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Six of the 10 Richmond players on the under-13 boys’ Vancouver-Coastal 3-on-3 basketball team prepared for the BC Games July 19 to 22 in the Cowichan Valley. From left: Gavin Cameron, David Dillague, Wesley Ainu’u, Ben Worthington-White, Kaden Nelson and Zack Kennedy.
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3-on-3 hoopsters ready for BC Games
By Don Fennell
Published 4:54 PDT, Tue July 17, 2018
In his coaching capacity, Chris Kennedy is as
excited as any of the athletes about the upcoming BC Summer Games July 19 to
22.
“I think it is the best amateur sporting
event in B.C.,” says Kennedy, who is set to guide the under-13 boys’
Vancouver-Coastal 3-on-3 zone basketball team with former Richmond Colt Ben
Mayan and Shawn Hill at the Games in the Cowichan Valley.
In basketball-mad Richmond, 3-on-3 hoops is,
quite literally, taking off. Recently approved as a Olympic sport beginning
with the Tokyo Games in 2020, the Vancouver-Coastal team features 10 boys from
Richmond—the highest representation of local athletes in all sports.
Wesley Ainu’u, Gavin Cameron, David Dillague,
Kyle Hill, Zachary Kennedy, Josh Mayan, Kaden Nelson, Owen Strang, Benjamin
Worthington-White and Zach Zapanta will meet players from zones around the
province. Eight of the 10 boys were part of the Richmond Youth Basketball
League program this past season, and six of the boys suited up for the winning
team that won its division in the Western Canada Basketball Invitational that
concluded July 1.
Kennedy has been coaching 3-on-3 basketball
since it was introduced at the BC Games in 2014. He’s observed significant
growth each year.
“In 2014 we had barely enough to field a team
tryout and this year we had over 50 boys try out,” he marvels.
A lifelong basketball aficionado, Kennedy
appreciates how the game can help young players grow.
“I like that 3-on-3 is at under-13. The kids
get a lot of touches on the ball and it is great for movement and development.
For the Richmond boys, they will also be high school rivals next year, so it is
great to have them get to play together this summer. For many kids, the BC
Games is a life highlight. What makes this so unique is that it is a
multi-sport event, so they are surrounded by swimmers, rugby players and
triathletes. It is really like a mini Olympic Games.”
At the Games, all the student athletes stay
in dorm-style accommodations and, says Kennedy, “are treated extremely well.”
In addition to the Games, Richmond’s
basketball reps will be participating in a number of other tournaments
including the BBall Nationals in Langley in early August. The boys also engage
in a number of team building and social events. The coaching staff trying to
ensure this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that they all remember fondly.
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