#RoadToNationals: IEM Basketball
Coming from Ontario, IEM Basketball is the York region's largest basketball organization for both girls and boys and they will be at Bballnationals 2018. With the recent growth of the sport in Canada and in particular in Ontario, IEM has over 1950 registered athletes and over 175 coaches and is one of the major players in the region.
“We wanted to give our players an opportunity to see a new part of Canada while also playing at a high level” said head coach
Ion Marghetis on why his U17 boys team will be taking part. “It is often very difficult to be on a team strong enough and committed enough to play in a national tournament, so we wanted to capitalize on this opportunity so that the boys can add this experience to their resume. This tournament will be a significant memory from their youth careers and will hopefully mean a lot to them for years to come.”
Participating in Bballnationals not only gives his players a chance to go up against the best from across the country, but also allows players and even programs to gain exposure that they may not receive in other tournaments.
“There are plenty of athletes that are talented enough to play post-secondary basketball, but circumstances may prevent them from participating in expensive, time consuming and/or distant programs where talent is primarily identified and extracted” explained Marghetis. “With a national club basketball tournament, these players can remain with their club team to play yet still have an opportunity to compete at a high level and perhaps get recognized for their skill.
The tournament also legitimizes the benefits of advanced players playing for club teams, since it has previously been rare for players to participate in national championships unless they are part of their respective provincial program.”
Spots are still available for both the girls and boys tournaments. Teams from eight different provinces and territories are currently registered, making this a truly national club basketball tournament. For more information, visit their website at www.bballnationals.com
Written by: Nick Bondi