Nuu-chah-nulth basketball is back in full swing.
Young players have sights set on the 2025 Junior All Native Tournament (JANT), March 16 to 22, in Kelowna on Syilx Okanagan Territory, while adults are looking towards the All Native Basketball Tournament (ANBT), Feb. 8 to 15 in Prince Rupert, B.C.
For Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ U13 coaches Marissa and Edward Mack, opening up the Hitacu gym for their first practice of the year felt like ripping off another band-aid – their dear friend and assistant coach Joseph Clutesi passed away suddenly in May, leaving a huge mark on the team and community.
“The kids talk about him all the time,” said Marissa. “Something that Joey taught them that I’m really grateful for is that they say ‘I love you’ to each other. That was directly from Joey ‘cause he told everybody that. Now we’ll hear these teenage boys telling each other that they love each other. That’s so different from when I was a teenager.”
“We opened up the gym with the idea of just having conversations, but when we got there, they ended up taking up the mats by themselves and they just started playing basketball without us even telling them. They were ready,” she said.
Marissa and Edward just sat and watched the kids play for the first practice.
“It took away that scary feeling. Joey was Edward’s best friend. Losing him was really tough on our team, especially because his daughter plays with us. Our last time in the gym together was at his funeral,” Marissa told the Ha-shilth-sa.
Ahousaht boys U13 and U17 coach Luke Swan Jr. shares the feeling. He says Ahousaht has been somber with the recent passing of young community members.
“It’s been a tough time. The gym was closed,” said Swan Jr. “Everything in Ahousaht kind of changed in a sense. We changed to cultural support. We were in the schools doing brushing with the youth to help them with the grief and the loss and ground them in a good way.”
Swan Jr. went on to say that even though it was tough, the best thing he could do for the youth was to keep showing up for practice.
“Just to be there… I lost young friends in my young life and some people were just there to give time and that’s all I can give back is my time,” said Swan Jr., who coaches his sons Tavita, 11, and Ty, 9.
“Sometimes they’re the ones pushing me. It keeps me grounded. Before I would be at work from 8 in the morning until 6 in the evening, but with the gym spot at five it gets me out and in with all the boys,” he said, noting that Ahousaht is planning to host two tournaments this year: one around Christmas and the other on a long weekend.
Adding the U13 basketball division to the program was a good call, says Marissa.
There was no U13 division when she was a kid.
“It was a little bit discouraging to be 12 and playing against 18-year-olds. Not only is this new U13 good for the kids, but it also brings out their whole family,” she said, noting that the youngest player on her U13 squad is seven.
“The energy in the gym is huge because there are so many fans for both teams. In the time that we’ve been coaches, I’ve never really experienced any negative energy in the stands because everyone is just there to have fun and learn.”
Swan Jr. said they used to have all their young players going to play for different nations, but that’s all changed. Last year, Ahousaht U13 boys went undefeated at the 2024 JANT and journeyed home from Nisga’a North in Terrace, B.C. with a championship banner to hang from the rafters of the Maaqtusiis gymnasium.
“Now, they have the opportunity to play from home. After winning, everybody’s been full on basketball here in the community. It’s ignited even the men here to get back in the gym,” he said.
His winning team has been training twice a week all summer long, in the water, on the beach and making use of hills. Heading into fall, they’ll switch to four practices a week with some key players aging up to the U17 division.
“The core moves on, but there is another strong core coming in,” Swan Jr. said. “It’s only getting better and stronger. Our goal is to make sure that we are better than yesterday.”
Marissa is constantly wowed by how competitive the U13 division is.
“They are fearless at that age. They don’t care how big the opposing team is. They are just happy to be there,” she said.
