Basketball Academy

Despite pandemic, Northern Bounce has grown

Mar 17, 2021 | 6:09 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “Things change really quick, so when COVID first hit, all the plans and paperwork we needed to do in order to get up and running was quite extensive,” said Jordan Yu, Founder of the Northern Bounce Basketball Academy.

But working to meet all of the guidelines and restrictions in place by viaSport wasn’t even the biggest hurdle according to Yu, it was how he and the coaches actually run the practices.

“Creating new stations, new drills, so kids aren’t bored with the sport and able to get better still. That’s been the toughest part, is keeping kids motivated and into it,” said Yu. “Our program has grown actually since COVID. It’s crazy to us, we never thought that would happen. We thought we would lose a lot of players, lose interest.”

It’s brought forth an opportunity for the coaches as well to essentially reimagine the game of basketball and how they go about their sessions.

“A lot of the coaches have had to get really creative with what they’re doing,” said Yu. “It’s changed things in many ways.”

Being a high school coach himself, Yu believes that growth with his program has stemmed from high school sports still not being able to operate.

“There are some high schools that provided some opportunities to train, and that’s so great for the kids. But I think with club and the high school system, we’re able to do things a little bit differently, and obviously with this private space (at the PG Dome).”

Yu says he believes through the boys and girls’ programming, as well as the efforts by his fellow coaches, they’ve been able to show the athletes the light at the end of the tunnel.

“This is a moment in time, it’s tough, but it’s these times that really define who you are as a person. If you can get through these moments you can really build and grow towards something greater. I always think the tough times make you stronger and I think that’s what these kids are going through. To be able to inspire them and help them through the process, and see them battle through this year, I think it’s going to go a long way in their actual careers.”