Above: MYBA is hoping players will join them in taking the ball outside this June for an outdoor 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
by Stephen Dafoe
Morinville Youth Basketball Association’s Orijen Sabretooths are hosting an outdoor 3-on-3 basketball tournament June 14 and 15 in Morinville and Bon Accord. The tournament is open to U11, U13, U15, U17, and adult players.
“Thirty-two years ago I picked up my first basketball and fell in love with the sport one of the highlights growing up and playing basketball was participating in an outdoor 3-on-3 tournament,” said organizer Jessica Steele. “[It] got me thinking how nice it would be to offer that same experience to the kids in our community. I love the idea of being outdoors and getting outside fresh air utilizing the free courts in the community and teaching the kids to be active. And who knows? Maybe they’ll all fall in love with the sport as much as I did.”
Steele who is organizing the event with other MYBA parents sees the association’s involvement in the event as a great opportunity to reach beyond the borders of Morinville directly into the communities in the surrounding areas that are affiliated with MYBA. In doing so they are hoping to bring awareness to the organization and welcome kids from the communities in Sturgeon County to consider playing in the league in the coming months.
“[The event is] is also to be proactive and encourage the kids of our community to get out and participate in a healthy lifestyle activity with long-term potential is really awesome and create memories and have fun,” Steele said.
The tournament will take place at the outdoor courts at MCHS in Morinville and at Bon Accord Community School.
Teams are restricted to four players per team. Cost is $30 per player and includes t-shirt and medal.
Registration deadline is June 7. You can register online at morinvilleyouthbasketball.com.