The basketball landscape in Edmonton continues to evolve.
Gone are the days when a youth basketball player’s only opportunity to play competitively was on a school or provincial team if they were among the most talented players in Alberta in their respective age group.
Those two options still exist, but club programs have also become a popular option for kids to get their basketball fix during the spring and summer. In the greater Edmonton region, hundreds of boys and girls play for various club teams.
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In many parts of Canada and the United States prep programs have also become popular options for high school basketball players. For example, in Ontario, many of the top players are attending prep schools that are part of the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association, rather than a local high school.
Edmonton has been devoid of a prep basketball program, until now.
Western Canada Prep Academy is in its second year in Alberta’s capital city. The program is the brainchild of Sunny Sooch and Ryan Bhalla, who also run the GOOD Hoops club program.
“We actually started work on this project before the pandemic, but it just didn’t materialize because we just couldn’t get the academics right, and as the pandemic came through, the need became more apparent, as well as it became more realistic to do it,” Sooch said.
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The majority of WCPA athletes attend Centre High or Vimy Ridge Academy during the mornings and practice and train in the afternoons. They also travel to Calgary, Ontario and several areas in the United States to play games.
The focus of the prep academy is on developing players and providing them exposure to post-secondary schools in the U.S. and Canada.
“I think it’s giving kids a competitive avenue that didn’t exist before, and it’s going to allow us here in Edmonton to catch up to the east, where the game is booming right now,” Sooch said.
The most notable student-athlete attending WCPA is Hudson Ward. The grade 12 student played for Canada’s U17 national team at the world championships in Spain last summer. He was a dominant force at Leduc Composite High School last year. Ward transferred to the prep academy to increase his chance of attending a high caliber NCAA program.
“Being able to travel to the States a lot more than I did when I was with Leduc. I think I will get a lot more looks from college teams and D1 schools, so I think that’s going to help me a lot,” Ward said.
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Ward has been garnering attention from many NCAA programs. Having someone of his calibre attend WCPA, is a “shot in the arm” for the academy.
“The fact that we were a good option for a kid at that level and this year he’s already getting a lot out of it so far, he’s improving everyday, that makes us feel good as a program,” Sooch said. “I think we can be a home base for a lot of kids that would be looking elsewhere otherwise.”
Sooch hopes the prep program not only continues to provide athletes like Ward increased opportunity, but changes the basketball landscape in Edmonton for the better.