The opening ceremonies are over, the welcome speeches done and now all that is left is for games to tip off and basketballs to hit the floor.
Forty-five teams—21 girls and 24 boys—are competing in the 2014 BC Junior All Native Basketball tournament, which is being held in Kamloops from March 16 to March 21.
Nine Nuu-chah-nulth teams are competing—Maaqtusis Magic, Ahousaht Chiefs, TFN Kings, and NCN Young Guns for the boys; Hesquiaht Storm, TFN First Ladies, Ahousaht Ravens, Ehattesaht Storm and NCN Lady Warriors for the Girls.
Nuu-chah-nulth teams placed high but didn’t take home the big prize at the 2013 BC Junior All Native, which was played in New Aiyansh. The Maaqtusis Magic placed second after being beaten by the Skidegate Saints in the boys division. And the Hesquiaht Storm were beaten by Haisla and placed second in the girls division.
This year, Magic plays the winner of the Terrace Wolverines-Conayt Coyotes game on Monday at 2:30 p.m. The Storm play the winner of Old Masset-Van City at 4 p.m. Monday.
All teams participated in the grand entrance at the Kamloops Memorial Arena on Sunday night.
“This is what brings us together,” said Ahousaht’s John Frank. “Our people are like this.”
Elder Roger Adolph welcomed the more than 500 players, coaches, managers, chaperones and parents to Kamloops. According to Adolph, Aboriginal kids first learned how to play basketball in the residential schools. “I played in Kamloops Indian Residential School, but I wasn’t tall enough or fast enough,” he said.
The junior all native tournament got its start in 1977, and was organized in a zone format that was comprised of junior, intermediate and senior men’s and women’s teams. Scanning the crowd of players Adolph said “From what I can tell it is alive and well.”
Basketball teaches youth tangible lessons in commitment and in team plays. But basketball also hones a quality universal to Aboriginal people that is also valuable off the court. “The spirit of the warrior, that’s what you feel when you’re training for sports,” the gravelly-voiced Adolph said. “As long as you keep that spirit alive we’ll never be conquered.”
Girls often play in the shadow of guys but they hold their own, 2014 JANT co-coordinator Ray Phillips said. “The guys dominate the sport,” Phillips said. “But the girls have perfected it.”
Games kick off starting at 9 a.m. Monday. All games are being played at the Kamloops Tournament Capital Centre and at the Thompson River University gym.
