My basketball career was very interesting as I wasn’t a competitive player until my grade ten year. In grades 7 -10 I tried to balance playing competitive hockey with competitive basketball. I ended up developing a passion for basketball and during my Grade 10 year I decided to focus solely on basketball. A huge part of my love for the game, and success, was through my involvement in the TransCanada basketball program. In the TransCanada basketball program I worked through the ranks from a younger player in the developmental programs and teams to being on the elite travel team. For me, it was an opportunity to be in the gym training once the school season had ended. The increased practice and additional playing allowed me to develop my skills to get where I wanted to be. As a younger player, TransCanada was a program where skill development was the top priority. This was different than the school season where winning was the number one priority and playing the top players is the key to winning. During the TransCanada season, every player is put in a position where their skills are the main focus. As I got older, TransCanada allowed me to harness my full potential and helped me pursue my dreams of being a college basketball player. It helped me become a college player because it put me and my skills first. I was able to fail and fail again allowing me to grow because there was no pressure on what happened if I failed; we just kept playing. I was so grateful for the experience that allowed me to develop into the player I am today. TransCanada is a large program that offers opportunities to players of all ages. As I got older, coaching opportunities became an option for experienced players looking to give back to help the younger players to succeed. It helped me to gain leadership as I had to give feedback and give clear directions to help players get better. As one of the higher-developed players in the program, younger and new players look up to me. Several of us in this position are able to pass down our knowledge and experience through the TransCanada program. This is a fulfilling experience as it shows that every player can grow and achieve their full potential. My leadership experience as a coach also helped me become a leader on my own college team. Every player and person is different so how we interact with them is very individualized. This is true on my team; we try to help each other get better by giving each player what they need. During the TransCanada season, we had opportunity to travel to play high-end teams throughout Canada and the United States. The games would be tough as we were playing teams just as good as us. Some teams were significantly better than us and we were not always the best players on the floor. This taught us grit and perseverance. In college, we are always playing against top players and the games are never easy. Playing in those challenging games during the TransCanada season allowed me to see where my skills matched up against the top teams. I could learn where I needed to get better and force myself to question my weaknesses do what it took to improve. When competing in college or any high-level, success will not come easy. Having the experience provided by the TransCanada travel schedule allowed me to continue to develop my skills so I could be the player I want to be. TransCanada allowed me to belong to a community where we learn, grow, and support each other. I moved from being a developmental player to elite travel team player and eventually a coach. All of these experiences helped me develop into a better player and person.
Cole Wicker, TC Alumni, RedDeer College
I was introduced to Trans Canada Basketball in grade 6. I joined the spring/summer camp to improve my game for the jump from elementary school to middle school. I still remember walking into the entrance of the gym and being welcomed by an ecstatic and overjoyed coach Mouritzen. I was timid and shy, but over the course of a couple days of camp I became more comfortable and outgoing. I still couldn’t make a layup, but the positive energy and encouragement kept me going. As the days turned to weeks, I truly felt my game improving. The coaching staff at Trans Canada had a great balance between positive encouragement and toughness. You would never be punished for missing a shot, but if you don’t play hard, you’d get an earful from your coach. I started getting to know some of the guys on the team pretty well too. By the end of my first season I knew that I found a program that was perfect for me. Over the next few years I continued playing for TC and every year we had more kids join, entered more top tier tournaments, and I improved more. I enjoyed playing for the coaches I had each year. All of the coaches had different styles and angles towards coaching that would shine light on different areas of the game. Having this diversity made me see and understand the game more as a whole. Even with each coach being unique, they all had one coaching quality that was consistent: hard work. Running suicides in the middle of summer with temperatures reaching over 35 degrees in the gym was mentally and physically exhausting. But they made me tough. And after every year of being pushed to my limits, the heat stopped bothering me. The pain in my legs didn't make me want to quit anymore. My mentality changed. It changed to the point where I enjoyed pushing myself to my limits. But none of this would ever happen without the coaches at Trans Canada. Looking back, one of the best aspects of Trans Canada for me were the trips. The smaller day trips across the border for tournaments had us playing teams that won state championships. We would get smacked, thrown around and laughed at. It showed us how much more work we had to do in order to become great basketball players. Playing in Canada we were a well respected team, but as soon as we headed south, we were nobodies. Playing teams in the states that beat us by 50 and didn’t let us pass half court was a confidence drainer. But it was also motivation. It pushed me to work hard not only in practice, but by myself in the off-season. I told myself I never was going to be beat that bad ever again. It was my fuel. As we got older we would be able to handle ourselves more and compete with some high level teams. Playing in the states opened up our eyes to how much skill, athleticism, and talent the basketball world has outside of the Fraser Valley. Some of my favourite trips were Las Vegas and the Gonzaga team camp. I was lucky enough to go to Vegas three times and I enjoyed it every time. It was a nice trip to end off our season. We got to play great competition from all over North America, watch division 1 and future/current NBA players in action like Zion Williamson and Serge Ibaka, and got to enjoy ourselves in our down time too. We grew closer as a team but more importantly, we grew closer as friends. As I now look back at my time as an athlete for Trans Canada, I can say that some of my fondest memories on and off the court are with Trans Canada basketball. My experiences with coaches is nothing but positive and my close friends became best friends through this program. I was able to continue my basketball journey playing at the University level because of what Trans Canada did for me.
Geevon Janday, TC Alumni, Dalhousie University
I believe the best way to get better at the game is to play against the best, TC gave me this opportunity to travel and play elite teams with guidance from committed coaches that truly care. Playing against these elite teams brought my game and confidence to a new level. To reach the college level today it is a must that players are committed to train year round. TC provides exceptional training from coaches and previous college players that show what it takes to make it. Not only did I improve as a basketball player in this program but I made quality relationships with players and coaches on and off the court that opened doors for a brighter future.
Hayden Simon, TC Alumni
TransCanada Basketball helped me reach the next level by providing an opportunity to play basketball against top level players. The multitude of tournaments that I attended with TransCanada introduced me to great players and furthered my drive to go to the next level. The coaching gave me a second approach to what I needed to do to achieve elite status. The different American tournaments are a great show of talent and helped me realize what level I needed to get to.
Kyle Helsloot, TC Alumni
If your goal is to be good at your craft, you have to put extra time in. This is especially true for basketball. Playing during the spring and summer is vital to your success as a player and TransCanada was how I spent my spring and summer. Without TC, I wouldn't be half the player I am today.
Ryan Trottier, Waterloo University
