When the Yorkton City Senior Girls basketball tournament started Friday afternoon, Trent Senger said he didn't have much in the way of expectations going in.
Senger has more experience coaching then all of his players combined, have playing the game.With not a lot of Gr. 12s playing on his senior girls basketball team, he wasn't sure how well, or not so well, his team was going to do.
With teams like North Battleford and St. Mary's at the top of the list, Senger knew he would not be challenging either school for the basketball crown.
However, despite getting beat in their first three games, they put together a good game against Nipawin, beating Nipawin by double.
Senger said long after his Saints had been eliminated that his roster includes a single Gr. 12 girl, a pair of Gr. 9s, four Gr. 11s and seven Gr. 10s.
"We weren't a 100 per cent sure what to expect. You play and (you) worry about (their) confidence."He added that once the confidence comes, you can start trying more advanced techniques such as fast breaks.
He told the paper that in their game against St. Mary's none of that was going to happen."They are big and strong. We were a little intimidated by them."
The score was off the wall, but Senger mentioned that it did not cause any of them to lose any confidence. In fact it may have motivated them because they came up just nine points short against Melville before laying a 60-29 beating on Nipawin.
"They love to be on the court. In a year or so, if they decide to keep it going, they are going to be a strong team."
He added that he is in a good position as coach of the senior team.
He will have control of the female basketball talent at Sacred Heart for a maximum of three years. It will give him time to examine strengths and weaknesses of all the players.
As well, it will help to develop both the offence and the defence and make the transition between the two much easier, he believes.
"It gives you a chance to build a program," he explained, as well as "develop a skill set".
Senger sees a lot of potential in a team that is dominated by players who still have a year of eligibility.
And the current season is nowhere near done yet.
Given the physical demands of the sport, he said the biggest part of the game is conditioning. They practice between two and three times per week.
Sacred Heart is in Esterhazy this weekend.
