BY SCOTT
HADDOW
The Laurentian University club basketball tournament provided a
real dose of reality to a bunch of athletes making the jump
from the elementary ranks to high school this fall.
Teams from across Ontario converged at the Ben Avery Gymnasium
this past weekend to get in on the action. The event featured
Grade 7 and 8 squads as well as Grade 9 and 10 teams.
The whole tournament wasn't about winning and losing for the
kids in Grade 7 and 8. It was about exposure to a higher level
of basketball and coaching.
Coach Greg Barnes brought two teams from North Bay as it was
the perfect opportunity for his troops to just get some playing
time.
"We needed to play games...at a higher level," said Barnes.
"North Bay is a small town and no one is playing basketball
there right now. We need to prepare for next year. These games
have been at the calibre of high school games and better than
our league games. It's great for our kids to see and show them
how much harder they have to work next season. You have to get
exposed to other teams from other areas to push yourself more."
Laurentian men's basketball head coach Virgil Hill helped
organize the tournament and knew it would be a hit with kids
looking for a little more pressure and intense competitive
atmosphere.
"We just wanted the kids to come in and understand how to compete and play the game at a higher level," said Hill.
"There's some good talent in Sudbury. It has to be fostered
and nurtured in the right way...There could be some university
players here."
The kids typically don't get such direct access to high
level coaches.
"We brought in four of the better coaches in this region to
coach the local kids," said Hill. "The kids learn to understand
what will be demanded from them as they move up to higher
levels. They learn the whole emotion of being an elite player.
The kids now have to follow through with what we taught them
and practice it. They can take a lot back to their club or high
school teams. They now know how hard it takes to be
successful."
Douglas Strasser, 14, will attend Lo-Ellen in the fall, and
relished every punishing second of the intense tournament and
learning from top coaches.
"They really improved my game," said Strasser. "It's was
definitely a great opportunity for me. Virgil focuses on all
parts of the game. I really improved my defence the most and my
offence as well. The competition was intense and it was what I
was looking for. It was a big change."
Eric Giommi, 14, will attend Lockerby in the fall, and also
enjoyed the thrill of being pushed harder than he ever has been
before.
"It was a lot harder competition than what I have faced," said Giommi. "I really liked it. Virgil taught me to be a stronger player on offence. I got a lot better. Before I would drive as hard to the net...Now I can get to the net with less dribbles and it's easier for me to score."
