Vancouver Metro Basketball League

Josh may be new to the league this season, but he is definitely known by many of the guys. Hailing from Salmon Arm (aka “The System”, known for mastering the fundamentals), Josh grew up playing several sports and only focused on bball in Grade 10. After a very successful high school career (31-1 in his final season), Josh followed in his dad’s footsteps and played post-secondary ball (UCC, University of Ottawa and TRU).

Josh’s size and presence on the court is obvious, but he also has a deep understanding of the game which he credits to his many mentors. Included in that group are his teammates; namely his high school point guard Jordie McTavish (who went on to play to play for University of Utah and Team Canada). Josh is an unselfish player who likes to play a strategic defensive game (usually after guzzling back a pre-game Red Bull).

When asked for his best advice for high school players, Josh offers these simple words: “Practice. Play as much as you can and try to make everyone you play with better players too.” So, watch for some great team chemistry on the 3D this season!

Quick & Dirty
Best athlete of all time: Ali
Most exciting person in pro sports today: Lebron
Toughest guy to guard in the Metro League: Randy Nohr
Favourite Olympic Winter sport: Luge
Best stat: 10 steals, 20 rebounds, or 4 blocks? Cookies

Congratulations to EA Sports for hitting grand slam with the 2009 Metro Basketball League Charity Shoe Drive sponsored by Nike/New Age Sports!

Thanks also to everyone in the league that came out and participated in this charity initiative throughout the season.  It’s important to us that, as a league, we have a heart for community/charity and the entire Vancouver Metro League did an amazing job rounding up their kicks at home and donating to folks that need them more than we do.

EA came in with over 50 pairs of shoes!  EA Sports Metro League Team includes Jeff Atienza,  Mike Mahar, Matt Mahar,  Jeff Antwi,  Shane Luke,  Colin Currie, Phil Sinnott, Mike Smit, Matt Ng, Mike Baxter,  Zach Russell, Kyle Russell and Andres Rivela.

2009 Charity Shoe Drive brought to you by New Age Sports/Nike.  Visit New Age Sports for all your athletic shoe and apparel needs at the following Vancouver Locations:

Gerrit’s written responses were so great that it’s been nearly impossible to try and make it sound any better. So I didn’t.  And without further delay, please let me introduce you to Mr. McGowan . . . in his own words:

How did you first get introduced to basketball?
As a kid my commitment was to tennis being a nationally ranked junior. But at age 12, my tennis coach suggested that I begin cross-training to improve my footwork. He suggested basketball as the best alternative. Although I had been playing driveway ball with my pops since I was a munchkin, it was not until Grade 7 that I started playing organized ball. I continued to play through high school, which included playing in the Texas private school state championship game in Grade 10. We lost on a buzzer beater.

Did you benefit from good coaching or mentorship when you were developing as a player? Who was instrumental in getting you to where you are today?
My high school basketball coach, Don Coleman, was all about fundamentals. Although retiring in 1992, Coach Coleman remains one of the winningest coaches in U.S. high school basketball history – with over 900 wins and a Texas state championship to his credit. Although he was a hard-ass to the nth degree and a big fan of short shorts, he was also a master of the flex offense and one of the most knowledgeable basketball minds in the country for over 40 years.

Can you share a few of your career highlights so far?
Since finishing grad school and starting my own consulting business, I’ve had some pretty wonderful experiences. Producing a documentary film on the whitewater kayaking industry’s impact on poverty in Zambia is certainly one. Training the Palestinian government in Ramallah about participatory planning and democratic decision-making is another. But its what I do in BC, working with remote First Nation communities, that has undoubtedly been the most rewarding. Getting to visit some of the most beautiful places on earth and engaging with such resilient and inspiring people is as good as it gets for me.

What do you want to accomplish in sport in the next few years?
For the past 12 years, most of my free time has been dedicated to whitewater kayaking. But a few years of grad school and starting my own business has turned my into an off-the-couch, weekend warrior. I’m hoping I can get back to the days when I paddled 100+ days a year. I’d also like to fulfill my longtime dream of paddling Mamquam Falls outside of Squamish. But it’ll take more than weekly basketball and a few trips to the gym to get me to huck anything near 60 feet again.

