Swan River School kicks off basketball season

By JORDAN DAWSON / Bigfork Eagle

The Swan River School boys basketball season is in full swing.

The fifth and sixth grade team, which has eleven players, has a 5-1 record thus far this season.

"We've got a good squad of kids," said head fifth and sixth grade coach Todd Trent. "They spent a lot of time in the off season in camps and practicing, and that really helps."

This is Trent's second year as a coach for SRS, and he is assisted by Cory Smith.

He said that he sees a lot of athleticism on his team and many of his players are also on the Little Guy Football Team.

"The kids work together really well," Trent said. "They're a lot of fun to play with and they are easy to coach."

Trent is helping his team work on playing good defense, as well as other fundamentals of the game.

The seventh and eighth grade team is coached by Todd Emslie.

"We stress fundamentals," Emslie said. "We try to get them to learn all the techniques they're going to need for high school."

The fifth and sixth grade team, which is made up of 10 students, has a 2-2 record.

"The eighth graders have shown some good leadership in hustle and determination," Emslie said. "They play really hard."

Emslie has been a coach at SRS for 10 years, an accomplishment that brings excitement to his players according to principal Peter Loyda.

"The kids really enjoy getting up to the level where they are coached by Emslie because he has played at the collegiate level and helps prepare them well for high school basketball."

Loyda said that the program as a whole has been put together to help build on the players' skills and ultimately prepare them for high school.

"The coaches work wonderfully as a team to develop athlete ball handling skills, shooting skills, conditioning, offense, defense, teamwork and sportsmanship," Loyda said. "The ultimate goal is to get the fifth and sixth grade team ready for the transition into the seventh and eighth program. The seventh and eighth graders are then taught well for their transition into high school. Both teams have great discipline and character."

For the first time ever at SRS, the basketball team, and their fans, are greeted each home game by the school's first cheerleading squad. Kathleen Gomel is the advisor for the seven girls, who are fifth and sixth graders, that do side line cheers, crowd cheers and a half time routine during both the fifth and sixth grade and seventh and eighth grade teams' games.

"This team adds tremendous school spirit, pride and support to the boys basketball teams," Loyda said.