Ottawa Next Level U11 Cap Season Off With Gold at Ontario Cup

The Ottawa Next Level U11 Boys capped off their fantastic season with Division 4 Gold at Ontario Cup on March 30th. 

A season that started for some of these players in the summer of 2013 at 3X3 sessions and a summer camp led by head coach Jayson Saikaley ended with triumph on the grandest scale at the Ontario Cup in Division 4 on March 30, 2014. "HARD WORK" "100% EFFORT, 12 GUYS, 8 SHIFTS" was this teams motto all season! And they all brought their best when it mattered most at the Provincial Championship in the York Region.

The boys started the Provincials off by slaying their First game jitters off (previously 0-4 in first games of tournaments) by beating the Brantford Hawks 47-41 in a hectic game at Villanova College. Jayden Saikaley led both teams with 11 points to help seal the victory.

Game 2 saw a rematch between ONL & the MYAA Jaguars, which saw the Jags come back from 10 down to win at the Blessed Sacrament tournament 1 month prior. Next Level was down at the half and they had no answer for the Jag's #22. Fueled by their very loud parents and the "Never Give Up" cheers The Next Level boys came our hard in the 2nd half and chipped away at the lead and the Jags one man gang #22 was shut down by David Illunga in the 2nd half and the Next Level Boys held on to win 38-36. A nail biter to say the least when a 3 rattled in and out for the Jags with only 5 seconds left on the clock.

Game 3 the boys hit their stride with their "Silver Medal Effort" as they came out blazing. Their newly found toughness from their Bronze Medal Performance at the EOBA's Div 2 Championship the week before was clear as day, as the Pelham Panthers were overwhelmed by Ottawa Next Level's boxing out and all around hustle. A total team effort by all which catapulted the Next Level boys to the Provincial Gold Medal Game winning 51-43

The Championship game was an epic battle between the IEM Newmarket Spartans and the Ottawa Next Level boys. The gym was a buzz from the electric intro's of the players to the final buzzer that saw a double celebration for ONL as the refs decided that there was still 1 second left on the clock. The team's "Hard work" motto was displayed by Alex Kelk's efforts in the 4th shift which in turn fueled an emotional halftime speech by the coaching staff to "match his effort in the final 4 shifts" Both teams came at each other hard for their final 4 shifts of their season, but it was ONL's calmness, ball smarts and depth that eventually propelled them to their first ever Provincial Championship by winning 35-27.

Team depth and hard work propelled the Ottawa Next Level boys all season long as they medaled in every tournament they entered this season!

1. BRONZE : Chris Paulin Memorial Tournament Div 2 Major Atom Boys.
2. SILVER: Motion Basketball Tournament
3. SILVER: Mumba Basketball Tournament
4. GOLD (B) Blessed Sacrament Tournament
5. BRONZE: EOBA City Championships Major Atom Boys Div 2
6. GOLD: Ontario Cup Division 4.

11 out of 12 players were new to competitive basketball this season which saw an incredible growth in all of their development. A true testament to the dedicated coaching staff led by assistants Jeff Phillips who put countless hours into balancing the shifts for equal play all season long and focused on encouraging the boys through his one on one session talks. Team Trainer Christa Ciccolini worked twice a week on the boy’s flexibility to keep them in top shape and limber for the battles ahead. Coach Tarcisse Ruhamyamdekwe focused on the boy’s physical fitness levels through “push ups” and he worked hard to make sure all of the boys were in top physical shape by putting them through grueling sessions. He also addressed shifts as they came off to put them back on track in game play. Head Coach Jayson Saikaley’s back to back minor atom Championships experience and 10 years of coaching was definitely an asset for these boys as he kept the boys focused all season long on working hard, developing and seeing what happens approach. His positive reinforcement was his rallying cry all season long as he always found a way to get the most out of each and every player.
 
The parents’ commitment to the team’s vision cannot go unrecognized as the U11 boys were forced to travel to the Toronto area 5 times to play their peers as there is currently no U11 division in the Ottawa area. All of the parents contributed to the successful season with notable mentions for Rick Delorme who managed all of this chaos with mastery, the Valenta’s with their incredible fund raising skills, and every tip off was captured with incredible pictures by Issac’s grandpa!  Hats off to a great bunch of parents and a hard working bunch of players!!! An Amazing Season!!!