TORONTO, Ont. (August 4, 2024)—The Canada Basketball 15U and 17U Men’s and Women’s National Championships begin this week. Ontario Basketball and Newfoundland and Labrador Basketball will host the tournaments from August 5th to 10th, 2024.

We spoke to six (6) coaches ahead of the tournaments to learn more about their experience with the National Championships, what fans should know about their teams, and much more.

Q: What is your basketball experience growing up? What are some of the biggest lessons that you take from your time as a player into your coaching philosophies?

Scott Green, Head Coach (Northwest Territories, 17U Girls): I grew up playing grassroots to high school basketball in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I started coaching for the first time when I was 14 and really devoted myself to it when I was about 17. I was blessed to have been coached by some great coaches and then coached under some other incredible coaches. I try to take something away from every coach that I work with. The biggest lesson that I’ve taken away from them was to always adapt in the short term and in the long term. Adapt year to year based on your athletes' strengths and stretches, but also adapt game to game based on the context, score and situation. 

Christine Hyde, Head Coach (Ontario, 17U Girls): Five big philosophies: (1) Understanding Player Perspectives, (2) Team Cohesion and Communication, (3) Work Ethic and Discipline, (4) Handling Pressure and Adversity, and (5) Positive Reinforcement and Motivation. Having been a player, you understand the mental and physical challenges athletes face. This insight helps in relating to players, fostering a supportive environment and teaching athletes how to remain calm and perform under stress. Success often depends on effective teamwork and communication. Promoting a culture where players communicate openly and support each other is essential. 

Sarah Besselink, Head Coach (Ontario, 15U Girls): Using teachable moments to break things down and defence defence defence – it is our foundation and helps push our offence to become better. 

Robyn Boulanger, Head Coach (Manitoba, 15U Girls): I've played basketball since I was about nine or eight years old. My parents created a nonprofit basketball club program that offered playing at the next level for inner city and Indigenous youth here in Winnipeg, Manitoba. And I saw my sisters go through it, and my sisters were my biggest role models. So, watching them play led me to the path to becoming a basketball player. The biggest lessons that I took from being a player that I still do in my coaching philosophy, one of the biggest things that I'm very passionate about is integrating Indigenous knowledge through sport and movement and how that can benefit performance on and off the court. So, as a coach and I also own my own little basketball training business, I try to promote that in a sense where it's just super easy where the seven sacred teachings are integrated into the game. So respect is the number one that most people know. So what does respect look like when you're playing, respecting your teammates, the refs, the athletes or coaches, and everybody who's involved in playing? 

Dianna Ros, Head Coach (Quebec, 15U Girls): I played at McGill University for five years there and had a wonderful career. I'm very blessed for that, which made me want to coach. I decided to start coaching because of my relationship with my coach at McGill. The impact that he had on me, I wanted to make sure that I can do the same for the next generation. 

Q: What excites you about the growing crop of talent in basketball players from Canada?

Christine Hyde, Head Coach (Ontario, 17U Girls): Increased Global Recognition - Canadian players are making significant impacts in major leagues, such as the Usports, NCAA, WNBA and & the NBA. This not only brings attention to the talent in Canada but also inspires the next generation of athletes. 

Sarah Besselink, Head Coach (Ontario, 15U Girls): We continue to show out on the world stage – I think it is a testament to our investments in developing young athletes across the country.

Anton Berry, Head Coach (Nova Scotia, 17U Boys): Aside from the athleticism, I am impressed with the dynamic offensive skill set our young players – that both genders possess. The game in Canada is very good hands. 

Dianna Ros, Head Coach (Quebec, 15U Girls): The talent we have in Canada is crazy, so I'm really excited for the upcoming years. There's so much exposure to the game now that they get to watch the game. It's easier to watch WNBA games. It's easy to watch NCAA games. It's easy to have access to all of that with social media and broadcasting and whatnot. So they get to watch basketball all the time. 

Q: What is something fans should know about your team heading into the tournament? 

Anton Berry, Head Coach (Nova Scotia, 17U Boys): We probably have the youngest team in the tournament – with 7 underaged players. We have a great group of kids who work hard, share the ball, and care about each other. 

Robyn Boulanger, Head Coach (Manitoba, 15U Girls): Our energy and our intensity on defense is going to be huge. We're not the biggest playing team. We're really fast and we're young and I have a lot of young girls who are ready to go out and just go out hard and try to get as many wins as we can. I think that's the biggest thing is just our energy and our team, our team, I guess team cohesion.

Scott Green, Head Coach (Northwest Territories, 17U Girls): We’re training and focused to return to Newfoundland for the 2025 CSG and to put on the best performance that we can. 

Christine Hyde, Head Coach (Ontario, 17U Girls): We are a new team with a passion to compete, a very diverse group of athletes all excelling in specific areas of basketball, with the team made up of several offensive and defensive threats, this team is very excited to showcase their hard work come Nationals.

