Blazing a trail

Page 7

An Aboriginal youth inline hockey team from Alberta is about to make a bit of history.

The Alexander First Nation Braves will compete in the World Inline Cup, scheduled for July 5 to 11 in London, Ont.

The Braves, who will take part in the boys' under-12 category, are the first Aboriginal squad to take part in the six-year history of the tournament.

The Alexander First Nation, located northwest of Edmonton, did not even have an inline team last season. But Braves' coach Jerome (Max) Yellowdirt said one of his colleagues attended last year's tournament in Spruce Grove, Alta, and, after witnessing some of the action, felt a local First Nations club could fare well.

"He felt we had some kids that could compete at this level," Yellowdirt said.

The Braves are currently competing in the Alberta Northern Stars Inline Hockey League. They struggled early on, but the team has been on a lengthy winning stretch since early May when Yellowdirt took over the club coaching duties.

The Braves posted an 11-0-1 mark during the first 12 games that Yellowdirt was behind the bench.

"All play ice hockey during the winter," Yellowdirt said of his roster, which features 13 players. "Some are not good at roller hockey. But they give it 100 per cent."

The Braves players are pretty excited they will have the opportunity to challenge for a world title in their first year of existence.

"They're just ecstatic about it," Yellowdirt said. "They're doing everything to prepare for it, physically and mentally."

Regardless of how they fare at the tournament, Jerome Yellowdirt believes his charges will take with them some long-lasting memories.

"For these kids to play in a world championship, this is probably something they'll be able to share with their grandchildren some day," he said.

The under-12 grouping at the World Inline Cup will feature at least 11 entries. Ontario will have four squads taking part. There will also be another team from Alberta, one from Prince George, B.C., and clubs representing the United States, Great Britain, Australia and Chinese Taipei.

Yellowdirt is unsure of just how good the calibre of play will be at the tournament. After playing round-robin contests, all squads will be reseeded into either A, B or C categories.

"I think we'll do well in one of them," Yellowdirt said. "And we're optimistic about doing well."

Yellowdirt is also hoping his side is a bit of a pioneer. He said he would love to see other First Nations teams in future World Inline Cup tournaments.

So too would Dave Easter, the president and CEO of Canada Inline, the governing body for the sport in the country.

"We're very pleased about (the Braves taking part in the tournament)," Easter said. "We hope it kind of opens up doors for all kinds of other groups in the future."