Young Wheelchair Basketball Athletes Shine at Junior Challenge Festival

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| Nov 16, 2012 |

Last weekend, November 10/11 marked the 13th annual Junior Challenge at McRoberts Secondary in Richmond.  Junior athletes from all over BC came out to show their skills on the court. 

The format for the tournament was a little bit different this year in order to align our programming with the Long Term Athlete Development model. Still having the two divisions of 8 ½ and 10 ft we reduced the number of players on the floor.  These exciting 3 on 3 games ensured that every player got to experience new roles on the court, practice their skills with more space on the floor, and get more opportunities for ball handling and shooting. 

For many of our 8 ½ foot division athletes it was their first big tournament. The goal was to create an environment where these young athletes could learn and experience the fast paced nature and friendly competition in a tournament settting.

The festival also included some skills sessions and contests. Alec Kendall from Kelowna (10ft) dominated the lay-up contest while the Brendan Sytsma and Joel Aukema combo won the basketball skills race in 8.5ft division. Wheelchair basketball trivia questions on Sunday made the athletes think and learn more about our sport.

At the closing ceremony, some of the players from each division were selected for the tournament awards. However, every single players showed energy, skills, talents, and improvement throughout the weekend. Great job to everyone!   

2012 Jr. Challenge Wheelchair Basketball Festival Award Winners:

8.5ft Division 
Sharp Shooter - Joel Aukema
#1 Hustle Award - Megan Smith
Positive Attitude Award - Ronnie Dela Cruz
True Sport Award - Brendan Sytsma

10ft Division
#1 Hustle Award - Gloria Chan
Best Fundamentals - Ben Hagkull
Leadership Award - Alec Kendall
True Sport Award - Paula Higgins
  

Photos by Gerry Kripps. For more great photos from the event, visit Gerry's gallery. 

Special thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters including Province of BC, Shaw, Wheelchair Basketball Canada, and McRoberts Secondary School. We would also like to thank our volunteers, coaches and all of the families for coming out to cheer!

Sponsors/Supportors:

                

Panago Pizza, PriceSmart foods

Silent Auction Item Doners: Sheraton Vancouver Airport, Spud.ca, SportCheck, 49BeSpoke, Purdy's Chocolates