Dianna Ros, Head Coach (Quebec, 15U Girls): We are super talented. We are learning how to play with each other at the moment, so we didn't have all that much time, like any provincial team, but it should be exciting. We have good guards who could make some noise, for sure. 

Q: Which players on your team(s) should people keep an eye out for and why?

Sarah Besselink, Head Coach (Ontario, 15U Girls): Paige Fordjour – huge presence inside, Mira Tang – a great leader and high IQ, versatile player, and Dinara Horsford – shifty, crafty playmaker. 

Anton Berry, Head Coach (Nova Scotia, 17U Boys): Sam Olugu and Cohen McDonald are two players people should keep an eye out for. Both can make an impact on both sides of the ball, exhibit toughness, and are our emotional leaders. I expect all 12 players in our group to contribute to our success. We have a group of extremely skilled and hard-working players. 

Scott Green, Head Coach (Northwest Territories, 17U Girls): Abby Nevitt, Mia Locke-Setter and Kaylie Locke-Setter. They all have aspirations of playing post-secondary basketball. They’re dedicated to the game and are hard workers who love this game. 

Q: What is your experience with the National Championships? If returning - what are you most looking forward to? If making debut, what are you excited to experience?

RobynBoulanger, Head Coach (Manitoba, 15U Girls): My experience with the National Championships was when I played in 2014, 15 and 16. It was a great experience and it was great to play against next-level competition and play against other players that are probably now playing in the WNBA or playing pverseas that have played at the Canada Basketball level. I did win a silver medal at the National Championships in 2015. I played a year in age group, so I played with Manitoba, won a gold medal in 2014, and I was in 15U and then the following year they made it to the final again. My last year with the provincial (2016), I got on the All-Star team. Returning now, it's going to be such a different shift for me, going from athlete to coach. 

Christine Hyde, Head Coach (Ontario, 17U Girls): I am looking forward to High-Level Competition: Competing against the best teams in the country is always exhilarating. 

Anton Berry, Head Coach (Nova Scotia, 17U Boys): As a player, I participated in two National Basketball Championships. I will always feel privileged and honoured to have that opportunity. I am looking forward to seeing our players step on the court in Toronto and representing our province with a profound sense of pride and identity. 

Dianna Ros, Head Coach (Quebec, 15U Girls): I'm excited to spend a week with young athletes and the youth, and I love these tournaments. For most of them. It's brand new for them to go to Nationals, so it's really big. Yeah, they go to AAU tournaments and whatnot, but for a lot of them, it's brand new, so it's exciting to see them perform at a high level. 

Q: Can you speak to the importance of grassroots-level basketball programs and tournaments and how tournaments like the National Championships help elevate and expose more girls to better opportunities in basketball?

Robyn Boulanger, Head Coach (Manitoba, 15U Girls): I think if you have the opportunity to play and represent your province at the National Championships, you can open up doors for yourself, not just basketball-wise but also career-wise. From my experience as well, when I played Nationals, I definitely wouldn't have been where I am today without playing for my province. 

Scott Green, Head Coach (Northwest Territories, 17U Girls): Grassroots programs are everything. I believe we need some of the strongest coaches at the grassroots level. Hooking kids on the game, teaching them the FUNdamentals and passing on their passion for the sport. For us specifically, coming from the Northwest Territories, exposure doesn’t exist. We have girls that are super passionate about basketball and have great skill, and if it wasn't for opportunities like Nationals Championships or Canada Summer Games, it would be very hard to get them noticed by colleges or universities. But we currently have 8 women who have made it to that level in the last 5 years and are playing at places including St. FX, Laurier and Mount St. Vincent, to name a few. Most of these athletes were first noticed at one of these events. 

Christine Hyde, Head Coach (Ontario, 17U Girls): Grassroots-level basketball programs and tournaments play a crucial role in the development and exposure of young athletes, especially girls, in the sport. They introduce skill development, early exposure to the sport, access to coaching and mentorship, help build confidence and character, and assist with identifying talent. The impact of the National Championships provides a platform for players to compete at a high level, grants exposure to showcase their talents and learning experiences, it inspires, and helps with personal and team growth. These are vital in the development and exposure of young female athletes. They provide the necessary foundation, opportunities, and support to help girls excel in basketball and achieve their full potential. 

Sarah Besselink, Head Coach (Ontario, 15U Girls): I think the talent level of all coaches at Nationals is extremely high, it is a great opportunity for athletes to be able to train all summer and learn what it means to be a part of a high-performance program. The more we can showcase this tournament to the younger generations, hopefully it will translate to young females wanting to participate in basketball! 

While all games from the Canada Basketball 15U & 17U National Championships will be live-streamed via Canada Basketball’s YouTube, basketball fans from across the host provinces of Ontario, Newfoundland, and Labrador are encouraged to attend and support teams in person for an incredible first-class basketball experience.

About the National Championships

The Canada Basketball 15U & 17U National Championships are the premier national amateur sports events for the Canadian basketball community. Each summer, Canada’s top next generation of high-performance athletes in the 15U and 17U age groups compete for the national championship title while proudly representing their home province/territory.