Max Roy, the coach of Howe Sound Secondary鈥檚 senior boys鈥� basketball team, is optimistic about his team as it moves into the AAA tier this season.
He expects he has a well rounded squad that will be deep, with a dozen or so players expected to make significant contributions. The coach also sees his team as being able to play a variety of styles.
鈥淭hey all are going to bring something,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone has something to contribute, whether it鈥檚 size, quickness or rebounding.鈥�
With a game like basketball, which is taking root in so many countries around the world, and a school like Howe Sound, with a large number of international students attending, it is no surprise that Howe Sound鈥檚 boys鈥� team includes a big international component.
Players are from countries as diverse as Norway, Brazil, Thailand and Japan. 鈥淭he international kids are going to add quite a bit,鈥� Roy said.
The coach is hopeful that the school community will get behind the team and come out to support them during games.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to rebrand Howe Sound basketball,鈥� he said.
There should be ample opportunity. Starting this fall, Howe Sound will play a slate of 24 games, with plenty scheduled for their home gym.
The team is also playing in four in-season tournaments, starting with one Dec. 11 and 12 in Courtenay.
Howe Sound will then host its own four-team invitational tournament on Jan. 8 and 9. One change this year is that high school basketball has added an AAAA zone for the largest provincial schools, which means Howe Sound is bumped up to AAA and will play in a North Shore league.
Their regular competition will be Bodwell High School, Rockridge Secondary, Sutherland Secondary and Windsor Secondary. 鈥淏esides Bodwell, we鈥檙e probably the most international team,鈥� Roy added.
Howe Sound started practising a few weeks ago, and during a recent session, Roy ran the players through typical drills aimed at developing skills, including the dreaded left-handed lay-ups.聽
However, he wants to make sure his team, even with its deep bench, does not lose because it is outworked or that the opponents are in better shape.
At other times during the practice, he put the players through footwork drills by having them run or even hop inside the segments of a rope ladder, saying he wants to see 鈥渢he fastest feet on the North Shore.鈥�
Another exercise had the players firing medicine balls towards the basket from midcourt.聽
As far as coaches go, Roy鈥檚 style at practice seems more about encouragement than exclamations, but he wants to make sure the team is ready and in game shape when the season rolls around. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to lose because of our conditioning,鈥� he said.
The team will kick things off next week with an exhibition game at home on Dec. 2 against Guildford. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
The Sounders heads to Vanier the next night for another exhibition game before playing their first league game at Rockridge on Dec. 9.聽
