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Pursuit: Sudbury’s Syla Swords named the youngest player to suit up for all-Canadian competition

Lo-Ellen Park Prep basketballer kept her skills sharp during the pandemic with a little help from an indoor basketball net at home

Named as an underage alternate to Team Ontario in the summer of 2019, Syla Swords was already showing signs of being a pretty darn talented basketball player.

Yes, a 13-year-old at the time, but a pretty darn talented 13-year-old when it came to her skills on the court.

Opponents beware. 

Two years later, Syla has taken her game to a whole other level. Being named the youngest player to suit up in the 2022 BioSteel All-Canadian games last week in Toronto could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Largely, credit for her growth goes to the now 16-year-old herself. The Lo-Ellen Park Prep basketball star dedicated herself to expanding her game greatly. 

“One of the biggest things that has improved so much over the pandemic is my shooting,” Syla said recently as she prepared for the BioSteel event by participating in the Team Canada 17U tryouts.

“Before, I was really good at getting to the rim, finishing or getting my teammates involved. Now, I’m also a threat from the three-point line, which elevates my game that much more.”

For the most part, athletes, even elite amateur ones in Ontario, have been pleased if they could simply maintain their skills during the past two years of life in a pandemic. Lack of competition certainly made that a challenge.

The exception are those who have continued to progress in leaps and bounds, in spite of the limitations. For a variety of reasons, Syla Swords finds herself in that very special grouping.

“Fortunately for me, I just love training. And I’m blessed to have a sister (Savannah, two years younger) who wants to compete at the same level as I do,” said Syla. “And my parents obviously know a lot about the sport; they’ve really helped me out.” 

To wit, Shawn Swords played for the Canadian Olympic basketball team in 2000 in Sydney and has coached the Laurentian Voyageurs men’s team for more than a decade. Shelley (Dewar) Swords played at LU from 1994 to 1998, was OUA Rookie of the Year and a two-time all-star, as well as being one of the best (if not the best) three-point shooters in program history.

Throw in the Lo-Ellen Prep crew as well — “I am so lucky to have constant support from my teammates and coaches,” Syla said — and one can envision an environment where almost anything is possible.

That said, a little thinking outside the box was needed when the bulk of athletic facilities sat silent in Ontario at different points in that 2020-2022 window. 

“We have one spot in our house where the ceiling is really high, so my parents bought a net and put it in our house so that we could train in the winter time,” Syla said.

“We could do swishes and post moves and some dribbling and that can be a two-hour workout of stuff. It’s just crazy to be able to say I had a hoop in my house.”

Mind you, a benefit not without repercussions.

“We have tile floors, which is pretty good (allowing basketballs to bounce), but my dad had to re-paint the walls,” said Syla. “You could see some shot marks.”

Having added an increasingly dangerous shooting component to her game, the 6-0 multi-positional talent now faces the dilemma that comes with trying to assess opposing defenses in order to ensure she is making the best decision, more often than not.

“I think I’ve improved a lot on that,” Syla said. “I was always stuck on being a dynamic player who could drive and pass really well, so I got stuck in that mindset that I shouldn’t be shooting this. The only way you can improve on that is to play against people, reading the defender.

“We were lucky to have lots of games this year.”

Of course, offensive skills alone will only get you so far, with Syla honed in constantly on the necessity for her to be able to defend guards that are smaller and quicker. 

“I’ve really been focusing on getting a lot up in my teammates’ shorts in practice,” she said, alluding to the high-level intensity of the Lo-Ellen Prep workouts.

“In that environment, you rely on your teammates so you feel comfortable putting yourself out there. That translates to the games.”

Speaking of games, let’s put the BioSteel honour in perspective.

Twenty-four young women from across Canada were named to the roster, with Syla one of only three among the Class of 2024. Of the 13 selected, 11 have already committed to NCAA programs ranging from Duke to Arizona, from Wisconsin to Georgia Tech.

“I’m just so excited to put myself in that environment, to have a chance to play with some amazing players.”

“And challenge myself,” she added. Just as she always does.

Randy Pascal is a sportswriter in Greater Sudbury. Pursuit is made impossible by our Community Leaders Program.


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