Young hoopsters head to Edmonton basketball tournament

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Athletes from the Peace region will be hooping it up this weekend at an Alberta-based basketball tournament.

The Good Hoops Fall Classic takes place in Edmonton, and teams from Fort St. John’s FSJ Flight Basketball program will take part.

The tournament will be hosted by Edmonton’s Good Hoops sports club.

Over 40 athletes in Flight’s competitive program are scheduled to compete, including the U-13, U-15 and U-17 boys’ teams along with the U-17 girls’ team.

With an estimated 80 teams across all divisions participating, teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. will converge on the Alberta capital, according to FSJ Flight’s Patti Powers.

Powers is the community events coordinator for FSJ Flight Basketball and got involved volunteering when her children began playing basketball.

“There’s a really good club here,” said Powers. “We have got some good players [and] coaches that are really invested in [the teams]. Just like any sport in a small town, it comes down to those things.”

Powers says FSJ Flight Basketball’s competitive teams in previous years would not begin their seasons until after the school season concludes in the early wintertime, with the club participating in the the Spring Classic also hosted by Good Hoops.

“[This year] we will do both,” said Powers. “This just gives us a head start to get the teams up and practicing. We had the coaches [and] got the gym time and put it together so that we could start earlier.”

Powers says the Flight program competes in other tournaments, including in Grande Prairie and Prince George throughout the season, as well as hosts its own tournament, the Northern Hoops Classic.

While it was postponed back in April, Powers says the tournament will be back for 2026.

The Good Hoops Fall Classic basketball tournament goes from Friday, October 17th to Sunday, October 19th at several venues around Edmonton, with the action centred at the Edmonton Sports Centre.

Further details about FSJ Flight Basketball can be found on its Instagram and Facebook pages.