Three Huntsville basketball players off to Ontario Summer Games

Three members of the Huntsville Hurricanes basketball team are in Mississauga this weekend to compete in the 2016 edition of the Ontario Summer Games. Seth Cooper, Jarred Sutherland and Jeremiah Martin all made the final roster for Team Northern Ontario, and will play alongside boys from Sudbury, Timmins and North Bay in the U14 Division.

“I’m really looking forward to the experience, and being able to play against some tough competition. I’m a bit nervous, but definitely really excited,” says Seth, who has been playing basketball since first grade. Along with Jarred Sutherland, the two have been members of the Huntsville Hurricanes basketball team for the past four years, while Jeremiah Martin joined the team a year later in grade six.

Seth Cooper dribbles the ball up the court as the Hurricanes bench watches on (Photo credit: Scott Stayer)

Seth and Jarred also played together as a part of the Centre for Performance (CP) program at Nipissing University this past year, a nationally established initiative that focuses on the “key years” of athletic development to train youth for the purpose of playing basketball at an international level. It was during this program that the pair was first encouraged to try out for the Northern Ontario team by their coach, and invited their teammate Jeremiah to come with them.

“When I heard about the team I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for. I didn’t know if I’d be going to the Summer Games, but I was excited,” says Jeremiah. “It was the challenge that made me want to do it, and with Seth and Jarred also trying out I figured I would give it a shot.”

Jarred Sutherland crosses up a defender as he looks to advance the ball up the court (Photo credit: Scott Stayer)

For Jarred, the Games also represent an opportunity to get on the radar of some of the high-level scouts working for the more prestigious basketball academies in the GTA. The Huntsville youth hopes to suit up for the HHS junior boys team this fall before transitioning to Orangeville Prep later on in his high school career to further his basketball dream.

“Part of the reason I tried out for the team was because it gives me more opportunity to get more people to see me play,” says Jarred. “In Huntsville, not a lot of people come up to see you, but if you play in the Summer Games and perform well you get recognized.”

Now preparing for their first year of high school, the trio will look to make an impact this weekend under the tutelage of Coach Stephen Hong, a third-year assistant coach with the Nipissing Lakers Men’s basketball team and head coach of the Northern Ontario squad. Previously a coach at the club and high school levels, Hong was also a part of the staff of the CP Program earlier this year, where he first saw Seth and Jarred play.

Jeremiah Martin outworks the defence and prepares to drive the hoop (Photo credit: Scott Stayer)

“It is great to have the opportunity to coach the U14 boys,” says Hong. “Having players like Jarred, he is a really special talent, and seeing that at a young age I’m happy to know he’s on my team. There’s going to be a lot of talented athletes at the Ontario Summer Games, and for me as a coach I expect for our players to always compete, stay together and outwork the other team.”

The Ontario Summer Games, which grew from humble beginnings in 1970, has become the province’s largest multi-sport event and a showcase for youth athletes aged 12-18. The Games, which include team and individual sports covering everything from archery to , and a springboard for exceptional youth athletes to transition to more advanced levels of competition, including the Pan Am Games and Olympics. The full schedule of events can be found on their website here.

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