Ucluelet Secondary basketball is back in action.
USS’ gym will be jam packed with entertainment and enthusiasm this weekend as the school kicks off the season with a Basketball on the Edge tournament.
Last year’s event was cancelled due to snowy conditions blocking teams from crossing Sutton Pass but, knock on wood, the forecast looks to be flurry free this time around.
Six teams — Maaqtusiis from Ahousaht, Brooks Secondary from Powell River, Duncan Christian, Queen Margarets from Duncan, Cedar Secondary and Campbell River Christian — are travelling to Ucluelet to compete in the all boys tournament alongside both the junior and senior USS teams.
“Our hospitality is really what makes our tournament special. We’ve had a lot of community support,” USS assistant coach Kevin Nixon told the Westerly News. “A lot of families love coming out to the West Coast here from the other side of the Island and we try and do our best to treat them as well as we can and reciprocate the hospitality that many of those teams have shown to us in the last number of years post-Covid. It’s great to return that favour and host these teams.”
Nixon touted the West Coast Motel for providing discounted rooms to incoming teams as well as paying for referees to come in from out of town. He added that both the Tofino and Ucluelet Co-op’s provided food for fundraisers and Tofino restaurant Wolf in the Fog took a significant bite out of new uniform costs for the USS squad.
“We were in desperate need of new uniforms and they stepped up and contributed a nice donation to help pay for the significant cost of those uniforms,” he said.
He noted that USS recently launched a new sponsorship program to add businesses to the gymnasium walls and he’s been thrilled to see those spots filling up with local support.
“That is amazing because we do have such an active sports program at the high school,” he said, noting basketball, wrestling, volleyball, ultimate and track and field are all thriving.
“The community has always stepped up and supported the athletes at Ucluelet Secondary School. We’re very grateful.”
The Basketball on the Edge tournament’s first tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. on Friday with the finals scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. A skills competition is also on the docket at 7:15 p.m. Friday night.
This is the first tournament of USS’ season and Nixon has high hopes for the school’s junior and senior teams.
“These kids are really fun to watch. It’s entertaining just to see the effort that they put in on every play, diving for balls, scrambling for balls and communicating with each other,” Nixon said. “And, when things aren’t going as well as maybe they had hoped, they’re patting each other on the back and encouraging each other. Their sportsmanship is second to none…These kids love the game. They just love playing the sport and that enthusiasm is contagious. It’s pretty special to be a part of it.”
He added he’s hoping to see a big turnout throughout the weekend’s two-day event.
“It helps elevate their game and how they compete. It’s important to have as many people as possible in our gymnasium and it’s great entertainment for anyone,” he said.
“A big thank you to all the teachers and parents who will be helping support this tournament this weekend. It’s not one individual running the show, it’s a collective effort to have this Basketball on the Edge tournament be a success.”
