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Coach Desi Collinson grew up on the courts at the All Native Basketball Tournament. He’s spent the better part of 20 years both playing and coaching with the Skidegate Saints and says mentorship is one of the best things the tournament provides.
“We’re able to mentor individuals from one step to the next step to the next,” said Collinson. “The tournament brings people together to learn from one another (and) pick up different skills.”
Indigenous athletes from all across B.C. have gathered in Prince Rupert for a week of intense basketball at the All Native — it also provides an opportunity for mentorship, community and sharing skills, showing youth where basketball can take them.
Collinson has been a “public servant” in his community for the last two decades and both basketball and mentorship have contributed to his success – so he wants to make sure he passes that along to the next generation of players.
“Uplifting people, making them feel good and carrying them along the way with us is super important to me,” said Collinson.
“Being able to carry my community with me and us being able to carry each other is (the highlight). I’ve leaned on my community members, they’ve leaned on me – it goes vice versa.”
According to Collinson, the Saints are “a dynasty” – they’ve won intermediate, they’ve won the senior division and he feels like they’re going to be in the finals this year.
The Similkameen women’s players are also a part of that next generation. They’re the first from their community to be at the All Native in a long time.
“There are people who have been to the tournament before, but we brought it back with our group of women,” said Madison Terbasket a player on Similkameen’s women’s team.
The players from B.C.’s Southern Interior made their way up to Prince Rupert for their fourth year and the team is more than just a group of women who came together.
“We’re a village team which means everyone on my team is my family. We’re not just friends playing together, they’re all my cousins and my sisters,” said Terbasket.
“It’s a lot of pride and it’s a love for the game that brings us here – it’s very close to our hearts.”
And they didn’t just decide to pick up basketball – seven have played in university or college and four played U Sports.
According to Terbasket, their community is a basketball community, and their band focuses on movement as wellness.
“We put a lot of emphasis on development for younger kids and they really enjoy seeing us play – they get so excited ’cause we coach them and culturally it means a lot to them and a lot to us,” said Terbasket.
Many players from Similkameen coach teams at the Junior All Native and there’s a sense of pride among those watching from up north and back home – some even hosting watch parties.
With their playing and coaching, they’re showing youth in the community how far they can go with basketball.
“The All Native provides a next step, it was either Junior All Native and then you play in college or university and then you’re done, but now we have that next step.”
The Similkameen women’s team has gotten second twice and hopes to bring home the win this year.
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