Where Are They Now? Wilson Middle School Boys Basketball Team 2011-2012
This update is part of a series called 'Where Are They Now' following up on past Lethbridge Sport Council Achievement Award recipients. We were able to catch up with 8 of the players from Wilson Middle School Boy's Basketball team that was selected for the 2012 Servus Credit Union Outstanding Sport Citizen award.
In 2011-12 the Wilson Middle School boys Senior Basketball team was on the verge of an undefeated season but was defeated in the City Championship final. What happened next was a heartwarming display of a team rising through their defeat and would define the boys and their time on the team. The boys took it upon themselves to make their own championship pennant and present it to their coach, Brad Dersch. For their display of sportsmanship and maturity they were awarded the Servus Credit Union Outstanding Sport Citizen Award. Today while time and distance may have them far apart, the experience the team shared that season almost a decade ago continues to have a meaningful impact on their lives.
Tyler Toth is just putting the finishing touches on his Finance/Economics degree. On the sporting side of things he has turned his focus to the world of bodybuilding. Tyler has already competed in a couple shows and has serious aspirations of turning pro some day. While basketball and bodybuilding may seem to be two very different sports Tyler credits his early sporting career at Wilson Middle School for teaching him the value of hardwork and dedication:
“I feel this has been a keystone in my bodybuilding and having the dedication to eat 6-7 times a day and never miss a training or cardio session or meal.”. When it comes to picking a favorite memory from their 2011-12 season one moment stands out: “Best memory was after we lost that championship game and all just sat in that classroom and cried, felt like the end of the world then. But looking back it actually taught me a lot about how much the journey matters and not just the destination.”
- Tyler Toth
Ethan Chase is finishing up his final semester at the University of Lethbridge scheduled to graduate in April of 2021. Following graduation he plans to begin pursuing his CPA and already has a job lined up post-graduation in Calgary. When it comes to sports Ethan believes his exposure to sport throughout his middle and high school years had a major impact on the man he has grown up to be. He credits sport for teaching him: teamwork, discipline, hard work, and the ability to build on success and work through failure. To show how there’s much more to get out of sporting
Shawn Grandmont is attending Northwest Nazarene in Idaho. In his final year of his program he will soon be graduating with a combined degree in biology and athletic training and is considering pursuing a Masters degree in nutrition. The COVID-19 shutdown has extended his collegiate baseball career into its fifth year now. Entering his final season of baseball Shawn is hopeful that should he have a good season he will garner attention from professional scouts which will hopefully open the door to him being drafted or signed as a free agent. Whether or not he is able to go pro with his baseball career Shawn says he is grateful for everything it has brought him in life. Shawn is incredibly grateful for the role sport has played in his life thus far; from lifelong connections to learning the value of passion and hard work and, of course, the opportunity to live out his dream of getting his education paid for while playing the sport he loves. His favorite memory from the 2011-12 season comes from the Patrick Patterson tournament:
“I feel like that tournament was when we all realized how much of a brotherhood we had with each other and how well we could do that year. Still to this day a lot of us keep in contact and have a brother relationship. I’ll always cherish how much time we spent together. During sports and outside of sports, it was a time of life I’ll never forget.”
- Shawn Grandmont
Kyle Mitchell is attending the University of Calgary in the first year of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The biggest lesson Kyle learned through sport in his young life? Teamwork.
“The skill of being able to work successfully with others is something that must be practiced, and by playing sports it gave me the perfect opportunity to work on this aspect of my life. My teamwork skills are now invaluable and have a positive impact on many different areas of my day-to-day life.”
- Kyle Mitchell
Kyle’s favorite moments of the 2011-12 season were numerous:
“My favourite memory from that season would have to be anytime the team got to hang out together in between tournament games. Whether we were all getting food together, or just relaxing in the bleachers, it was always so much fun being around all the players and coaches!”
Parker Lambkin is working full time as a financial advisor and is building towards his CPF designation. A proud owner of his own home and two dogs, and he also has a long-term girlfriend of 8 years. Parker along with several of his teammates recognizes the important role sport played in teaching him dedication, hard work, and teamwork. He firmly believes that sport has had a huge impact on the man he is today, shaping him as a person and helping him build up connections. Aside from going (almost) undefeated season Parker most fondly recalls the culture of the team in both his teammates and the coaches.
Justin Herbison, now located in BC, is working at a civil engineering firm while pursuing his degree in engineering. He credits sport with helping him build many relationships, particularly with the members of the 2011-12 team, and also with teaching him to push past his limits. For Justin, there’s simply too many fond memories from the season to choose from. If forced to pick out a single one he says it would be the city championship game; the intensity of it, the pregame speech given by their coach, when they turned out the lights in the classroom pre game to get focused, and all of the support from the fans that showed up. “That game was really special and brought all of us closer together.”
Bari Ipaa is in his fifth year at the University of Lethbridge pursuing a combined degree in kinesiology and education. Currently finishing up his professional semester #2 he hopes to find his way into a classroom in the near future. Were it not for the COVID-19 restrictions Bari would normally be out volunteering or coaching in sport. When it comes to lessons learned from sport Bari believes it has served quite an important role during his formative years:
“Sports has taught me a great deal of values I still hold dear to me. Commitment, work ethic, how to cooperate and build friendships are among the many qualities I have learned from playing sports.”
Going even further he says, “My involvement in sports, as a player and coach is one of the few reasons I want to become a teacher. I love working with people and helping people grow in the ways that sports helped me grow.”
- Bari Ipaa
Bari most happily looks back on spending time with his teammates,
“I remember laughing lots and just having fun. I am grateful for the mentorship and friendship I received from my coach and teammates, and I am honored to still call them my friends.”
Last but not least, Brayden Klippenstein is currently attending the University of Lethbridge. In his fourth year of his undergraduate degree in psychology, he hopes that after he completes his degree he will go on to receive the further qualifications required to work in the field of Human Factors. Brayden is happy to report that his post-secondary education is going quite well, making an appearance on the Dean’s honor list for his most recent semester. Brayden is among the few members of the team that continues actively competing in sport as a thrower on the U of L Pronghorns track and field team. His throwing career has brought him self-described “mild” success; he has attended multiple outdoor national championships and in the winter of 2020 qualified for the USports national championships as one of the top 12 throwers in the country.
Sport has had a major impact on the man Brayden has grown to be. Dedication and willpower were learned at a young age playing basketball and have grown with him through his life and aid him in pursuing his goals,
“Be that my continued training in track and field at the university level or the long nights of studying, sport has allowed me to focus on what I want for my life and it has given me the capabilities to persevere through any hardships that may be in my way. I think beyond that it has given me an underrated skill of time management and the ability to balance my life. I have the ability to make and form strong relationships all the while being able to pursue both sport and education and I attribute that largely to my experience with track.”
- Brayden Klippenstein
Like his teammates Brayden also can’t pinpoint one single moment to highlight from the year but rather remembers best the atmosphere of the team,
“...a team that knew what they wanted and were all willing to work as hard as they could for it, and I’d like to think that’s what we did. When I think back on that year, that is what really sticks in my head.”
Posted March 6, 2021