Basketball teams prepare for season
Cameron Lay, right, prepares to pass the ball at a Summerland Secondary School senior boys basketball practice while Vinnie Gill blocks him.
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Updated: November 18, 2009 2:35 PM
There’s plenty of basketball action at Summerland Secondary School as several teams have started their season.
This year, there are junior and senior boys and girls teams, with a stronger base of players than in the past.
“It’s much better than the last two years,” said Richard Skermer, coach of the senior boys. “We’ve got 16 players instead of five.”
There are spots for 12 players on the team, so some will be cut.
Skermer said making the cut will not be easy.
“They’re junior quality players, but they’re willing to learn,” he said.
Rob Brownlee, coach of the junior boys, said the team, normally made up of Grade 9 and 10 players, “This is a great bunch of kids,” he said. “We should have a lot of fun.”
He added that while Summerland has traditionally produced strong basketball teams, the students today have many other extra-curricular activities and cannot always commit to a team.
Dave Stathers, coach of the senior girls, said the team this year is a good mix of athletic talent and experience.
He said last year’s junior team had a lot of strong Grade 10 players.
“Now those girls are in Grade 11 with lots of experience,” he said.
Linda Bergstrom, coach of the junior girls, said there is a lot of height on her team.
“They’re a hard working group and they’re evenly balanced,” she said.
The team will face tough competition against the Pen-Hi team, one of the strongest in the province, but Bergstrom said her team could be competitive enough to earn a spot at the Valley championships.
Stathers said the goal for the senior girls is to win at the south zone level. The winner there will host the Valley championships in February.
“We haven’t hosted the Valleys here in many years.”
The basketball season, which begins now, will continue until the middle of February.