What advice do you have for young players just getting started?
Focus on fundamentals. Don’t try to dribble like Iverson or shoot bombs like Glen Rice. Learn to move without the ball, find open space, and play bigger that you are. Play within the feel of the game and don’t try to do too much. Keep the flashy street ball in the driveway or on the playground and try to make everyone around you better.

 
Quick and Dirty with Gerrit McGowan

1. Best athlete of all time:
Bo Jackson. He was unstoppable at Auburn and a beast in two sports. If I was a little but older, I might have gone with Jim Thorpe. But I’m a product of the 80’s so I know that Bo knows how to ball.

2. Most exciting person in pro sports today:
Terje Haakonsen. He’s arguably the greatest snowboarder of all time. If you don’t believe me, check this out! http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Imau7BG7Zu0

3. Sport that requires the most athletic talent:
Gymnastics. It all depends on how you define athletic talent. But a big guy, I have to go with the one sport that I will never be able to do. Have you are seen those freaks working the rings?

4. Your guiltiest pleasure:
Sour candies… or at least that’s the PG version.

5. Favourite moment in sports history:
Vince Young running for the national championship winning touchdown on 4th and 5.

6. Toughest guy to guard in the Metro League:
Two games in, it’s still hard to tell. But there are some old timers that look like a handful.

7. Favourite Olympic Winter sport:
Freestyle mogul skiing.

8. Would you rather take a charge from: Shaq, Karl Malone or Dwight Howard?
Dwight Howard. At least there’s a chance he might fly over me like superman.

9. NHL All-Star starting line-up: fair or foul?
I’ll take the Cardinals plus 7.

10. Best stat: 10 steals, 20 rebounds, or 4 blocks?
Twenty yelling, ball-slapping, elbow-flying boards without a doubt

I did edit out some other answers that refer to the fact that there are some non-PG version.  I guess you’ll have to ask him to find out . . .

Sherlan is possibly the loudest and most excited player in the league as we’ve mentioned before, but he swears that he’s a lot more calm off the court.  He has a true passion for the game which was started when he was just a young’un – glued to the tv watching Magic take down the Celtics in his rookie year.  His love of the game was initiated by his sporty dad and Sherlan developed his game by played older and tougher guys.  He honed the fundamentals under the tutelege of coach Bill Johnston who also shares Sherlan’s appreciation for fast, aggressive ball.

Armed with natural speed and agility, Sherlan styled his game after Magic and Barkley, controling the floor and ripping down boards.  In Metro League, he’s even nabbed a few Rodman-esque rebounds with flying elbows and legs!  In high-school, this energetic play earned him some triple-doubles and consistently brought in double-doubles.  Moving into college and university ball was an intense transition period where Sherlan’s game matured through hard work.  This determination paid off, earning him a memorable university career-high stat of “getting 6 steals in one game, 18 rebounds in a game, dunking in warm-ups!”

Playing and competing are virtually second nature for him, so Sherlan focuses a lot of his energy on other aspects of his life, including his growing business: Moult Athletic.  Taking the lessons from those tough college days has really given him a great perspective on life and business.  Some of his best advice (and I’m sure he’s got a lot more) is to learn from every experience and to respect those who are trying to teach you:  ”ALWAYS respect your coach, you don’t have to listen to him all the time, but always respect him!  Especially our coaches here that do this out of the sake of the game, their love for teaching these skills to others, and creating young men and women to tackle all possible life issues!!!”

