FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

100 Mile House, BC, February 15, 2023 – Engage Sport North is thrilled to announce that it is working with a local group of basketball enthusiasts in the 100 Mile House region to set up the South Cariboo Basketball Association, a Local Sport Organization affiliated with Basketball BC. The group, fueled by their passion for the sport and a desire to see more opportunities for youth in their community, is working to establish a not-for-profit, volunteer organization that will offer year-round basketball programs for kids and adults in the region.

Engage Sport North has been instrumental in helping the group launch the program, providing support and guidance to get the organization up and running. A 8-week basketball session under Engage Sport North’s Sport Discovery Program was hosted in fall 2022 and was a huge success, with a second session starting this psdt month.

“We were thrilled by the number of kids who came out to the fall basketball session and who are registered for the second session,” said Sarah Saunders, Manager of Sport Development with Engage Sport North. “With over 30 kids in the gym learning fundamental basketball techniques and playing skill games, I’m hopeful for the future of basketball in the 100 Mile House community. The parents have been very receptive and eager to see more sport variety in this region. With the formation of the basketball association, we hope to continue to grow and sustain the sport here and make it a viable option for kids and adults.”

Engage Sport North believes in delivering inclusive quality programs in physical literacy, sport participation, and high-performance sport across Northern BC. The Prince George Physical Literacy Table has played a huge role in this mission and has supported Engage Sport North in the development of the South Cariboo Basketball Association. Additional funding for this program has been made possible through the financial support of Sport for Life and the Public Health Agency Funding.

Once up and running, the South Cariboo Basketball Association will have a Facebook group and board of directors that will set up the yearly fees and costs. The association will provide the community with a chance to form youth rep teams and even masters teams for adults to compete in tournaments. Engage Sport North will continue to play a supporting role, as it does with all Local Sport Organizations.

“My basketball career is over, but I love to play,” said Engage Sport North Coach, TJ Grabowiecki. “And so do many other older athletes in the area. With an association, we might get a chance to lace up our sneakers again against other cities.”

Children aged 8 – 14 are encouraged to register for the upcoming basketball sessions! For more information, visit https://engagesportnorth.uplifterinc.com/.

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About Engage Sport Noth

Founded in 1994, Engage Sport North, a Pacific Sport Centre, is a non-profit sport-delivery organization. Engage Sport North supports athletes, coaches, officials, educators, parents and sport leaders in Northern BC. They are a member of the viaSport Regional Alliance— a collective of regional sport-delivery organizations committed to enhancing sport participation and athlete development across BC. Funded by investments from the Province of BC, viaSport, and the Northern BC Community Sport Development Society, we lead the provincial standard for athlete programming, coach development, physical literacy, and sport inclusion in the North. In partnership with the Canadian Sport Institute and SportforLife, we support athletes and coaches of all ages and abilities, from grassroots to high performance.

The office, located in Prince George, BC, is on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh.

For more information, visit engagesportnorth.com.

About Sport For Life

Our nationally recognized not-for-profit organization consists of sport and physical literacy experts with the long-term vision necessary to be catalysts for lasting change within the sport and physical activity ecosystem and beyond. By bridging gaps between sectors, creating new collaborations with Canadian institutions, and mobilizing our knowledge to communities across the country, we aim to create a future in which absolutely everyone has access to quality sport and physical literacy experiences.

The office, located in Victoria, BC, is on the traditional territory of the Lkwugen.

For more information, visit sportforlife.ca.

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Media Contact
Monogram Communications
Emily@monogramcomms.ca
250.301.0767