Staff
Rainy River First Nation wants to slam dunk alcoholism among youths–and is bringing in a renowned roundballer to help do so.
The Youth for Sobriety 3-on-3 basketball tournament and skills clinic runs today through Saturday at the outdoor courts located near the RRFN gymnasium.
Lending a celebrity presence to the proceedings is Michael Linklater, the top-ranked 3-on-3 player in Canada and who is ranked in the top 10 in the world.
“I put his name in Google and saw this guy from Saskatoon who was available to do this kind of an event,” RRFN director of sports and recreation Kevin Gemmell said about Linklater, who competes on the 3-on-3 FIBA World Tour.
“It’s not every day you have a top talented athlete come to the Rainy River District and put on a clinic,” he noted.
“The kids that talk with him 1-on-1 are going to get more out of him than just that he shoots a basketball really well, but how he conducted his life and the choices he made,” added Gemmell.
“This is a guy who took his talent and did something with it.”
Linklater also started “Boys With Braids,” a program that focuses on anti-bullying.
The clinic is set for today through Friday, wrapping up with an all-star 3-on-3 exhibition game featuring Linklater on Friday at 8 p.m.
The tournament then will be held Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.
It will be split into three divisions: developmental (ages eight-12), junior (13-15), and senior (16 and up).
