Basketball in Nova Scotia in the Past 30 Years
Basketball was first introduced to Nova Scotia as early as 1895 but in the past thirty years the popularity of the sport has really taken off. The high concentration of universities in the province, the tradition and esteem of the high school programs, and the continued support from a large and knowledgeable basketball community have made the game a staple of Nova Scotia life, culminating with the capital city of Halifax becoming known as the basketball capital of Canada. When you talk about basketball in the Maritimes you can break it down into different levels of competition. There are the club systems throughout the province, the regional and provincial teams, then high school basketball, then you have to look at intercollegiate basketball, and finally pro basketball that was here for a short period of time. Another way of looking at how the sport has come along in the past thirty years is by focusing on the people who have been an integral part in its development. People such as Bob Douglas, Mickey Fox, Ritchie Spears, Brian Heaney, Steve Konchalski, and Bill Robinson, who through different roles have made and continue to make an impact on basketball in this province. Others who will not be discussed as much but whose ro
The growing participation of the 80's continued through to the 90's and in 1991 Halifax saw its first professional team, the Halifax WindJammers. Halifax was first considered for a pro franchise back in 1984 when the CBA was looking to expand. An executive that represented the CBA noted that Halifax would be an ideal place. "There are certain things the CBA is looking for and Halifax fits everything. There is an adequate market, more than enough people to support a team, the location is excellent, the facility is there, and there is a good chance of local ownership." (3) Despite the appeal, Halifax was never awarded a team until a group of investors was awarded a World Basketball League franchise. The team was coached by Ian Macmillan who was assisted by Mickey Fox and Richie Spears and they received great initial support as they sold out their first game with a crowd of 9,700. Although the team was mediocre the fans continued to attend, as the average attendance was over 6,000 people per game. Many of the team's players became local celebrities and kids would flock to Jammer practices, as they had never seen basketball of that quality before. The entire city of Halifax caught basketball fever and many had high hopes for the team's future. Although the team seemed to be doing fine, the league as a whole was struggling as financial difficulties threatened its existence. The World Basketball League was founded in 1987 with teams from all over the US and Canada, one of its unique characteristics was that it only allowed players under 6'7 to play. Although it was received well in Nova Scotia the World Basketball League came to an end during the midpoint of the 1992 season. People all across the province were devastated and this led to a group of businessmen coming together to form the National Basketball League. This league seemed to be a solution to the problem as ten teams were formed and the league commenced play in 1993. The league also provided Nova Scotia with a second team as the Cape Breton Breakers were formed. The Windjammers went 20-26 but once again fan support was consistent as they led the league in attendance. The Breakers didn't do quite as well but the support in Cape Breton was also formidable as they led the league with a 30-16 record. The following year the league was reduced to six teams and once again during the middle of the season the league disbanded for financial reasons. This was the unfortunate end to professional basketball in Nova Scotia and it left many people disappointed. The province's inability to have a long-term franchise was not a reflection on the fan support or the viability of the idea but rather the unsuccessful league's of which they have been a part. The positive side of the Breaker's and the Windjammer's story is that it introduced the province to higher quality of basketball than was ever seen before. This led to an even further increase in the participation of the sport and the quality of basketball in the province improved accordingly. Another factor from the demise of the Windjammers was that some of the players stayed in Halifax and became part of the community. Players like Steve Benton, became an integral part of the basketball community and was personally responsible for raising the level competition and the profile of the game in the province through coaching, directing camps, and playing in different events. This also had an effect on the high school and minor ranks as more high calibre players were produced in the 90's than ever before. Universities in Nova Scotia didn't have the need to look outside of the province for recruits so much. St. Mary's, Dal, and UCCB took full advantage of the indigenous talent recruiting high school stars from throughout the province who ended up having major impacts on their programs. Player's like Tim Maloney, Jonah Taussig, and Steve Nelson who all played on the same QEH team. In 1993 St. FX finally captured the na
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2813
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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