Grant Richter with his Wesmen players in Shamattawa
The Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC) sent four UWinnipeg Wesmen* basketball players and their coach, to Shamattawa First Nation, Manitoba, earlier this month to participate in a basketball day camp clinic.
The youth at Shamattawa were thrilled with the clinic. Young basketball player Antonio Scriver said, “Having The University of Winnipeg team come out was really special. I learned new drills, techniques and skills that I didn’t know. It will help me be a better ball player. I made new friends and I’m excited to use what I learned in the upcoming games.”
“It’s really important that our Wesmen athletes make connections with youth from around the province,” explained Grant Richter, UWinnipeg’s Director of Athletic Program Development & Community Liaison. “With an isolated community like Shamattawa, the youth need to be able to dream, and see beyond their community. By making connections with our players, hopefully some of Shamattawa’s youth have been inspired in becoming a student athlete at The University of Winnipeg, or any academic institution.”
“This clinic was really important to me,” said Duran Miles, Shamattawa Captain,and Shooting Guard. “Watching the Wesman basketball team playing inspired me to continue to play basketball when I leave Shamattawa. The coach was really professional. It was a great day!”
They Shamattawa players received UWinnipeg Wesmen water bottles, jerseys and basketballs.
Shamattawa is a remote, isolated northern Manitoba community, only connected to the rest of the province by winter and ice roads or by plane.
*Wesmen Players – Inner city Junior Wesmen and UWinnipeg Collegiate Varsity Boy’s Chase Moroz and three College Wesmen Men’s basketball team players – Brandon Murdock, Tyler Pierce, and Cam Roche.
