U12 2023-2024 Season Recap
The U12 team congratulates all the coaches, players, and the executive on what was likely our best year yet in terms of results! They say it takes a village to raise a child—in the case of our U12 girls, it took an entire coaching staff to work with this lively group.
First, I’d like to thank Coaches Stephanie Holoway and Terri Coughlin, not only for helping me coach and being the “nice” balance to my “mean” coach role, but for being amazing mentors and role models. Steph was also our tireless team manager, spending countless hours fundraising, transporting kids, and, perhaps most importantly, keeping me in line when it came to her daughter! Thank you, Steph and Terri—it was a pleasure working with both of you.
We also had Coach Ivan Kaliaieva, our own “Coach K,” who led skill-building drills, especially footwork, which made a real difference in the girls’ development. Ivan’s enthusiasm was infectious—he was easily the loudest, most animated parent in a team full of loud and animated parents, something Belleville Spirits parents are known for. Thank you, Ivan!
Finally, we were fortunate to have one of the most passionate coaches I’ve seen: Geordie Michell. Geordie dedicates himself wholeheartedly to creating a positive, rewarding experience for the kids across both the boys’ and girls’ Spirits basketball clubs. He fundraises, coaches, helps run practices, and organizes home tournaments and OBL weekends, all for the benefit of the kids. We are incredibly lucky to have him, even if I had to coach his daughter, Eve—who is a bit of a drama queen, so I guess we’re even! Thank you, Geordie, for everything you’ve done. It’s been a privilege working alongside you.
Our U12 team this year consisted of eight Grade 5 girls and three Grade 6 girls. Although we were somewhat young and undersized for the Grade 6 age group, our focus was on developing our skills and competing hard, hoping to hold our own in the lower ranks.
We opened the season in Pool 6 of the OBL League, which I initially thought might be a stretch. After a tough loss to East York, I thought we’d eventually move to a more suitable level. Instead, the girls impressed everyone, going 5-1 against bigger and stronger teams, winning close games that built their character and confidence. We moved up to Pool 5, where we again exceeded expectations, going 6-0 and capturing the Gold Medal. A combined 11-1 OBL league finish!
With an overall season record of 19-5, including a gold medal win in Brockville, we entered the Ontario Cup in Division 3, ranked 29th in the province and 5th in our division. We opened with an exciting two-point win over the #1 seed, Nepean. Though we narrowly lost to Durham by a single point and later to Gator Academy (who went on to win the gold in dominant fashion), we managed to put up the best fight they faced, even outscoring them in the second half.
We missed the medal round on point differential by just two points, but it didn’t feel like a loss. The girls played with heart and delivered thrilling basketball all season.
The season ended on a high note in our crossover game against Huron. In a dramatic double-overtime finish, we entered the second OT down two key players and trailing by two points with under a minute left. Then, Sammy Bentley hit a clutch three-pointer with 45 seconds left, giving us the lead and, ultimately, a two-point victory. We couldn’t have scripted a better ending to an unforgettable season.
