Building a Pipeline for Canadian Talent in Basketball

With the uncertainty surrounding the world of sport during the pandemic, athletes and fans alike have been stuck in a strange waiting game, wondering how and when they can get back to any variation of “normal”. But thanks to the hard work and vision of both Victor Raso, River Lions Head Coach and General Manager, and Antwi Atuahene, Assistant General Manager, the River Lions organization received the green light to run a 5-week, invite-only development program for an elite group of high school players, U SPORTS players, and potential professional players. 

The Ball in the Falls program, scheduled to run for two hours on select Sundays from September 27th – November 15th at Gate Alliance Church in Niagara Falls, will focus on skill development, but will also expose young local athletes to the Niagara basketball pipeline; that is, the fact that players, now more than ever, have a viable opportunity to play professionally at home in Canada. 

“We want to get the U SPORTS players that are in the area from Brock and McMaster etcetera, and then have the pros there that will actually be working and training with them to show people that you can build that pipeline from high school to college to the pros, all in one sitting, which is very, very rare to have” Atuahene said. 

Elite youth programs in Niagara are rapidly evolving and have become impressive exemplars of what can happen when the work is put in at the beginning of the basketball trajectory. 

“I think you’re going to start seeing a lot more guys come out of Canada because of the work that’s going in at the youth level. You’re seeing some kids who would have usually gone to the states deciding to stay home and that’s going to continue to happen more and more. Then we can compliment that by guys seeing that you can do everything in Canada” Raso said. 

The program aims to give each group of players a unique experience that they can use to further develop their skills and their perspective of the game. 

Sacade Kasamba, a high school stand-out from Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School in St. Catharines, expressed that the program had already helped his development as he headed into the second session.

“It’s helped me develop my game a lot; playing with the pros and learning from them” Kasamba continued, “It helps me get my mindset right, helps me make better decisions on and off the court, [helps me learn] how to read the game, how to know the game better.” 

Playing alongside professionals will give high school and U SPORTS players an opportunity to see exactly what they have to do to become pros, while also holding U SPORTS players accountable for a small range of mentoring. 

“I’m going up against pros; people in my caliber” said Sefa Otchere, a U SPORTS player from McMaster University. “You’re also giving back to the high school kids, helping them get to the level they want to go to.” 

Pros, on the other hand, have a bit more responsibility when it comes to the mentorship aspect of the program. 

“Pros get to actually be accountable for what they are teaching the U SPORTS players and the high school players because when you’re in this environment, if you’re a pro and you’re telling a high school player or a U SPORTS player to make sure you’re doing A, B and C, but you’re not doing A, B and C, they will hold you accountable for that” said Atuahene. “So they become mentors and essentially become cultured while they’re playing at the same time, and this builds a unique program between the high school students, U SPORTS and pro players.” 

Gilbert Gyamfi, a former player for the Niagara River Lions, stressed that he does not necessarily feel pressured to show the young players the ropes, as he has been doing that his entire professional career. 

“They’re going to have stuff to do and learn; that’s part of the game; that’s part of growing up” Gyamfi says. “They’re aspiring to be pros and whatnot and go further in the game. Everything is a learning experience and hopefully they are able to pick things up and be like a sponge: soak up as much as possible and then use it to their advantage.”

Although the development program is only a couple sessions in, the talent that has been brought together in the Gate Alliance gym is undeniable. 

“Most of them do look pretty good” said Gyamfi. “I’m pretty sure when we get going I’m going to be drawn to one of them and have something I can relate to with them.” 

With the unpredictable climate that we are in as we live amongst COVID-19, the Ball in the Falls program has become even more beneficial to players whose regular training regimens have been dramatically altered, which has affected skill development as well as overall happiness surrounding the game. 

“Anyone who plays the game of basketball knows it’s kind of therapeutic for them” said Atuahene. “So for a lot of these guys, basketball has been in an uncertain space. October/November is usually when the NBA is just starting and [the] high school [season] is starting, so you begin this routine in your mind and understand that when the weather starts getting a little colder, you know it’s basketball season. For them to have that taken away from them has been difficult. So a lot of guys are excited to get into the gym, because they know, hey, it’s not for certain but we have an opportunity here to do what we love and to get better.” 

The next Ball in the Falls session will fall on Sunday November 1st, with its last session scheduled for Sunday November 15th.