The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer What started out as a fun activity in gym class or after school has quickly become a way of life for one Hapnot Collegiate student. Sam Kinsley first picked up a basketball in Grade 8 and became hooked, eventually joining the Hapnot Kopper Kings. Now in Grade 11, Kinsley recently got word he will be a member of this year's 17 and Under Team Manitoba, which held tryouts last month. Kinsley was dedicated and had encouragement from his coaches to try for a roster spot. 'I wanted to when I was in Grade 9,' said the shooting guard, 'but I was too scared and nervous.' This year, Kinsley put any nerves aside and went to the tryouts at the University of Winnipeg. Kinsley got the word from the coach at the camp that he had made the team. 'He said he would like to have me on the team,' Kinsley said. 'I didn't know what to expect. I worked really hard at tryouts so I sort of knew I would make (the team).' Living in the North, Kinsley had played against some of the athletes before as a member of the Kopper Kings basketball team. Attending the provincial tryouts, Kinsley didn't know anyone by name, or to call a friend, but that changed quickly. 'They are all nice and I'm friends with them all,' he said, noting that the coaches are very friendly as well. From now until the end of June, Kinsley will travel to Winnipeg every weekend to practice with the rest of the team. Move to city At the end of the school year, he will temporarily move to the Manitoba capital, where the team will practice every day. That won't be a big change for Kinsley as he is on the court every day in Flin Flon. If he's not at the outdoor hoops at Ecole McIsaac School, he is in the gymnasium at Hapnot. Team Manitoba will compete against the rest of the provincial teams with tournaments in Regina and the United States. The teams will compete in Nationals in Quebec at the end of July. It's a short season for Kinsley and the rest of the team, but he hopes to 'get better as a player and learn a lot' to bring back to Hapnot. This fall, Kinsley will be a senior and able to pass on knowledge, skills and drills he learned this summer. 'The coaches are so good, and the teammates are so good. They will help me so much,' he said. Kinsley doesn't see his status as the lone player from the North as a disadvantage. 'We (the Kings) went to Winnipeg a few times and I just felt like I had to work hard,' he said. Basketball runs in the teen's family, as an uncle played for the Kings while his grandfather and cousin are quite good at the sport as well. When Kinsley's family learned he had made the team, there was joy, happiness and a little bit of sap. 'My dad was crying _ but he's a sap like that,' Kinsley laughed. 'My mom was super excited and going crazy. 'My brother was super happy and supportive.' During the school year when basketball isn't in session, Kinsley can be found on the volleyball court or soccer pitch. Though he's giving up soccer this season, it's for a well-deserved reason.
