District basketball players join Bandits for Play Day

February 2, 2024

Young basketball players from across the Langley School District got a chance to shoot hoops on a big stage last month, as teams from a number of schools kicked off the season at the second annual Play Day at the Langley Events Centre.

This year, the event, hosted by the Vancouver Bandits – a professional team that competes in the Canadian Elite Basketball League – included teams from Alex Hope, Alice Brown, Belmont, Betty Gilbert, Coghlan Fundamental, Dorothy Peacock, Fort Langley, Glenwood, Gordon Greenwood, HD Stafford, James Kennedy, Langley Fundamental, Noel Booth, North Otter, Peter Ewart, Peterson Road, Topham and Yorkson Creek.

Boys teams played last week, while girls teams hit the hardcourt the week prior to that.

The goal of Play Day is to “bring the community together while also providing an experience  that is not common for students in Grades 5 to 7,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular, adding that the event also helps “bring the community together.”

“The District’s athletics mission is to inspire all athletes to reach their full potential and to create a lasting legacy for the future,” said Mal Gill, Superintendent of the Langley School District.

“We are grateful to our partners, the Vancouver Bandits and the Township of Langley, for providing this unique learning opportunity for our students, and we see it as a way for them to demonstrate our values of community, courage, integrity, and excellence outside of the classroom.”

The event gives the young players – many of whom are new to the sport – the chance to learn the game and its rules.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to meet all the other teams and get an introduction to the season,” said Michael Parker, one of the coaches at Yorkson Creek Middle School. “It’s just a fun way for the kids to get proper reffing. The refs have been so supportive in explaining things, why they make certain calls, so it’s a great way to learn.”

While one major goal of Play Day is to encourage all students to be active, for some it may serve to inspire them to continue playing basketball as they grow up, perhaps even culminating with a return trip to the Langley Events Centre one day for secondary school basketball provincials, which are held each spring at the LEC.

“It’s all about belief, right? Once you experience it, then you know, ‘OK, I can do this. I’ve been here before,’” Parker said. “So it just amps up the hope.”

For more on the Vancouver Bandits and Play Day, click here.