Nanaimo basketball coaches are hoping to recruit more young players to play recreational hoops this fall.
Matt Kuzminski, coach of Vancouver Island University's men's basketball team, helped formed Island Swish in 2019 with assistant coach Scott Marr.
While there are options to play competitive club basketball, there are also opportunities for youths of all ages and skill levels to hoop it up.
"We go from kindergarten to eighth and ninth grade and even at the eighth and ninth grade, we have kids who are just trying basketball for exercise, activity, for some fun, even though they may not be serious players," said Kuzminksi. "So it's quite a mix of players who have played for longer and have some skill and experience, and then players who are brand new to the game."
Instructors include experienced parents and VIU players who will all share their wealth of knowledge.
"It's a really high coach-to-player ratio, especially at the lower levels," said Kuzminksi. "At the grade K, 1, 2, 3 level, there's going to be a lot of coaches out there to help, which you need with those little kids – they're sometimes tough to organize."
Registration costs up to $225 for eight sessions and there are sibling discounts and financial assistance available. Registration will close Sunday, Sept. 15.
"This fall season, we do offer a small amount of club stuff – U12, U13, U14 boys, and then we have a U17 girls' competitive club team – but our rec leagues are what's going to kick off here right away as well," said Kuzminski.
A recreation league for grades 10-12 is also in the works.
For more information, visit www.islandswish.com.