Quick & Dirty with Sherlan John

Best athlete of all time: MUHAMMAD ALI -  hands down!!
Most exciting person in pro sports today: USAIN BOLT  & LEBRON JAMES
Sport that requires the most athletic talent: BASKETBALL AND SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL
Your guiltiest pleasure:  TATTOOS! AMERICAS TOP MODEL! LOL
Favourite moment in sports history: RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE, JORDAN PLAYING SICK, & MAGIC’S HOOK SHOT !
Toughest guy to guard in the Metro League: these are my favorites challenges : PASHA BAINS, PETE MORRIS, RANDY NOHR ! all tough – great time !
Favourite Olympic Winter sport:  LADIES SPEED SKATING!  Biathlon!
Would you rather take a charge from: Shaq, Karl Malone or Dwight Howard?  Dwight will give you that poster forever, Karl will kick a hole in your face, Shaq will give me the big butt and probably throw up a baby hook- he’s not dunking on too many people now a days! lol
NHL All-Star starting line-up: fair or foul?  NHL is cool – this year was real fun to watch ! NBA  starters – the fans really dictate who starts which is not all that cool – Yi Jianlan was gonna start over Kevin Garnett ! crazy !
Best stat: 10 steals, 20 rebounds, or 4 blocks?  20 pts, 18 boards, 6 steals, 4 blocks (2 stapled to the backboard, 2 inbounds for dunks on the other end!), 5 assists. That’s my best stat , but I’d rather have 20 rebounds !

Clearly not a shy guy to share his enthusiasm and opinion!!!    Oh and when you hear Wu-tang Clan or Tupac thumping from a car in the parking lot, you know it’s just Sherlan drinking redbull and getting pumped for the game!

Matt says that his favourite contemporary athlete is Georges St Pierre and strangely enough, that really makes sense. I’m sure a lot of people respect GSP (St-Pierre was voted the Canadian Athlete of the year by Sportsnet viewers through a week long voting process to win with a staggering 89% of the vote), but when Matt is on the court, he actually has the same steely look in his eyes. This intensity is probably fueled by a work ethic developed in his early mornings in the hockey rinks of rural Ontario and early coaching instilled a mantra of “compete. compete. compete. The rest will take care of itself.”

Matt has the fire and drive of a true competitor and I think one of his greatest gifts on the court is his ability to completely focus on the game. Removing distraction is always a bit of a trick, but Matt seems to quickly hit his stride by nailing a few early 3’s and then relentlessly pursuing the “W” for the rest of the game. A key to his success is to set your “goal and don’t let anything get you off track. Keep your head down, train hard and smart.” I swear, I’ve heard that in a GSP interview in preparation for his upcoming battle vs BJ Penn. Although it sounded much funnier in GSP’s stilted accent – remember his interview about the UFC coming to Montreal??

Whoops, enough about the UFC and back to Mahar. Matt played for Carleton under Dave Smart whose total bball addiction gave Matt a ton of game time experience. Smart also believed in a lot of competition and took the Guardsmen on several trips to the US. Playing Boston College is a cherished memory for Matt – they headed down to BC to play in front of 8,000 crazed fans. Even in that kind of atmosphere, Mahar was probably zeroed in on the game at hand. His team only lost by 12 to the highly ranked Boston College team. These numerous trips to the States was also enlightening about our southern neighbours. . . Matt vividly recalls a moment in Kentucky just prior to taking the court when a cheerleader asked: “do y’all speak American?” Disclaimer: not all Americans are ignorant of other countries/cultures. Right, Starkey?

Quick & Dirty with Matt Mahar

1. Best athlete of all time: MJ
2. Most exciting person in pro sports today: GSP
3. Favourite moment in sports history: MJ jumper on Utah for the W
4. Toughest guy to guard in the Metro League: Mike Smit
5. Favourite Olympic Winter sport: Mens Hockey
6. Would you rather take a charge from: Shaq, Karl Malone or Dwight Howard? Yikes! I don’t want to take a charge from any of them. Karl is cheap as hell, Shaq is just enormous and could possible kill you if he fell on you. I would say Dwight is the best of the worst choices.
7. NHL All-Star starting line-up: fair or foul? FAIR!!!!
8. Best stat: 10 steals, 20 rebounds, or 4 blocks? 20 boards. No doubt you

A true renaissance man, Keith is a fierce rebounder (with serious hops), a musician and an artist. Learning about the variety and multitude of Keith’s endeavours kinda makes you wonder what you’ve done with your spare time? In his own words, Keith succinctly tells us about his life outside of bball:

“Aside from my day to day graphic design thing, I am working on developing a freelance illustration deal (www.fineweber.com) – my dream job is actually political cartoonist – Brian Gable from the Globe and Mail is my hero.

