All Nuu-chah-nulth teams have reason to celebrate after a jam-packed Junior All Native Tournament in Kelowna, but it might just be the Hitacu Itty Bitty Ballerz 10U team that hit the road with the biggest feather in their cap.
The super young squad from Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ went undefeated, and the tournament organizers even had to enforce new rules after the Ballerz blew out the first team they played.
“In our first game they scored 68 points,” said Ballerz coach Tyson Touchie. “They scored more points than some of the juniors were scoring. They weren’t allowed to fast break (after). That was the big one because our guys were just running the ball and scoring hoops real fast. It was good for the tournament to slow it down and give the guys a chance.”
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tatuus 10U team out of Port Alberni was the only group that could keep pace with the Itty Bitty Ballerz.
“It was a close one. We lost by one point. The teams were absolute champions. They were amazing. No tears. Immediately after they went to support their U13 team. You wouldn’t even be able to tell they lost,” said Tatuus coach Oswald Felsman IV while holding his toddler, Malcolm.
Tatuus won all their other games in the 10U round robin.
“It’s been more than we can possibly imagine and we just can’t wait to do it all over again,” said Felsman. “It’s been a real blessing to have all the parents and families trust us with their children and to have all the support from our community and our Chief Ken Watts.”
When Touchie first started holding practices for the Itty Bitty Ballerz in the fall, he says they didn’t even know what a “practice” was or what a “coach” was.
“The kids know the importance of practice now,” said Touchie.
He says their first tournament was all about learning to be ready rather than winning, which entails coming to the gym an hour before their game and getting their runners on. (Some of the players are so young they can’t tie their own shoes yet!)
“Seeing them do what we worked on as coach of a bunch of young little kids is so rewarding,” said Touchie. “Them winning was really good, but I think (the best part) was seeing all the things that we worked on at practice.”
Marissa Mack, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Ravens 13U girls coach, echoed the sentiment.
“When we started the team, the girls didn’t know what a travel was, they didn’t know what a double dribble was. This year, they were in the championship bracket. They got knocked out by one point by a pretty good team. It was a crazy good game,” she said.
“They pushed really hard to the end. Just like Tyson said, it was practice. Just practice and showing up,” said Mack.
Last year was an extremely hard time for the Ravens because they lost Joseph Clutesi, their coach, friend and father of three girls.
“We weren’t ready to come to JANT this year,” said Mack. “But one of the kids said, ‘We’re so excited for JANT’ and suddenly all the kids were excited, so we just knew we had to take them.”
“We’re going to do it again next year in Langley,” she added. “We heard they are going to do the 10U and they are going to do the Gold and Silver division, so our girls will be playing again and hopefully a boys team too.”
