A transcontinental tournament trek is something of a full circle moment for Agassiz's Myrden family.
G.W. Graham student and Kent Elementary alumna Holly-Rae Myrden is on her way to St. John's, Newfoundland for the Canada Basketball 2024 National Championships. Teams are set to arrive on the weekend with the first games starting up Monday, Aug. 5.
Holly-Rae was born in Chilliwack and raised in Agassiz, beginning her athletic career at Kent Elementary under coaches Donna Gallamore and Karin Vickers. David said the long-time neighbours have seen Holly-Rae practice time and again outside her Agassiz home at the hoop in the driveway.
Holly-Rae said her interest in basketball comes from her dad, David, who played basketball until the end of grade 12 – in Newfoundland, no less.
"I just thought it'd be fun to try it out and I really started liking it," she said.
Holly-Rae transferred to G.W. Graham last year for grade 9, where she and the junior Girls Basketball squad finished second in the 2024 B.C. Provincial Championships. They lost to Semiahmoo in the finals; Holly-Rae was named a First Team All-Star.
David said the family feels a great deal of support from locals and the youth basketball community; whenever an opportunity opened up for Holly-Rae to continue basketball, she was never short on recommendations.
"There was a person at Kent Elementary who said 'oh, you should start playing club basketball in Chilliwack,' so she left Agassiz to start playing in Chilliwack," David recalled as an example. "All along, I think people have been generally pretty supportive in finding new opportunities (for Holly-Rae)
David said this tournament would be the first opportunity for Holly-Rae's grandparents to see her play live.
The tournament is divided into two age groups – 15U and 17U – each competing against teams from other provinces and territories to come out on top. The mens' teams will compete in Toronto at York University while the women will play at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
To prepare for the tournament, Team B.C. has been practicing at 6:30 a.m. to acclimate to the time change and perform at their best. B.C. is set to take on Saskatchewan first.
Holly-Rae said she was nervous but excited to play on a whole new level.
"I've never been part of something like this before with all these other provinces we've never played against," she told The Observer. "It's definitely going to be tough competition but I'm excited to experience it."
Although away games present their own unique challenges, Holly-Rae said she appreciates the experiences and getting to compete against new teams. It's branching out of that comfort zone that allows athletes to progress, in Holly-Rae's experience.
"Trying to get yourself out there into challenging positions is how you're going to grow, rather than staying in your friend group," she said. "Try to branch out and make new friends. You never know; they might have some experiences you don't have.
Holly-Rae has travelled all over the west coast with the Excel Basketball club, attending tournaments in Victoria, Seattle, Portland, Lynden and Sacramento.
She said she looks up to Sabrina Ionescu, who plays for the New York Liberty in the WNBA and Agassiz's own Carrie Watts (nee Watson), a hall-of-fame basketball player and coach.
All National Championships games will be streamed live on SportCanada.tv or through the organization's YouTube channel.
