One half of the Estevan Comprehensive School’s senior basketball program is physically prepared, according to the girl’s head coach Jessie Smoliak, but further preparation is required before the annual McLeod series begins.
“It’s all about the mental preparations now,” she said. “For this team, Weyburn is a mental thing, so rather than being tense heading into the tournament, I want them going in more relaxed and focused.
“That’s my number one focus with the girls,” Smoliak said.
Practices have contained a lot of intensity as teammates have pushed each other to play hard, Smoliak explained.
When it comes to slowing down Weyburn’s quick backcourt, an emphasis has been placed on making sure they’re contained on the defensive end. The team’s head coach said everyone has bought into practising as hard as they play each game and praised the leadership coming from the older players, which this year accounts for only half of the overall roster.
“They’re leading by example and working with the younger ones and pushing them to be better,” Smoliak said, pointing out how Kristen Skjonsby, one of the six returners from last season, frequently encourages her point guard Tatianna Dutka to elevate her play on a daily basis.
With four players in Grade 9 making the jump from elementary school basketball to high school level of play, Smoliak said she’s glad to see leadership qualities emerging from her players, which she added will ultimately help the younger players be prepared for the McLeod series, a tournament known for its bustling atmosphere on and off the court.
“It’s still a huge jump for them,” she said.
Smoliak is confident, however, the younger players won’t suffer from the deer in the headlights effect during the McLeod series.
The team’s head coach has worked with a number of the Grade 9 players in other circumstances outside of high school, but noted a lot of the younger players’ improvement to the senior players.
“Besides pushing them during practices, the seniors have been explaining to the younger players what the series is like and making sure they’re ready,” she said.
It’s been four years since the girls’ team won their division in the tournament, but it’s been 32 years since both the girls and boys’ teams won their respective divisions with the highest point totals.
“We want to break the streak,” Smoliak said. “It’s very important to us this year.”
A loud crowd often accompanies the McLeod series, but this year, Smoliak said she hopes every seat is filled.
“We would love to see a big crowd cheering us on,” she said.
The senior girls basketball team has claimed victory on multiple occasions this season, the most memorable one perhaps taking place in Swift Current, where they took championship honours at their tournament, besting squads from Yorkton, Swift Current and Moose Jaw on their way to an undefeated tournament record.
