Vancouver Bandits & I SPARC Host Basketball Camps in Bella Coola and Nuxalk First Nation

The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team, and the Bandits Community Foundation partnered with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) and Nuxalk First Nation to host a series of youth basketball clinics throughout the Bella Coola Valley earlier this month, marking the club’s first visit to the region.

Led by Bandits Team President Dylan Kular and Community Manager Pavan Kalair, nearly 200 local youth athletes participated in free-of-charge workshops and basketball camps, furthering the Bandits Community Foundation’s goal of bringing more basketball to more people across the province.

Beginning with a welcome ceremony from Nuxalk Nation community leaders and drummers, Bandits staff led PHE classes at Acwsalcta School, hosted skill development clinics at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School (SAMSS), and assisted community coaches with tryouts for Nuxalk Nation’s U13 and U17 teams participating at the 2027 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament, taking place in March.

"Bella Coola has one of the richest basketball traditions anywhere in this province, and you feel it the moment you walk into their gyms. The passion that Nuxalk Nation has for this game runs deep, and it gets passed down from generation to generation," said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. "What stood out to us all week was how basketball brings this community together. Elders, parents, coaches and kids were all in the same room, and that is what the game is supposed to look like. We are grateful to Nuxalk Nation for welcoming us, and to I∙SPARC for helping us get here. This is the first time we have made the trip to the Valley, but it certainly will not be the last."

“It was a pleasure to host the Bandits in Bella Coola; we are super grateful for the Bandits and I∙SPARC for their partnership and making the trip to experience the passion and love that Nuxalk Nation has for basketball,” said Nuxalk Nation youth coordinator Cole Sankey. “As a coach, it was a great opportunity to bring high-level basketball minds to our community and show our youth a little bit of what professional players go through. Dylan and Pavan brought great energy to our workshops at Acwsalcta, SAMSS and Nuxalk Hall, and they emphasized in each session that the best players master the basic details every day. Stutwiniititsxw Vancouver Bandits and I∙SPARC!”

The camps were part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits. Established in 2023, ongoing and past projects through the Collective include camps and clinics for Indigenous youth and coaches, building new basketball courts in Indigenous communities, and hosting the 2026 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament.