Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

KAMLOOPS HOOPS

Northern Bounce helps develops skills and confidence in young athletes

Nov 24, 2022 | 4:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — Emma Piggin. Tim Unaegbu. Sean Garvey. When it comes to the past decade of basketball in Kamloops, these three are some of the best to have played in the city.

Now as coaches, they’re giving back through the Kamloops chapter of Northern Bounce.

“We wanted to see if we could get things going in the spring and summer, just like other places do — and club teams in Vancouver,” Coach Unaegbu explains. “Finally, just last year we started — mostly in February with kids camps and a Northern Bounce Club team.”

Northern Bounce started in Prince George, and with the Kamloops Chapter opening up last year, has built a strong competitive boys’ program.

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“In May, we went to Calgary. We went to Vancouver, the Langley Events Centre, we took our team to Gonzaga team camp, which was a big hit, it was awesome there,” Unaegbu says. “We ended up our season with a trip to Vegas, sow e played in that circuit. We wanted to go there to show not just the hard work we’d put in, but also to show what else is over there on the other side of the world.”

From there, Piggin joined the coaching staff. The former Junior National team member and TRU WolfPack alum has helped build the female program, which her athletes appreciate.

“I have been with Garvey and Tim for forever,” Brooke Boyd, one of the athletes explains. “When Emma got here, she took me aside and helped me so much — my ball handling, I couldn’t go behind the back… she’s for sure my favourite coach.”

The focus of the training sessions is skill development. Due to the short time high school coaches have, that’s one area that likely doesn’t get enough attention during the season. For the athletes, that one-on-one training time is a valuable experience.

“Even if you don’t have enough experience, you’ll definitely learn,” Audrina Robinson says. “They definitely start at the bottom, and if you don’t know how to do — like between the legs — they’ll take you aside and try to teach you how to do it.”

For Piggin, training and coaching outside of her school programs didn’t exist like this didn’t exist when she was developing her skills.

“When I was growing up, it was mostly just a group of us friends who all really enjoyed playing basketball,” Piggin recalls. “We had a parent who – a couple of parents actually — who would take us and train us on the weekends and take us to tournaments here, there and everywhere, and help us develop as players.”

Over the past several years, Kamloops high school programs have had success on the provincial stage. South Kam has won the boys’ and girls’ provincial championships in recent years, and Westsyde claimed the AA Provincial title last year.

With programs like Northern Bounce offering opportunities for young athletes, the hope is that success continues.

“I think that’s going to bring the level of basketball — and sport — up, across our entire city,” Piggin says. “Just get more kids involved and staying active.”

For more information on Northern Bounce programs and sports camps, you can click here.