STUDENT REPORT: Slam Dunk For Teens After School In Rossland
By Oceanne Verot
Ed.Note: The Rossland Telegraph is delighted to introduce our new collaboration with Seven Summits, in which students will cover community events and share their perspective on all things Rossland. Meet Oceanne Verot, Grade 10 student, Leadership 11 Class. This is her first year at 7S, came here from RSS, is bilingual, and is interested in writing and fashion.
Basketball, although not a new sport, is being offered as an after-school program at Rossland Summit School for 12- to 13-year-olds.
Recently I had the opportunity to interview Steve Podwin and Peter Stamper, the two Rossland basketball coaches who are offering the team sport to local youngsters.
“We had an idea to start a boys and girls basketball team in Rossland because our kids are the same age and we wanted to have a team sport for them to participate playing indoors,” says Stamper.
“Basketball is a team sport that involves individual skills,” says Podwin.
Basketball was invented by James Naismith in the late 1800s. He was a Canadian physical education professor who, like the two local Rossland coaches, needed a group activity for a rainy day to keep his class occupied and improve their fitness levels.
“Rossland has an emphasis on outdoor sports, so we felt indoor sports were overlooked,” explained Stamper.
Naismith invented the game of basketball, the simple rules, and repetitive skills awarded players to keep playing. This game was so easy and fun that it became popular worldwide. Here in Rossland, the progression of the game was very similar. What started as an adventure to get students to play sports after school resulted in a growing amount of youth, both male and female, returning to the gymnasium to play basketball. “Currently, the teams are just practicing, and during the January-February basketball season, they played against other Kootenay schools,” says Stamper.
Next I had the advantage of picking the brains of players to ask them questions about what they think of being on a team to play the game of basketball. A 12-year-old player named Noah said, “my favorite part of playing basketball is when I get to shoot half-court shots.” The other players chimed in that they had played for about 1 to 2 years, and expressed their love for the game and playing on a team together.
Basketball is not just a sport for boys. Girls also love to play. A 12-year-old girl named Sienna said, “Basketball has always been one of my passions, my dad and I play all the time. When playing I enjoy the competitive side of the game but also all the skills that are put into scoring as a team.”
Both coaches Podwin and Stamper agreed that basketball is more than just a game and concluded by saying “building skills, enjoying the game, playing and having fun are commonly expressed by the students. The key is to love learning about the game to be able to enjoy it. ”
For teens interested in an indoor activity, stop by at Rossland Summit School to talk to the two motivated coaches about playing basketball on a team.
