The Winnipeg Wolves Basketball Club have announced the expansion of its Wolves Girls program. For the upcoming 2016-2017 club season, the Wolves will add a second girls team coached by Derrick Pokrant, offered to female athletes born in 2003 or later.
As always, the Wolves will provide an open try-out for the new team. Please see details provided below: Open tryouts will be held at Sinclair Park Community Centre on the following dates:
- Sunday, September 11th from 2:00-4:00PM
- Tuesday, September 13th from 6:00-8:00PM
Important Notes for All Athletes Attending Tryouts:
- Location: Sinclair Park Community Centre - 490 Sinclair St., Winnipeg, MB
- There will be a registration fee of $25 per player, which must be paid at the initial tryout
- Please bring a reversible jersey (or bring a dark-colored and light-colored shirt) to each tryout
- Please bring your own basketball
- Please bring your own water bottle
- Please complete and submit the registration form to the coaches at the initial tryout
If you have any general questions, please feel free to contact our organization through e-mail at winnipegwolves@gmail.com
Rick Pokrant (Head Coach)
Rick teaches at John Pritchard School and has been coaching basketball at various Middle Years Schools for 20 years (St. Theresa Point, Robert Andrews, John W. Gunn and John Pritchard School). He has coached female basketball for 10 years in the WMBA, 2 seasons of Jr. NBA, and 3 years with the Cyclone Basketball Club. His teams have played in multiple championships games. He is currently the head coach for a Grade 8 girls team at John Pritchard School.
Coach Rick teaches his players that winning requires playing the full court, and defense wins championships. He focuses on fundamentals and team concepts that challenge players to understand basketball. His players learn respect for each other and the competition. Rick’s players have gone forward from his program to lead their teams to championships.
Dean Goodbrandson
Dean Goodbrandson has 31 years of basketball coaching experience and has coached at a variety of levels in several different communities around the province. His involvement has included both boys and girls teams at the community club, Rising Stars, junior high, and high school levels. Dean has led teams to four Provincial Finals in three different categories. He is currently the Head Coach of the Selkirk Royals Varsity Boys Team.
As a player, Dean helped Selkirk reach the MHSAA Provincial Final in 1983 and Semi-Finals in 1984. He was selected to the All Manitoban team in 1984. He continued his playing career at the University of Winnipeg and was twice selected as a GPAC All-Star. He was the leading scorer in the conference in 1988. He was also an active member of several Provincial Teams, capturing four Bronze Medals at various National Championships.
Dean believes the role of the basketball coach is to inspire each individual to strive to become the best basketball player they are capable of being, within a team-first structure. No individual is ever more important than the team. All players should have a role, and need to strive to perfect it.The role of the coach is to communicate expectations clearly and help in anyway he can to facilitate success for the team and each of its individual members.
Jasmine Bhullar
Jasmine is a Buckeye alumni of Miles Macdonell Collegiate. In her graduating year she was awarded Varsity Female Athlete of the Year, the Premier's Award for Healthy Living and was nominated for the MHSAA Athlete Scholar Award.
Jasmine has over ten years playing experience. She has compete at the provincial level with Team Manitoba, in university for the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers, as well as well as having been a member of the first female Winnipeg Wolves team. She has also coached groups with the Tabor Baptist Church Basketball camp.
Her passion for sport demands hard work from herself and she hopes to inspire the same dedication and love for the game from others.