BARRHEAD – It was a first for the young athletes on the Barrhead Elementary School (BES) basketball teams.
On Feb. 16, for the first time this school year, the teams were not only able to compete against another team (in this case, Dunstable School), but they were able to do it in front of an audience.
"It was an exciting afternoon for all of us," said BES teacher and basketball coach Jaylene Blum.
Normally, she said, BES has two basketball teams for both boys and girls consisting of Grade 6 students, but for the Feb. 16 event, the teams merged into one large squad for both boys and girls as they were only playing one school. The Dunstable team consisted of players from Grades 4 to 6.
"The interest in school sports has been huge this year," Blum said. "In elementary basketball, we try to keep our focus on teaching the fundamentals of the game and growing as basketball players."
She also thanked all the teachers who volunteered to coach and the volunteer referees that make the games possible.
On March 3, BES basketball teams will be taking part in a mini-divisional home tournament against teams from Neerlandia, Dunstable, Fort Assiniboine and Swan Hills. On the same day, elementary schools from the other side of the Pembina Hills School Division will compete in a similar tournament at Westlock's Rotary Spirit Centre.