WOMEN'S NATIONAL HOOPS TEAM KEEN TO RE-UP AT SAVILLE CENTRE
Canada Basketball wants everyone to know their Edmonton experience has been a roaring success.
“Oh, it’s been fantastic,” said Michele O’Keefe, president and CEO of Canada Basketball. “It’s been an incredible opportunity for our senior women’s team and Canada Basketball to have Edmonton and the Saville Centre as home.”
With the approval of Edmonton’s city council, the women’s national team moved into the Saville Community Sports Centre in 2013. Wayne Parrish, then president and CEO for Canada Basketball, said “for our national team to embark on its Olympic quest inspired by the friendly ghosts of the Edmonton Grads of yesteryear is the crowning touch.”
It was also the first phase of a grand and expensive plan since put on hold, to establish Edmonton as the training base for several national teams, senior men excluded. But the corporate dollars couldn’t be found and the public expense, beyond the $2 million city council had already allocated to the quadrennial for the women’s team, couldn’t be justified.
As the agreement nears its end date, the results have been extraordinary for the one team that did make Edmonton home. The Canadian women qualified a year ago, at a rocking Saville Centre, for the Rio Olympics. It was a significant moment in the country’s basketball history, given that the 2012 team squeaked into the London Games at the last possible moment, just one month before the five-ring circus opened its tent.
“I think because we’ve had a stable home for our women and Edmonton has allowed us to be able to host and play at home, our women have been able to get better,” said O’Keefe. “The four years that we’ve been there, our women have obviously climbed the rankings of international basketball and Edmonton has become home for them.”
Just as soon as it makes sense, some time after the Rio Games, Canada Basketball officials want to ink a new, four-year agreement with the City of Edmonton to keep the women’s national team here through another Olympic cycle. O’Keefe called it a priority, and they are continuing to do whatever they can to help Edmonton make up its mind.
O’Keefe said Canada Basketball is holding its annual general meeting here in May and that the women’s national team will play three games here against China in July, just prior to the Olympics. China has yet to qualify for Rio 2016, but is likely to grab one of the final five spots available during a tournament in France in June.
O’Keefe said Canada Basketball also plans to bring some three-on-three games to Edmonton this summer. And she hopes that their outreach efforts now and in the past don’t go unnoticed.
“I think for the most part it’s whether or not the city of Edmonton still finds value in the relationship and they want to move forward,” she said, when asked what obstacles could prevent an extension of their deal. “I think they’re pretty happy with how things have gone so far. We’ve had events there every summer, especially with the women’s Olympic qualifier last summer.
“We’ll play three games against China in July in Edmonton. We try to bring some international flavour every year.”
Candice Stasynec, executive director of Edmonton Events, has been involved in negotiations with Canada Basketball on a new deal. In an interview last month she said the relationship has been good for both sides and sounded optimistic about the prospects for an extension.
“Some of the more meaningful feedback comes from the players themselves, about what we collectively have been able to create in Edmonton for the team and the program in general. I get the same feedback from the Canada Basketball leadership. Really
What we really want to make sure we’re emphasizing is the senior women and events in Edmonton.
good sign. We’re in really great, positive discussions. We’ll soon know how this is going to unfold.”
All signs point to a new deal. But there is no indication that another national team will ever call Edmonton home.
“One of the challenges with that was budget,” said O’Keefe. “It’s really expensive to have whole teams move there. We’ve brought age group women’s camps there. We’ve had the development team there. But to have other teams have their entire camps there takes a lot more money.
“I would say it’s on hold. What we really want to make sure we’re emphasizing is the senior women and events in Edmonton.”
Stasynec said part of their talks with Canada Basketball centre on an expansion program. But that will likely consist of further community outreach and more national and international events, not more teams.
“Without more cash, I’m not sure if I see more teams using Edmonton as a permanent home. We haven’t attracted more funding partners to this greater vision. Not for a lack of trying. I don’t know if that’s in the cards for us in the foreseeable future.”