The father of a young basketball fan is working to make his son’s dream of taking a team south of the border to play come true.
Kevin Larkin said he and nine-year-old Connor need more Grade 4 players to sign on if they’re going to be able to participate in two upcoming Seattle-area tournaments, one in May and one in June.
Larkin said Connor raised the idea in February, and the father admits he initially thought it would be impossible.
He changed his mind after doing some research.
Now, “we just need to fill the roster,” he said, of the Surrey Bulldogs. They’re aiming for 10 players.
Larkin has hung posters around South Surrey, and arranged for practices to be held at Sunnyside Elementary, from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursdays, starting this week (April 2).
The cost per player is $400, and includes a uniform, basketball, practice T-shirt and water bottle.
The team will be registered members of the Amateur Athletic Union, and will be competing in the AAU Pacific Northwest, Div. 3.
Whether it continues past the June tournament will be decided based on the success of the experiment, Larkin said.
“If it’s something that works well and we enjoy it, then we’re going to look to keep this team around,” Larkin said. “That’s something we’ll reflect on as time goes on.”
To register, or for more information, Larkin can be reached at 604-779-8465 or klarkin@shaw.ca