It’s no secret around Prince George minor basketball courts that Cadence Hooft is a leader and role model who sets the bar high in whatever she tackles.
Now, at 14, she’s getting her opportunity to show the rest of the province the qualities that have made her an exceptional athlete.
Hooft is in Maple Ridge as captain of the Cariboo-Northeast Zone 8 girls team that’s trying to bring back a medal from the B.C. Summer Games.
The eight-team tournament starts Friday and even before the opening tip-off Hooft already had one win under her belt. She’s one of 16 athletes selected out of a list of 230 candidates for a B.C. Games Society leadership bursary worth $1,000.
Sponsored by Canadian Tire, the award highlights achievement in academics and sport by going above and beyond while participating in leadership and volunteer activities.
“That was pretty exciting, it felt pretty special to get that,” said Hooft. “I’ll use (the money) for whatever basketball I’ll do next, like City League, and I’d like to donate some.”
Hooft is a top student who excelled in basketball in her Grade 8 year at Cedars Christian School, playing with and against girls two years her senior. She also helped the Eagles volleyball team with the Grade 8 district championship.
“I’ve coached her the last three years on my Cedars basketball team and she was awarded the MVP of the junior team, as a Grade 8, and she was a first-team all-star in zones for junior basketball this past season,” said Mike Davis, co-coach of the Zone 8 team with Loralyn Murdoch.
“She’s an extremely hard worker both on and off the court and she‘s a great leader in her community, certainly somebody that’s always willing to help, whether that’s at the end of practice collecting equipment," he said. "For all these girls it’s more than basketball, it’s about preparing them to be leaders and great people in the community and she’s certainly an example of that.”
Hooft has been playing basketball for five years and has been the most valuable player in her league the past three. Davis has watched Hooft’s basketball skills develop to the point where she’s now one of the region’s top players.
The Eagles, with seven Grade 8 players, finished third in the North Central zone playoffs and came within six points of advancing to the junior provincial championship.
The five-foot-10 Hooft also plays for the Northern Bounce club basketball U-14 girls, which makes up the bulk of the Summer Games team roster. That team finished second in Silver Division the Western Canadian club championship at the end of June, losing to a Vancouver team in the final. Northern Bounce will be traveling to Langley for the nationals July 26-29.
Cariboo-Northeast plays its opening game Friday morning against Thompson-Okanagan. Hooft knows the Fraser Valley team they will face later Friday will be especially tough to beat this weekend and she looks forward to having another crack at the Vancouver girls who won the Western Canadian title. The Zone 8 team has five games guaranteed - three to determine their ranking and two to determine final placings.
“I’m just looking forward to hanging out with my team and the opportunity to play,” Hooft said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do but we’re going to put in a lot of effort and work our butts off.
‘I’m hoping more that we’ll be recognized for our sportsmanship and hard work, more than anything. We’re really good at staying positive even when we’re going through a hard game.”
The Summer Games sports are: 3x3 Basketball, artistic swimming, athletics, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, box lacrosse, canoe/kayak, equestrian, field lacrosse, golf, rowing, rugby (girls), sailing, soccer, softball (girls), swimming, towed water sports, triathlon, ultimate, volleyball and wrestling.
Competition at the Games continues through Sunday.
The opening ceremony for the 2,400 athletes was set to start Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m.
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