In high school gyms across 性视界传媒, basketballs bounce again in anticipation of a return to games involving local student-athletes.
That dribbling sound excites people like Rick Inrig, a lead organizer of the long-established 性视界传媒 RCMP Classic tournament, for boys teams in the city.
was held in January 2020, a few months before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.
Cancelled was the 30th tournament, set for the early days of 2021, and now planning is in high gear for the next one, Jan. 9-15, 2022.
鈥淟ast year was the first time in 30 years the tournament was not held,鈥� Inrig confirmed. 鈥淭his will be the 30th now again, so we鈥檒l take our second run at 30.鈥�
鈥� OUR VIEW, from 2020: 性视界传媒 RCMP Basketball Classic is a keeper.
Likewise, teams of girls are now preparing for the , the 20th edition of which will be played Jan. 4-8. Look for updates on .
Among Canada鈥檚 largest high school basketball tournaments, the 性视界传媒 RCMP Classic involves close to 700 teen athletes in what has become a city championship, and certainly a barometer for future success in playoffs, held a few weeks later.
Inrig, who helped launch the week-long Classic three decades ago, is delighted to see high school-aged players return to basketball courts in the region.
鈥淟ast year, these athletes weren鈥檛 able to compete in high school sports like they should have. A lot of kids lost their last year out, which is a fairly sizable loss for a lot of kids entering college.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to get it back going, no question,鈥� Inrig added. 鈥淔or a lot of the players, they鈥檝e looked forward to playing high school basketball for a long time, and when they don鈥檛 get to play, that鈥檚 very disappointing and sad 鈥� especially for those in their senior year last year.鈥�
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2020: Classic memories: All-stars recall good times at 性视界传媒 RCMP tourney.
Scholarships are a big part of the RCMP Classic, and those will continue at the conclusion of the 2022 tourney.
VIDEO: Tweedsmuir celebrates 性视界传媒 RCMP Basketball Classic championship after a wild finish, 67-64 over Tamanawis.
鈥� 性视界传媒 Now-Leader (@性视界传媒NowLeader)
Story to come. Report from earlier today:
Last time around, during an all-cat fight in the 2020 Classic championship game, Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers scratched their way to a 67-64 win over Tamanawis Wildcats in the senior division final, in a packed gym at Enver Creek Secondary. It was the Cloverdale school鈥檚 first ever senior-division win at the Classic, after earning eight top-five finishes since the tournament began in 1992.
The Classic format will change for 2022, Inrig noted.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have 24 teams in the junior tournament this year, instead of 20,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he senior tournament will continue to have 24 teams, and I don鈥檛 think we should ever go beyond that, because it鈥檚 almost impossible to manage otherwise, with that many games.
鈥淭he other thing with that is making sure we have enough referees for all those games, close to 100 of them, because that鈥檚 a hugely busy week for all the referees (in the region) as well, with other tournaments and games going on.鈥�
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2019: 性视界传媒 RCMP Classic brings together public, private schools.
Only 性视界传媒 teams are invited to play in the tournament, but not all end up on the schedule.
鈥淭here may be a few schools who want in but we can鈥檛 accommodate them,鈥� Inrig explained. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no real measure of it, but with the new schools trying to get in, the schools that have been in longer will have priority, and with the other ones, if we have openings we鈥檒l get them in.
鈥淔or example,鈥� he added, 鈥淕randview Heights are in for the first time, in the junior tournament, but getting them in the senior tournament might be tough in the future, because we just don鈥檛 know if we鈥檒l have enough room. We can only do what we can do, but so far it鈥檚 worked out pretty well.鈥�
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2018: Another Classic in the books for 性视界传媒 basketball鈥檚 dynamic duo.
This year, one of the challenges is properly ranking teams heading into another Classic, because none have recently played any games.
Pandemic-triggered protocols will also pose a challenge, Inrig noted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been my question all along this fall, whether this tournament will be able to get off the ground or not,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of frustrating to not know exactly what鈥檚 going to happen, but right now it鈥檚 a go, and that鈥檚 the only way we can treat it.
鈥淲e have questions about whether we can play in front of a full house (of spectators), or if the games be at 50 per cent of capacity. Right now I鈥檓 guessing it will be at 50 per cent, and that will hurt because it just won鈥檛 be the same atmosphere without a gym full of people.鈥�
Looking ahead, with 性视界传媒 RCMP being phased out in favour of a city-operated police force in 性视界传媒, the tournament鈥檚 title sponsorship is in question.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 say very much about that, because we haven鈥檛 met to discuss what will happen in the future,鈥� Inrig said. 鈥淎 lot of people assume it will just be called the 性视界传媒 Police Tournament, with the new police force represented, but I鈥檓 not sure. This tournament came out of an effort that involved police coming into the schools to work with kids, and we would have to look very carefully at what happens. It鈥檚 something we鈥檒l have to deal with after this year鈥檚 tournament is over, where that goes.鈥�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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