What is important: a coach’s letter

Dear Tony Seed,

I JUST READ your article about the Justin Coward Tournament (on sportsite.ca) and again feel excited, overwhelmed and very pleasantly surprised that such a tournament takes place and that the values it stands for are really at the forefront.

I am a new coach to basketball and, even though we are a Bantam C team – really an introductory team to competitive sport – coaching has been a very challenging experience, bringing out the best and the worst in me and challenging me to re-evaluate what my values in sport are.

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Introducing The Africville Lakers

The first Debra Dixon Memorial Basketball Tournament for Bantam and Midget boys teams kicked off April 12, 2002 at the Community Y and St. Pat’s Alexander School in Halifax’s North End. North Preston Bulls and the Aricville Lakers captured the championships on April 14 in a packed gym. It was hosted by the dynamic new Africville Lakers’ youth program.

By TONY SEED

IF YOU SHOP in the North End of Halifax, you’ve probably been approached by one of the players with the blue-jacketed Africville Lakers for a donation to support their junior basketball program. That’s how I first encountered young Tirrell Carvery and later his dad, David Carvery, the driving force behind the program, its founder and coach, and a native of Africville.

Friendship First – The Justin Coward Memorial

By TONY SEED

I’M not so involved in sport these days. I play some masters’ basketball on Sunday nights during the winter and some cricket during the summer.

But, once a year, I fold up my tent, take five days off and travel to eastern Dartmouth and Cole Harbour. My time is no more than the selfless contribution of a legion of other families from the community, who also take this time off, enough to staff and run nine gyms. Here’s why:

There are tournaments and tournaments … and there is the Justin Coward Memorial, held each March just before the school break.