The inaugural Canada Basketball Junior Academy in Manitoba will hold an Identification Camp Weekend on September 16-18, 2022, at the Sport Manitoba Courts. This identification camp weekend is open to boys born in 2008, 2009, and 2010. A small group from each birth year will be selected to train in Winnipeg over 5 training weekends from September to November. Throughout these 16 training sessions, the athletes will follow a curriculum supplied by Canada Basketball and designed to prepare potential athletes to perform in the age group National Team camps and competitions.
PROGRAM COACHES
Canada Basketball's Micheal Meeks will be in Winnipeg September 16-18, 2022, to lead the Identification Camp and select the training groups. A team of experienced Manitoba coaches and former Canadian National Team players will lead the remaining Junior Academy Manitoba Sessions. They include... (shown in order left to right)
- DAN BECKER - The current Technical Director of Basketball Manitoba is a 4-time alumnus of Team Canada, representing the Red & White in the FISU games and 2 Jones Cups. Dan is a former NCAA D1 basketball player and 12-year pro. Dan is an NCCP Level 4 Coach who won Gold with the 17U Manitoba Provincial Team in 2014 and has over 20 years of experience coaching in programs ranging from grassroots to university.
- STEPHEN TACKIE - The current head coach of the Sturgeon Heights Huskies varsity boys basketball program, Stephen is a 2-time Silver Medal winner at the 17U boys level with Team Manitoba at the 2012 National Championships and 2013 Canada Games. Stephen is an NCCP Learning Facilitator, Evaluator, and a past Center For Performance (CP) coach. Stephen has extensive experience coaching youth development programs throughout North America, including with the Point Guard College camp program.
- JON GIESBRECHT - owner & lead trainer of Play Free Basketball (Basketball Mindfulness and High-Performance Training), Jon has coaching experience in many age groups, including USPORTS, Provincial Team, high school, club, grassroots in the WMBA, and internationally in Italy. Jon is a Gold Medal-winning 17U Boys Provincial Team coach and has also done consulting work for Canada's National Team program and ESPN Draft Express. Jon is a 3-time MHSAA Provincial Champion with the John Taylor High School Varsity and JV basketball programs.
- PATRICK MART - Currently the head coach for the Junior Varsity Sturgeon Heights Huskies, Pat has experience coaching the Team Toba 17U and Canada Games provincial teams as well as in the Targeted Athlete Program (TAP). Pat was a standout high school and Provincial Team player and suited up for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.
- JUSTUS ALLEYN - Is a 2-time alumnus of Team Canada playing significant roles in the 2017 FISU Games and winning a Silver Medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. After a stellar USPORTS career at the University of Manitoba, where he led the Canada West Conference in scoring with 24 ppg, Justus went on to play 3 years of professional basketball in Europe and was drafted and suited up for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the CEBL.
- JAMES WAGNER - Represented Team Canada at the 2016 U18 FIBA Americas Qualifying Tournament and brought home a Silver Medal. James also won a 17U National Championship with Team Toba in 2014 and captured the 2014 MHSAA JV Provincial title and the 2016 MHSAA Varsity title with Coach Jon Giesbrecht at John Taylor Collegiate and was named the Player of the Year in Manitoba High School basketball in 2016. James has wrapped up an outstanding USPORTS career at the University of Manitoba, where he was a multiple-time Canada West Conference All-Star and 6-time Academic All-Canadian.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Junior Academy is designed as an early identification and training program to complement the current club basketball system. The training weekends are scheduled opposite the Peg City Showcase weekends to minimize club conflicts. The Junior Academy will not compete in any leagues or exhibition games format and is strictly a training model designed by Canada Basketball.
IDENTIFICATION CAMP
There is no tryout fee to attend the ID camp sessions on September 16-18, 2022. Selection decisions will begin during the first day of the identification sessions, with players invited back to attend the Saturday and Sunday sessions as the weekend progresses. All players must first register below to attend the ID camp sessions.
PROGRAM FEE
Those selected for the program will pay a $250.00 program fee. The program includes 36 hours of on-court training from September through November, a Canada Basketball Junior Academy gear package and player insurance. This program is KidSport funding eligible with details that can be found HERE.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
ALL BELOW SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SPORT MANITOBA COURTS
(See the below map)
MAP TO SPORT MANITOBA COURTS - 145 PACIFIC AVENUE
QUESTIONS
- Questions on the program can go to Dan Becker at dan@basketballmanitoba.ca.
- Questions on the registration process or fees can go to Tiffany Peape at tiffany@basketballmanitoba.ca.
IDENTIFICATION CAMP REGISTRATION FORM
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