The City of Martensville hosted the second annual Fun Basketball Tournament on January 5th and 6th at the MAP. As the sport of basketball continues to grow in popularity within the community, the City of Martensville has been looking at ways to provide more opportunity for players to compete against other teams, so they hosted the first tournament back in 2023, which included one age group; however, this year, they opened the tournament up to both Mini and Bantam.
A total of nine teams competed in the tournament, with teams from Martensville and Warman. A total of four Mini teams and five Bantam teams competed, with each team having the opportunity to play 3-4 games each.
“We really want to promote basketball in the community and get some more interest. These kids don’t really have the chance to play in tournaments, aside from playoffs at the end of the season, so this is a good way for them to play in a fun environment, with more than one game in a day, and a chance to meet some of the other players as well,” Angie Reddekopp, City of Martensville Recreation Program Supervisor, stated.
The tournament is an invitation-only set-up and includes athletes from grades 5-8. The City of Martensville hopes to host this tournament each year, in December or January, depending on the school break.
“Basketball is increasing in popularity immensely in the community, and we hope that at some point in the future, we see a basketball organization formed and they can continue with the program outside of the City of Martensville. Our goal with any program is to get things moving, and be that support and help to get it going, and then have other people take it over and continue with it,” Reddekopp added.
The Martensville teams, other than the Mini Dunkers Program, are through the Saskatoon Minor Basketball Association (SMBA), with a season that runs from October-March. Players take part in one game and one practice each week, with games taking place on Saturdays in Saskatoon.
Martensville currently has 12 teams, ranging in age from grade 3 to grade 10, which is on par with last season. Teams consist of Spuds, Minis, Bantam, Junior and Senior.
The Mini Dunkers teams are an in-house program that is ran through the City of Martensville and the City of Warman, outside of the SMBA, and include Kindergarten to Grade 2 youth. Players begin in Mini Dunkers, and once they move into Grade 3, they can participate and register through the SMBA.
“Thank you to all of the parents, participants and fans for coming out for this tournament. We had a great turn-out and the atmosphere was amazing. The opportunity hasn’t been there for something like this in the past, and it is always exciting for the kids to play!”
Registration for basketball typically takes place in August, with more information available in the City of Martensville Fall Program Guide.
