At every home game for the Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team, one group of fans is impossible to miss. They call themselves the “Chippendads,” parents of Huskies players whose goal is to create a positive atmosphere for their athletic offspring.
“We’re there to cheer for anybody, all the girls equally, and we all want our kids to do well, and we want the team to do well,” explained Paul Humbert, one of the group’s founding members.
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Humbert has watched two of his daughters graduate from the Huskies hoops program. A third, Madeline, is now in her fourth year with the team.
“It’s hard to share in that experience when they get into university. They’re young women, they’re independent, they’re doing their thing. So for us to be able to contribute in a different way, I haven’t seen it in the CIS like this,” Humbert said.
The Chippendads sit in courtside seats, wearing matching shirts that spell out a variety of different words and phrases depending on the game.
They also make liberal use of self-styled “noisemakers,” banging wooden spoons against plastic bowls or other items.
The rules of membership are straightforward: be loud, be proud and always be positive.
“We’re not here to work the referees, we’re here to just encourage and that’s what we do, and I think we do a good job of that,” Humbert said.
The Huskies have a lot of love for their biggest fans.
“They’re just so supportive of all of us and every parent wants the best for every single player. It’s a great group we have. It’s a family,” Madeline Humbert said.
Head coach Lisa Thomaidis agrees.
“It’s what we’re all about. The team comes first, there’s no individuals that are bigger than the team and the parents are embracing that too, and I think it sends a strong message.”
The group was featured heavily during national broadcast coverage of the Huskies’ run to their first ever national title last season.
Now they’re ready to do it all over again as the Dogs prepare to play in this year’s championship tournament.
“We’re gonna have some noisemakers. I’m gonna go to that dollar store and buy some, take the spoons and we’ll create it on the fly, and hopefully we’ll have a bit of an impact in helping our team do the best they can,” Paul Humbert said.
“It’s funny, you have a passion yourself and you never know if your daughters or sons, whatever it is, are gonna follow that passion. And when they do, you just support them.”
READ MORE: Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball seeded second at nationals
The U Sports national women’s basketball championship tips off March 9 in Victoria.
The Huskies face the Laval Rouge et Or in a quarterfinal matchup at 2 p.m. PT.
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