Mourtouzaliev, a member of the Lil' All Stars basketball team, reacts after getting splashed in the face with water by fellow team member Jenna Cassidy. The dousing was all part of the comedy basketball game aimed at reducing bullying. - Shane Magee/NNSL photos

The Lil' All Stars basketball team, a travelling troupe of self-described little people, provided workshops and then put on a comedy basketball show Saturday evening.

Students and the trio of Mourtouzali Mourtouzaliev, Jenna Cassidy and Farmer Pete played in a non-competitive game.

Some of the high school students they played against in the evening game were twice their height, such as Henry Cli.

"It was really very funny with the skits and it was really fun," Cli said.

The comedy aspect of the event involved small skits mid-game, including having a student get on his knees and using only his forearms to attempt a free throw, making the player effectively the same stature as the All Stars.

"That's the way it was like for us," Pete said as the player's shot fell far short of the net.

Another skit had Cassidy soak Mourtouzaliev with a bottle of water.

Cli, a high school basketball player, said it was great playing with the trio.

He said Cassidy was really competitive and could jump pretty high.

Farmer Pete said in an interview the trio grew up facing teasing and bullying.

They've been travelling the country, including stops in the Prairies and Hay River, to promote an anti-bullying message.

Pete said while teachers try to promote the message, they've found that children react better when it's coming from them, when they're talking about personal anecdotes that speak to the pain caused by teasing.

"We got good responses," he said about the time spent with youth in the village

on Saturday.

The team typically goes into area schools to talk to classes.

At the end of a session, they ask if anyone wants to play a basketball game with them.

Since they were only here on the weekend, they didn't get that classroom time, but they did have youth attend afternoon sessions.

By the end, they had children like Tamara Deneyoua-Nahanni who begged to play.

She did, with constant encouragement from Pete from the sidelines to get right into the action of the game.

"It makes us feel good," Pete said about the change in attitudes they see during visits.

Basketball was picked to show the youth how even little people can play what's commonly thought of as a tall person's sport, Pete said.

The event was organized by Liidlii Kue Support Services and approximately 20 spectators turned out for the game.

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