Several youth basketball teams from the area are headed to the annual Montreal Summer Festival tournament, where they will tangle with some of the top teams of their age group from across the country.
One such team is the U13 boys team, NL West Rock, which features five players from Deer Lake on the roster.
It’s a notable feat, considering it wasn’t that long ago — about six years, to be exact — basketball was on the backburner in the town.
When former hoops coach Jim Feltham returned from a teaching gig in Nunavut to find the basketball program he’d left behind dormant, he quickly got to work re-establishing it as a go-to sport for students of all ages.
That venture was seemingly a success, if the five young players featured below are any indication.
Name: Brayden Coish
Age: 13
Grade: Going to Grade 8
School: Xavier Junior High
When did you start playing basketball? Grade 4.
What do you like about it the most? Just the whole experience.
What position do you play? Centre.
What are you most looking forward to about the Montreal trip? Playing against more experienced players up there.
How do you think you’ll do? I think we can do pretty good.
Favourite NBA player? LeBron James.
Name: Luke Noble
Age: 12
Grade: Going to Grade 8
School: Xavier Junior High
When did you start playing basketball? I’m going to say Grade 4, that’s when I got my first team.
What do you like about it the most? Just hanging out with my friends, going to the basketball court.
What position do you play? Point guard.
What are you most looking forward to about the Montreal trip? Just going alone, seeing Montreal and playing different players because I never really played against people from other parts of Canada.
How do you think you’ll do? I think we’ll do OK.
Favourite NBA player? Steph Curry.
Name: Tyler Stagg
Age: 13
Grade: Going to Grade 8
School: Xavier Junior High
When did you start playing basketball? Grade 4.
What do you like about it the most? Probably just meeting new people, the sport in general, and the teamwork and everything that goes along with the trip.
What position do you play? Forward.
What are you most looking forward to about the Montreal trip? Probably the basketball, but also buying shoes.
How do you think you’ll do? Since there’s a lot of really good teams up there and we’re not really the best out of all of them, I’m hoping to win one or two games.
Favourite NBA player? Kevin Durant.
Name: Ryan Legge
Age: 13
Grade: Going to Grade 8
School: Xavier Junior High
When did you start playing basketball? I think I was eight years old, in Grade 3.
What do you like about it the most? Everything … I just really like everything about it.
What position do you play? Power forward.
What are you most looking forward to about the Montreal trip? Playing against bigger and better people.
How do you think you’ll do? I think we’ll win a game or two.
Favourite NBA player? Kevin Love.
Name: Gavin Curtis
Age: 13
Grade: Going to Grade 8
School: Xavier Junior High
When did you start playing basketball? Started playing in Grade 4.
What do you like about it the most? Travelling to different places to play.
What position do you play? Point guard.
What are you most looking forward to about the Montreal trip? Just sightseeing.
How do you think you’ll do? We’ve got a pretty decent team. I think we’ll get one or two games.
Favourite NBA player? Giannis Antetokounmpo.
