Maria Rodrigues of North Kentville is one of 14 Valley girls playing on Basketball Nova Scotia provincial teams this summer. Rodrigues is one of three girls on the provincial 15-U girls’ team that will represent Nova Scotia at 15-U nationals next month in St. John’s, NL. There are also five Valley boys on provincial hoops teams. - Submitted
By John DeCoste
The Valley is well represented on Basketball Nova Scotia’s provincial basketball teams and development teams, all of which have busy summer schedules. Four of the teams will represent Nova Scotia in national competition.
In particular, there are a large number of talented young female players on the provincial teams – 14 out of a total of 19 Valley-area players of both genders.
Basketball Nova Scotia sponsors a number of age-group provincial teams and development teams, including 14-U, 15-U, 16-U and 17-U boys’ and girls’ teams and 14-U, 15-U and 16-U development teams. Because 2013 is a Canada Games year, the 17-U provincial teams double as the Nova Scotia Canada Games teams.
On the girls’ side, Lauren Jodrey from Hantsport is on the girls’ Canada Games team. Kimber Miller from Windsor, along with Haley MacDonald and Jennika Veinot, both of Port Williams, are members of the 16-U girls’ team.
Maria Rodrigues of North Kentville, Jayda Veinot of Port Williams and Maia Timmons from Hantsport are all on the 15-U girls’ team, which will represent Nova Scotia at nationals Aug. 4-11 in Newfoundland.
Trinity MacKenzie of Hantsport, Alaina Poirier of Kentville and Jenna Ramsey from Greenwood are all on the 14-U girls’ team.
In addition, Jessica Miller of Windsor, as well as Gillian Cumby and Emily MacArthur, both from Kentville, and Emma Hachey of Coldbrook are on the 15-U girls’ development team, which won its division at a tournament in P.E.I. over the Canada Day weekend.
On the boys’ side, Brett Dickie of Wolfville and Gage Sabean of Kentville are both on the boys’ Canada Games team.
Matt Ingham of Wolfville is on the 16-U boys’ team. Keevan Veinot of Port Williams on the 15-U boys’ team – which like the girls, will represent Nova Scotia at nationals in August – and Coleton Oickle of Coldbrook on the 14-U boys’ team.
The Valley is also well represented on the coaching staffs of the provincial teams. Nick Jordan of Kentville is coach of the boys’ Canada Games team, assisted by Kevin Duffie of Wolfville.
Adam and Beth Detienne of Kentville are assistant coaches on the girls’ Canada Games team. Deon Wilson of Kentville is head coach of the boys’ 15-U team.
