LangleyAdvance
Here kitty, kitty pg A10
Your community newspaper since 1931
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Your source for breaking news, sports, and entertainment: www.langleyadvance.com
Audited circulation: 41,100 – 24 pages
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John Buis is tournament director with the B.C. TripleA high school boys basketball championships at the Langley Events Centre. The tournament runs March 15-19.
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High school basketball
LEC plays host to B.C.’s best
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Tournament director John Buis’s history with the event spans four decades, and he is looking forward to ushering in a new era at the LEC.
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Starting today, the Langley Events Centre will be the centre of B.C.’s high school basketball universe. From March 15 to 19, the top 20 Triple A senior boys teams in B.C. will gather at the LEC for what many consider to be the most prestigious annual hoops tourney in the province. The B.C. Triple-A high school boys basketball championships have arrived at the multi-sport facility in Willoughby, marking the first time in its 66-year history that the tournament will be held in the Fraser Valley. The tournament, which began in 1946 in New Westminster and has had its championship final day held exclusively in Vancouver since the early-1950s, has for most of the past three decades been staged at the PNE Agrodome. In 1996 and ’97, the tournament was staged at GM Place (now Rogers Arena) before shifting back to the Agrodome.
Now, and for the foreseeable “[In the past], some of the future, the tournament will call teams that lost two games in a the LEC home. row had to go home,” Buis said. Tournament director John Buis The events centre was just one likens the LEC to a “five-star the facilities considered, Buis hotel.” explained. He is very familiar with the “We were near the end of our LEC’s triple gymnasium, home contract with the Pacific National of his nephew Jacob Doerksen’s Exhibition so we started lookTrinity Western University ing for alternative sites,” Buis Spartans men’s squad. said. “We asked for proposals for “I’ve been out here quite a two places, from the PNE and few times,” he said. “I’ve taken Langley, and the Langley Events a great interest in this facility Centre was the better proposal.” while it was being built. I’m very Take the near-new playing impressed. The Trinity Western facilities out of the equation, and gymnasiums are equal to or betthe ample – and better yet, free ter than any university situation – parking at the LEC was also a in Canada.” huge plus in its bid to secure the In addition to the triple gym, tournament. 32 games, includ“I was here ing the final, will be when the “It creates bonds with Spartans had held inside the LEC’s Arena Bowl, which seniors night, your teammates that has a seating capand the [BCHL’s are lifelong.” acity of up to 5,500 Langley] Chiefs John Buis people. were playing as Basketball BC’s well,” he said. hardwood floor will “The lots were cover the Arena Bowl’s playing full, and the two could co-exist. surface over the course of the You could see it works.” five days. Moving the tournament from The championships tip off the PNE is a huge shift for most Tuesday with an eight-team elim- everyone involved – particularly ination bracket to see which four so for Buis, who holds a special teams round out what is affecaffection for the site, where he tionately known as the “Sweet played in two B.C. finals, in 1971 16.” and ’72, as a member of the Because of the facilities availNorth Delta Huskies. able, Buis said all 20 teams In front of close to 10,000 fans involved will play a minimum of at the Pacific Coliseum in 1971, four games. Buis and the Huskies edged
Vancouver College 43-38 to win the B.C. title. “It was called the golden era of high school basketball,” he said. “Everybody came to that tournament.” Having been involved as a player in the early ’70s, a games assistant in the mid-to-late ’70s, assistant director in the ’80s, and finally tournament director since 1992, Buis said the experience stays with you the rest of your life. “It creates bonds with your teammates that are lifelong,” said Buis, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the B.C. tournament victory with his teammates this year. He said the tournament is not only significant for the roughly 240 players involved, but equally so for the coaches, managers, 100 or so high school players taking part in the annual three-point shot contest, as many as 75 student-volunteers tasked with scoring, timekeeping and officiating, cheerleaders, and thousands of spectators. Through four decades of involvement, Buis has seen a lot of changes not only with the fashion, lingo, and hairstyles, but also the pace and style of play on the hard court. “Not only has the games changed – the kids are bigger, stronger, and faster – but the playing of the games have changed as well,” he said.