Hamilton teens get National hoops look

Three talented teens from Hamilton are in Toronto this week showcasing their skills for Canada basketball. The national age-group assessment camp will help determine the athletes who will be invited to national team tryouts this summer.

Thirty-nine young women from across the country are vying for spots on the under-18 junior, and under-16 cadette women’s basketball teams. And so far, the coaches admit they have some tough decisions ahead of them.

Carly Clarke is is Head Coach of the Under-16 Cadette team: “There’s some great athletes and basketball players in this group that I have no doubt we’ll be seeing in the Olympics very soon.”

St. Mary’s High School has two national contenders; future Iowa guard Christina Buttenham, who hopes to make the junior team for a second time, and grade nine Cadette hopeful Halle Bovell. St. Thomas More’s Hailey Brown is also in her freshman year at high school, but this could be her second stint with the Team Canada Cadettes: “I mean last year at this point I was really nervous. Now I’m kind of used to the experience, being with the Cadette team all summer, so I just gotta do my thing out there.”

The week-long camp provides on-court training, weight-room assessments and nutritional advice.

Carly said: “From here they get some personal improvement plans. Get back together in March, continue to assess our cadette team, which goes to Slovakia at the end of June for the World Championships.”

Clarke says it’s because of camps like this that Canada Basketball has been able to develop such a successful senior women’s team which is currently ranked number nine in the world.

Christina Buttenham is a four-time OFSAA Champion: “I think it’s awesome just to represent your country. Only 12 people get to do it a year and I think it would be really awesome if I could do it again.”