Head Coach for the Senior Men’s National Team will embark on a national
tour reaching out to the basketball community across our country. The
west coast component tips off April 24-27 with visits to Edmonton, AB;
Vancouver, BC and Winnipeg, MB. The final stop is Winnipeg, MB on April 27, where Rautins will
participate in an evening training session with Basketball Manitoba’s
under-15 (U15) and under-17 (U17) provincial teams at Sturgeon Heights.
“I am really looking forward to seeing the great young talent that our country has to offer, said Rautins. “This tour is a wonderful opportunity to meet with coaches and athletes and educate them about the overall strategies of our national team program. Working with our provincial partners, Canada Basketball can start to identify and target athletes early, with the hopes of integrating them within the national elite pathway.”
Edmonton, AB is the first visit on April 24, where Rautins will join Basketball Alberta to host an evening of basketball including a free coaches’ clinic at McNally High School followed by an exhibition game featuring the new IBL franchise, Edmonton Energy vs. Edmonton All-Stars.
On April 25, Rautins heads to British Columbia for two days of events. He will take part in Basketball BC’s super camp for its under-16 (U16) athletes at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, BC. Rautins will scout the young talent first hand and share his expertise from the national team perspective. That evening, he will attend Basketball BC’s annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre. Rautins rounds out his B.C. trip on Sunday with an identification camp for some of BC’s top high school prospects in Richmond, BC.
The final stop is Winnipeg, MB on April 27, where Rautins will participate in an evening training session with Basketball Manitoba’s under-15 (U15) and under-17 (U17) provincial teams at Sturgeon Heights. This session will be extremely valuable for athletes and coaches, as both teams begin preparations for the two largest domestic basketball events for elite young talent. The Canada Basketball National Championships (U15) will take place August 4-8 in Kamloops, BC, featuring provincial teams from across Canada. Canada Summer Games tips off August 19-30 in Prince Edward Island, showcasing 12 provincial teams at the U17 level.
Adam Wedlake, Executive Director for Basketball Manitoba is pleased to have Rautins in his city to help kick off his provincial teams training camp.
“This is a great opportunity for our athletes to learn national team strategies and skills first hand,” said Wedlake. “We have just completed our final selections for the U15 and U17 provincial teams and having Leo here to welcome the athletes and start off the season is such an added bonus for our program.”
Rautins begins his journey to the 2010 FIBA World Championship with Canada Basketball’s Senior Men’s National Team training camps and summer competitions starting in June. The goal for this summer is to finish in the top four at the FIBA Americas Championships in Mexico this August and qualify for the world championship in Turkey next year.
Next month Rautins will visit eastern Canada and partake in clinics and camps with the grassroots basketball communities in Quebec and Nova Scotia. Complete details on the remaining tour visits will be forthcoming and available on Canada Basketball’s official website www.basketball.ca.
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Canada Basketball (www.basketball.ca) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that is committed to the growth of the sport in Canada. Canada Basketball is focused on the development and preparation of Canada’s national teams for the Olympic, Pan American and FISU Games as well as the FIBA World Championships. The aspiration of Canada Basketball is to instill the pride, commitment, passion and respect that Canadians personify into the development of basketball across the country and internationally.
For more information please contact:
Tanya Phillipps
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Canada Basketball
Tel: 416.614.8037 x219
Fax: 416.614.9570
e-mail: tphillipps@basketball.ca
Website: www.basketball.ca