For the new basketball season, Howe Sound Secondary鈥檚 senior girls will be relying on some younger players.
Compared with past teams, this installment relies on relatively few seniors.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 team is younger that past senior girls鈥� teams as the majority of the players are in Grade 10 and 11,鈥� said Paul Wick, who is taking over the head coaching position this year.
The school鈥檚 teacher-sponsor, Adam Quiring, agrees, saying the season should provide a chance to the youngest players to develop their skills on the court.聽
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be a good experience for them, playing an extra year in senior,鈥� he said.聽
鈥淏asically, basketball is their life.鈥�
The coach sees potential in his players and thinks that they will gel as a team quickly through their effort.
鈥淭he girls are coming together as a team and have yet to develop their style,鈥� Wick said. 鈥淲ith the hard work that they are undertaking, that will come soon.鈥�
Wick does not want to predict how the team will do this year, but he can see the commitment the players have to the game.
鈥淏ecause the team is young, it is hard to say how they will do,鈥� Wick said. 鈥淭he potential is definitely there to have success but, like all teams, success will not be given but earned through hard work and commitment.鈥�
As to his own approach when it come to this year鈥檚 team, Wick said it is important to be flexible when considering his lineup and what is happening on the floor once the game begins.
鈥淐oaching is a balance of using the strengths of the players you have that year, implementing the game as you see it and teaching the fundamentals of the game.聽So there is a lot of adaptation needed.鈥�
The senior girls鈥� team heads off to its first tournament in Vancouver at St. John鈥檚 School on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 11-12). Of course, the action really ramps up in the new year, and the team will go up against competition from Whistler and Pemberton in the Sea to Sky League.聽
While the senior boys also play in Sea to Sky, they will compete in the North Shore League. The girls may have some exhibition games in the North Shore league, said Quiring.聽
Of course, for the senior girls, their season leads to the league tournament.
鈥淭he big focus for this year for the girls is the Sea to Sky League,鈥� he added.聽
鈥淭he whole thing culminates in the Sea to Sky tourney.鈥�
Last season, Howe Sound fell to Whistler 51-39.聽
