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It was a field trip that students in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., will never forget.
A group of high school basketball players there had the chance to meet Toronto Raptors star forward RJ Barrett at a recent game in Toronto.
The kids are part of the Algoma District School Board’s Alliance Academy, a program which allows students in Grades 9 and 10 to earn a high school credit through basketball and other sports.
Nearly 50 players from Korah Collegiate, Superior Heights and White Pines bussed down for the game on Dec. 2.
Thanks to connections between the academy’s coaching staff and Basketball Ontario and Canada, the students got to head down courtside following the final buzzer for a meet-and-greet with Barrett.
Student athletes with ADSB’s Alliance Academy meet Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett following recent game. (Submitted by Jeff Giovanatti)
Barrett chatted with the students about their basketball ambitions, and they took lots of selfies and high-fives.
As a big Raptors fan, Korah student Tyler Macintosh was blown away by the experience.
“It was amazing. I never thought I’d meet him or any NBA player,” he said.
For Superior Heights student Eva Robinson, it was the first Raptors game she had ever attended.
“This was definitely the best trip I’ve taken,” she said. “I actually didn’t know we were going to meet RJ Barrett. Looking at my own gameplay and looking to see how they’re playing was great.”
The local students are part of a growing Alliance Academy in the Sault.
The program has expanded from the Algoma District School Board’s Hockey Canada Skills Academy, which began in 2018, and has extended to four other sports: basketball, football, soccer and mixed martial arts.
Algoma District School Board high school basketball players caught a Toronto Raptors game and met RJ Barrett earlier this month. (Submitted by Jeff Giovanatti)
Nearly 250 students across the city’s three public high schools spend their mornings developing skills in their respective sports.
They divide their time between practicing, training and studying in related curriculum courses involving the trades, as well as civics and careers.
“We wanted to provide more engaging opportunities for kids in northern Ontario, especially because attendance rates are such a concern for absenteeism,” said academy principal Steve Caruso.
“Kids are passionate about sports, so if you can combine sports and academics, it’s a win-win.”
Caruso said the Sault academy is unique to others in the province as it doesn’t offer actual teams or league play, but instead focuses on skills development.
He noted the support from the community to make field trips like the Toronto Raptors game possible has been incredibly beneficial to the success of the program.
“That Raptors game would have cost the kids between $400 and $500 a piece. If it wasn’t for some of our local businesses who heard about it and reached out and would like to contribute to this trip, it wouldn’t have been possible. So we’re really appreciative of that.”