A girls basketball program in Yarmouth has grown significantly.
The Yarmouth KIA Comets started with one team three years ago, and sent three teams to provincials recently.
The Bantam team made it to the semifinals and came within eight points of the championship game.
At the Junior Mini-Jamboree where score is not kept, the girls played hard, and at the Mini Provincial tournament the Comets were four points shy of a championship appearance.
Program Coordinator Andrew Hiltz says he noticed that more and more girls were dropping out of basketball.
He then started the after school program insured through Basketball Nova Scotia.
“Since then, we’ve had more and more girls coming out. The after school program has grown to 60 plus girls, and the rep program has gone from 12 to 37 girls playing competitively at provincials.”
The teams are made up of students from Meadowfields and Maple Grove.
Hiltz says the support of Yarmouth KIA has been amazing, and he hopes to continue growing the game in Yarmouth.
“I love to see the kids that are playing play. It’s bitter sweet because it has grown beyond what I can do. Some girls are not able to go to provincials because I don’t have enough spots, and I don’t have enough time to take on a fourth or fifth team.”
He says if any volunteers are interested in helping out next year, they are more than welcome to participate.