Several grade 7 Burns Lake girls are headed to Maple Ridge this summer for the 2024 BC Summer Games.
They will be playing for the Zone 7 U13 basketball team, which covers Highway 16 from Vanderhoof to Haida Gwaii, and north to the Yukon Border.
Coach Rachelle van Zanten said the girls went to Vanderhoof to try out for the U14 team last weekend.
“It was a true awakening and a new level of intensity for the girls. I know my girls have never experienced that level before and they rose to the occasion.”
Before attending tryouts, the girls participated in a basketball camp run by van Zanten.
Also at tryouts were girls from Hazelton and Vanderhoof.
“We found out we had 12 girls in that age category who could make a team in the U13 category and just needed a coach,” said van Zanten.
She added there were two emotions expressed when the girls learned they were going to the Games in July.
“They were all excited, jumping up and down, wanting to call their parents and a huge sigh of relief because it was a lot of pressure.”
Along with continuing practices, van Zanten said they hope to hold fundraisers to offset the costs around attending.
“It costs $500 per athlete to attend the Summer Games which is $5,000 we need for our team minimum so we’re going to start fundraising right away to achieve that.”
Dates for the fundraisers will be announced.