Basketball has room to grow in Sudbury

Sudbury Northern Life Columnist Randy Pascal 

I must admit, this one is a bit of a head scratcher. Early last week, I decided that the current state of basketball in Greater Sudbury would become the focus of my next local sports column. Yet, as I looked at the complete spectrum of activity on the hard court in the Nickel City, I found myself being pulled in completely opposite directions. Allow me to explain.

In general, the best starting point for an assessment of the health of any sport is to examine the foundation upon which that particular sport exists. It's very difficult for any sport to prosper without the benefit of a solid grass roots level, one which provides a nice mix of teaching of fundamentals, and keeping the game enjoyable, all while attracting sufficient numbers to create a pyramid of potential progress for the elite.

It would be hard to argue that the work being done by the likes of the Sudbury Youth Basketball League, the Valley East Minor Basketball League and the Walden Youth Basketball League falls short in terms of meeting the mandate noted above. All three continue to enjoy solid registration numbers, creating an environment where young athletes are learning the basics of the game in a non-competitive setting.

Their work melds nicely with all of the various elementary teams strewn across the region. Not every single coach working with these youngsters is necessarily a basketball guru. But there are easily enough people who have grown up with the sport to create a nucleus where the game is being properly taught to those who are interested.

From here, the next logical step in the development of most sports tends to hit a fork in the road. Many of the young boys and girls who are exposed to basketball at the elementary school level will simply continue to move along this pathway, trying out and competing for their respective high school teams.

And while in no way do I consider myself an expert in the sport of basketball, my various conversations with those who do know the sport inside and out suggests that the overall level of ball being played at the secondary school level is not what it once was, especially when it comes to the young men.

That is not to say there are not still pockets of individual and team talent strewn across the city. Moreso, the overall caliber of basketball on display when we gather the top end teams is not nearly as deep as it once was. 

Likewise, the coaching ranks at the high school level no longer enjoy the benefit of a never-ending stream of basketball bench bosses for whom the sport means everything. That is not to take anything away from the work being done by the likes of Marcel Blanchard (Horizon), Mike Sheridan (Lockerby), Denis Gauthier (Lasalle), Bob Blanchard (Notre-Dame), Rocco Faiella (Marymount) and Jennifer Bourget (Lo-Ellen), just to name a few.

Nor is this a shot at many other well-intentioned high school basketball coaches, who will readily admit their true sporting passion lies on another field of play. The fact is without these people devoting countless hours to the kids, high school sport in general would lie in great peril.

Still, the secondary school stream is not the only avenue available that allows those, who strive for greatness within their sport, an opportunity to find the kinds of challenges that can only help develop their game. Club teams exist for many local sports, including basketball, exposing local teams to the upper-end of the talent level province-wide.

The girls appear to still remain ahead of the boys when it comes to basketball in Sudbury. The scope of teams competing under the banner of either the Sudbury Lakers or Jr. Vees organization far outweigh any similar effort being made on the boys side of the draw.

It likely comes as no great surprise as we watch the likes of Kristine Lalonde, Tiye Traore and Erin Simpson look to follow in the footsteps of Shauna Brouillard, Lisa Furchner, Amanda MacDonald and Katie Goggins, just to name a few from recent memory alone.

No doubt, there remains optimism. That was evident as I took in the Golden Gator Invitational this past weekend, getting a chance to check out a very talented Bishop Carter Junior boys team, one which would take the Lasalle Lancers to overtime in the tournament championship game.

Likewise, I had the opportunity recently to take in Grade 8 talent Samantha Cooper and contemplate the potential that will develop over four years of secondary school basketball.

There are pockets of hope and excitement within the sport of basketball. And yet there exists room for much greater growth. I suppose the same could be said for most sports in Sudbury.