My other big passion is my band Warless (www.warlessmusic.com). We play shows in and around Vancouver, pretty much strictly playing fundraisers for various causes, or just donating our profits to charity. Playing with Warless allows me to bring together two passions of mine: helping people and playing music. In the year we’ve been together, we’ve played events that have raised anywhere from $75 to $80,000.”

Keith’s appreciation for the deeper meaning in all that he does also translates back onto the court. To him, mastering the fundamentals isn’t just about going through the motions, but really understanding why and how learning proper techniques will make you a better player. Gaining inspiration from former UBC TBird Barry Bevilaqua’s passion and commitment to the game, Keith has a serious respect for the sacrifices of a dedicated coach. Maybe that’s part of what drives Keith to attempt to do so much . . . finding great joy in effort, especially when you have the best of intentions.

Keep your eye out for Keith (and not just when he’s outleaping you for an offensive board), as he has an uncanny way of ending up as the “poster boy” for great events (www.kayakforacure.ca). I have a sneaking suspicion that Keith is exactly the guy who should be running the last leg of the Torch Relay for the Olympics. Writing about him, has actually brought Olympic Charter to mind:

“Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”

Olympic Charter, Fundamental principles, paragraph 2

Quick & Dirty with Keith

1. Most exciting person in pro sports today: Kobe. The Mamba.
2. Sport that requires the most athletic talent: I I think it’s called Takraw? It’s like Southeast Asian foot volleyball. Insanity…
3. Your guiltiest pleasure: That’s what she said
4. Favourite moment in sports history: Sitting in a bar in Halifax watching Phil Mickelson win the masters (yup, golf). I was just so happy to see that guy finally win.
5. Toughest guy to guard in the Metro League: Sherlan the man. Not the deadliest scorer, but he plays HARD. And yells a lot.
6. Best stat: 10 steals, 20 rebounds, or 4 blocks? 20 boards. That’s a man’s stat – and also the main reason I also play in a co-ed league.
7. Favourite Olympic Winter sport: Skeleton. I can’t believe those luge b!tches go feet first.*

*Author retraction: Okay, maybe Keith won’t be the poster boy for the Winter Olympics . . .

Pre-Game Ritual

Picking Mike’s brain for this profile was a riot – seriously, I don’t know if his humour ever makes its way into trash talk on the court, but consider yourself forewarned.   If it does, you can always get back at him by disrupting his very scientific approach to game prep: “ Pre-game is possibly the most important part of the Vancouver Metro League.  I get there 17 minutes before the game time.  Not 16. Not 18.  I punch it out with my teammates in a very precise order. Then I change.  Remove toque, then jogging pants, then sweater.  Any other sequence spells sure disaster.”

Rewinding a bit, Mike developed an early love for the game and was hooked the first day he nailed consecutive long bombs on his older brother and his pals. Mike continued to learn the game from veteran Fulton coach Bob Shannon and vividly recalls Gonzaga summer camps where he learned a crucial lesson from Dan Monson: “Put the brown thang in the round thang”.  Oh and just for the record . . . the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.  You are welcome.

Mike brings his love of the game into his career, pouring his admiration of MJ into developing marketing campaigns for Nike and the Jordan brand.  Is there really anyone who doesn’t “want to be like Mike”??  Smit is now venturing further into the digital media world and has a real passion for the compelling stories and experiences within sport – like his studio’s recent work on a new TV series, “Carmelo’s Way”, which documents Carmelo Anthony’s off-season life (only available in the US right now).  Obviously keeping a busy schedule, Mike finds himself  ”trying to juggle work, travel, home and athletics all the while, slowing down the effects of getting repeatedly smacked in the face by Father Time.” 

So how does he keep going?  Mike finds his inspiration in the words of Warren Sapp: “Every morning in Africa the lion wakes up knowing he has to outrun the swiftest gazelle or he will starve to death.  Every morning the gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the swiftest lion or he will perish.  Moral of the story . . . the sun comes up, your ass better be running.” 

Quick & Dirty with Mike Smit