As the Mount Baker Secondary team prepares for an upcoming tournament in Vancouver, co-captain Sarah Johnson says it’ll be a key chance to build confidence and get a preview of the competition before heading into provincials.
“We’re the only 3A school in the Kootenays,” she said. “Last year we were 4A, which is the biggest school. And after looking at our numbers, we have been moved down to 3A. And so we had thought we were supposed to qualify because Nelson was also 3A, but they’ve now been moved down to 2A.”
“But we do have a tournament coming up in Vancouver before provincials, so that’ll help get us some recognition and give us exposure to those teams to see how they play.”
Off the court, the team has been working hard to fundraise for the season—and they’re counting on community support to get them across the finish line.
“Just a big thank you to the community,” she said. “We’ve already held quite a few fundraisers, such as selling our team hoodies. We recently sold out of the black, blue and white ones, but now we’ve released limited-edition red and green versions.”
Those hoodies, along with future fundraising efforts, are promoted through the team’s Instagram account at @mbss.tbirds.
Another campaign, the Nuts and Bolts fundraiser, is coming soon.
“There’s more to come,” she added. “I’ll keep everyone updated on that.”
As co-captain, she shares leadership duties with teammate Dylan Beale, who she described as “an amazing player and an amazing leader.”
“Dylan and I have been working with Al for quite a while. We’re usually the ones he comes to when we’re organizing fundraisers or managing other team responsibilities,” she said. “It’s been great to have that connection with Al and with Dylan. I’m excited to see how we continue to work together. We usually collaborate really well, so I think it’ll go great.”
Looking ahead to the season, she’s optimistic.
“I’m super excited for the season. I’m hoping it goes well and I’ll have lots of good things to say.”
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