The Sudbury Five continued to fasten their roots in the community on Sept. 20, announcing the signing of local product Georges Serresse, and life-long Northern Ontario resident Kyle Beers who will be taking on the role of associate head coach.
In addition to adding another player and coach to their organization, the Five announced a pair of partnerships, as their parent company Sudbury Wolves Sports and Entertainment (SWSE) will be entering into a community partnership with the YMCA.
"Partnerships are some of the most powerful tools we have in business and sport," said Five owner Dario Zulich. "At our root is the community we represent when we travel around the country. We look forward to carrying our Sudbury values to other communities as we compete and work hard in pursuit of a championship starting with the opening tip-off on Nov. 22."
The team has also partnered with Northern Lights Basketball Academy, which is owned by newly minted associate coach Kyle Beers. The academy is the only full service basketball academy in Northern Ontario and employs several coaches and trainers including a mental performance coach, an athletic therapist, and will soon have a registered dietician who will be working with the team both on and off the court.
While the academy will be working to have the Five performing at their peak level throughout the season, it will also be serving as a resource for the city's youth basketball players through camps that will be run by players and coaches from the Five.
"Ultimately, if we're going to build a program we have to get the local talent and find the right people that can teach the game and play the game and grow the game," said Five head coach and general manager Logan Stutz.
"I think Sudbury is a great place where that can realistically happen because the hunger for basketball is here and now with a professional team and players like Georges who are well known and can play, they're paving the path for the younger crowd and it's a realistic opportunity for boys in Sudbury to grow up and become professional basketball players."
Serresse is a graduate of Collège Notre Dame and Laurentian University (2013), and has returned home after playing four years of professional basketball in France. The opportunity to come back home and play in front of his family and friends had Serresse beaming at Thursday's press conference, and he echoed his new coach's statements about the value that the Northern Lights Basketball Academy will bring to Sudbury.
"Growing up in Sudbury it was definitely kind of hard to find access to basketball programs. It wasn't until I got to Laurentian where things started coming together," said Serresse. "I think having a professional team here and having this academy, it's going to entice more kids to play basketball, and I'm excited that I'll be able to share my knowledge with these kids."
Stutz also spoke highly of the partership that the team has entered into with the YMCA, lending credit to the organization for his early basketball development.
"One of the first basketball teams I actually played on was the YMCA, and I think that's true for a lot of people, it's where a lot of people start" said Stutz. "If we can get these young kids at a young age and be there for them as mentors or coaches then that's a service we have to provide and we give back, and that's what helps build a program and a community — it's a win-win situation all around."
The Sudbury Five have announced their season schedule, along with the signings of players an coaches ahead of the tip off to their inaugural season on Nov. 22.
Plans are in place to announce the signing of two more players in early October ahead of the team's training camp which begins at the end of the month.
Season memberships are available at TheFive.ca or GreaterSudbury.ca/Tickets and can be purchased at home or on your mobile device. Individual game tickets are set to go on sale at the end of October.
