These girls got game.
For the sixth straight year, Vancouver's best high school girls basketball players will join forces to compete at the annual junior and seniors all-star game Thursday night.
With the basketball season wrapping up, the event offers a last chance for at least one player from each of the city's Tier I and Tier II public schools to showcase their talents at the annual event. The games will be held at King George secondary and are hosted by the Vancouver Secondary School Athletic Association.
"It's a good way for the girls to get some recognition because there's not a lot recognition out there for girls basketball," said organizer Natalie Vermaas, who also coaches the King George secondary senior girls team.
"It's also a way to show them how proud we are for how hard they've worked all season. Quite a few of the girls that play in this game do go on and play college or university ball."
Unlike many other all-star events, Vermaas said the game is played hard with a real competitive edge, which is partly due to the presence of scouts from local colleges and universities sizing up potential recruits.
Vermaas said the event is fun not just for the players, but also for their family, friends and teachers.
"The bleachers are usually packed. We've had in the past years 400 to 500 people coming out to the game," she said. "It's a fun night for the girls to show off their skills, but it is a competitive game. I think last year was won by three points so it's exciting girl's basketball."
This is the fifth time the allstar game is being held at King George, where fans can get really involved since the bleachers are closer to the action than at many other high school gyms. "[The seats] are actually right on the gym court and sometime you'll get fans leaping off the bleachers getting caught up in the excitement," said Vermaas, who added fans also enjoy the event's live announcers, concession stands and half-time events such as three-point shooting contests.
Despite the success of the game and the growth of other events such as girls basketball camps at Britannia secondary, Vermaas said girls basketball stills lack recognition.
"Everybody kind of thinks that girls basketball is boring," she said. "There's a little more scoring in boys basketball, so the belief is it's a little more competitive. But the girls basketball is just as competitive and just as fun to watch."
Vermaas said the growing crop of high-end talented girls who are taking the next step to play at college and university levels deserve more exposure.
One bright young hopeful is King George Dragons' star guard Sabah Dara who will be representing her school this year at the all-star game.
"I've coached basketball for probably the last 12 years, but she's probably been one of the most inspirational players I have coached because she just has the passion for the game," Vermaas said.
For Dara the opportunity to play with the city's best b-ballers is a great honour and something she isn't taking lightly.
"It's nice to be recognized as an all-star because there are all these amazing people that you're going to play with," Dara said.
"You know that some of these girls spend hours in the gym and this is all they do and it's really inspiring to play with them-you look up to them really."
The junior team hits the hardwood at 6 p.m. while the senior team starts at 7: 30 p.m.
[email protected] Twitter: @JaredGnam
