For several years now, it’s been a time honored tradition that the Royals women’s basketball team hold a basketball camp in the village of Kitimaat, BC. This year, the Royals will be returning to Kitimaat and holding a basketball camp from September 8th-10th.

    The village of Kitimaat is home to the Haisla Nation, a First Nations Community. It hold a particularly significant meaning to the Royals, as it is home for former player and captain, and now assistant coach Adelia Paul. Paul, who started the tradition, initially wanted to “give back to basketball, and to show the youth the possibilities that are available to them”. It has only grown since. This year, 2 Royals basketball coaches, and 4 Royals players will be helping put together the basketball camp.

    Adelia had this to say about the trip: “I'm excited to go up to run another camp for my hometown and surrounding communities. There is always a group of enthusiastic players willing to learn and be challenged. The turnout has always been good and I'm hoping it will be the same or better this coming up weekend. I love doing this camps at home because it seems that much more rewarding for myself to see how much the players embrace the opportunity”.

    Although a coach now, even as a player, Adelia has always had the support of her coaches for this event. Royals head coach Steve Beauchamp said that the team was “extremely pleased they are able to carry on the recent tradition of running basketball camps in First Nations communities in Northern BC”. Beauchamp further linked it to the importance of being involved in the community. “Being involved in the community is a key component of the Women's Basketball team at Douglas College.  Last week, a couple of our players were guest coaches at a basketball camp in Smithers and we expect to run another basketball clinic with the Special Olympics chapter on the Sunshine Coast in October. Our players really embrace this aspect of our team and we believe it’s an important point of difference for our program”.