Toronto prep school holds basketball evaluation camp in Halifax

The TRC Academy held a recruitment eventfor youth12-16 years of age at the Community YMCA gym on Gottingen Street.

High level performance

TRC plays a very high level of basketball.Their boys and girls teams regularly play in some of the toughest school tournaments in North America.

The rosters at the school have players from several provinces and more than 50 young players turned out to try and impress Downey and other coaches.

'Excited but nervous'

Aaliyah Arab-Smith just turned 14 but she'll be going to school, and playing basketball, in Ontario this year.

She attended a combine eventin Ontario in April and that's when the TRC coaches knew she was a player they wanted on board with their program.

Hopes for scholarships

"You can tell she works hard every day and puts in her time in the gym and more importantly she puts time into her school work and is a straight A student," he said.

Being a good student is important when young teenagers like Arab-Smith are pulled from their family and normal lives and sent to live in another province to hone their basketball skills.

Father-daughter dedication

Her father played high school basketball in Cole Harbour but never had the opportunity to play college ball.

Aaliyah just finished Grade 8at Fairview Junior High School.She scored 41 points in her last game with the team as she led them to the Metro regional junior high championship.