Hooping success

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

A love for a sport doesn’t necessarily mean you will make the team. The #1 Hoops basketball program is focused on getting kids of all skill levels out and playing the game. 

“I have been playing basketball and coaching for 13 years and I’ve enjoyed it so much that I just thought I would bring something different to Strathmore,” said head coach Shantelle Gieck.

“I’ve had negatives and positives throughout my career in basketball. I just wanted to get across that every kid can play, no matter what their skill level is, just as long as they love the game.

“(It’s) just to let kids just have fun and learn the game. I’m all about showing them etiquette on and off the court. Playing university ball and playing for the Alberta team, I found that kids don’t know the rules, so I teach them the ref’s signals and what the lines on the court mean, all that kind of stuff.”

This is the second year for the basketball program, and Gieck said she can take up to 30 kids in the program. It’s for girls and boys ages 8 to 13, and all of them will receive a reversible jersey, a water bottle and a basketball. 

There are five spots left, and the nine-week program begins on March 15. It runs every Thursday from 6:30p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Strathmore High School gym. To find out more or to register contact Shantelle Gieck at 403-660-3896.