Apparently basketball is every bit the year-round pursuit that hockey is these days - at least for much of the cream of the crop in terms of young Sudbury talent, those athletes who might at least be contemplating some competition that stretches beyond their high-school days.
With the Ontario Summer Games set to take place from August 1st to the 4th in London, Team North on the female side of the ledger has more than a small sprinkling of local girls - with no less than no less than 11 of the 12 player roster calling the nickel city home.
Joining Timmins native Daphnee Labelle in carrying northern hopes are Allie Vaillancourt, Annakah Kruk, Avery Smith, Elicia Bihina, Ellie Sauvé, Emma DeMarchi, Kallie Smith, Mattia Mullen, Mila Beljo, Peyton Tessier and Sunny Dunlop-Bassett.
The coaching staff features Ben Smith, Adam Sauvé and Steve Dunlop, with the team heading off to Oshawa on the weekend of JUly 20th/21st, attending the NSU Summer Heat Tournament in preparation for the Games.
Meanwhile, the U12 OSDP (Ontario Summer Development Program) boys team that will attend their all-Ontario competition from July 23rd to the 25th at TPASC (Toronto Pan-Am Sports Centre) is not quite so Sudbury centric.
The local contingent of Brady Hartley, Mérick Nadeau, Tejada Gieselman, Cooper Haywood, Malik Hussan-Eddin and Simon McKechnie join forces with North Bay products Preston Lyle, Robert Reyce, Declan Sauve and Liam Siebert and the Timmins duo of Matthew Kelly and Draydon Mascaro under the watchful eye of coaches Derrick Hartley and Martin Nadeau.
Beyond this, a number of local youngsters are keeping busy with the Kia Nurse Elite summer programs - Brielle Corriveau (U12 Regional), Sofie Lafond (U15 Regional), Sophie Miller (U16 Regional), Sarah Guignard (U16 EYBL) and Sidney Skrobot (U17 EYBL) - with the teams typically taking part in AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournament play.
Similarly, some members of the Lo-Ellen Prep girls basketball programs are also State-side, currently in Louisville for the Run 4 Roses Classic.
