Feature Article July 29, 2004
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Emma Cronk plays basketball for Ontarioby Jule Brison
Emma MacKenzie Cronk is turning 16 today, but the Sydenham High School student wont be celebrating at her Parham home, as she is training with the provincial junior womens basketball team, Team Ontario, in preparation for a tournament in the States.
Emma is the daughter of Lynn & Leslie Cronk of Eastern Cowboy Horseback Adventures, and has been playing basketball at Sydenham High in Grades 9 & 10.
Emma played for two years with the Lennox & Addington Guardsmen #1 out of Napanee; there she was coached by Bill Gibson, who has really been her only coach, according to her mother Leslie.
Emma was then picked to be a member of the Junior Development Team (East Ontario), which competed in Toronto in late June at Juvenile Development Camp, sponsored by Nike. At the camp, scouts from Basketball Ontario spotted her, which wasnt very difficult because she stands over 63 tall, and she was chosen to be a member of the provincial team, which is made up of the best players from all the teams that competed.
Competition to get on the team is indeed tough; even after being chosen in the first pick, four players were later cut. Emma passed the second round, and is very excited to be a part of the team, of which she is the youngest member.
Team Ontario started training in Brantford on July 7, and shortly afterwards travelled to compete in a tournament at Penn State University.
Basketball is a different game in the States, said Leslie Cronk. Its very aggressive. Within the first few minutes of the opening game, the American team was up 8 points. Our team realized immediately that they had to change tactics. Team Ontario adjusted well and won two out of the six games.
Back to Brantford, they have continued to practice for their next tournament and will be leaving tomorrow to play at Fordham University in the Bronx.
The last tournament of the season will be in Toronto at the end of July, and after her return home, Emma will start training again for Sydenham Highs season.
Emma has worked hard to achieve so much, and she intends to continue to get even better. Next year, she will get a chance to try out again at the Juvenile Development Camp, when the provincial team that will compete at the Canada Summer Games will be chosen. Some of the players on the present team will be over 17 and too old to compete, so Emmas youth this year means that next summer could be even more exciting for her.
