Portage la Prairie’s Kinley Cleaver is trading local courts for the national stage.
The 12-year-old Grade 7 student jets off to Langley, BC, this July 25-28, representing Winnipeg’s Attack Academy Basketball at the highly anticipated national championships. Kinley, balancing basketball with fastball, confirms hoops hold her heart as she prepares for her biggest competition yet.
"I'm definitely feeling nervous," Kinley admits candidly about the upcoming nationals. "But I'll have my team and my coaches there to support everybody, and I hope we do good."
Her basketball journey, though relatively recent, is fueled by early exposure and rapid progress. Starting formally in Grade 6 for her school team after attending camps run by her mom, Jemal Cleaver, Kinley has quickly ascended.
"I did really well in school and now I'm playing for Winnipeg," she states. Her excitement for Langley centres squarely on her teammates. "I would say I'm most excited to finish off my team and like finish the season with my teammates because they're like my best friends... I'm excited to play for them again."
Passion fueled by support
Despite the excitement, facing national competition brings understandable nerves.
"I'm definitely nervous about playing other teams that we haven't played before from all around Canada," Kinley shares, but adds that she hopes for strong competition, "I hope we beat them, but still have good competition instead of just, like blowing teams out by a lot."
Her passion for the game shines through, deeply rooted in family encouragement. "I would say my parents and my family in general have been really supportive about my athletic career as a basketball player," Kinley says, "and that just makes me 1000 times happier as an athlete."
She also credits local trainer Seth Puddicombe: "He does camps and personal training for Be the Best Basketball, and I would just like to put them out there because he has trained with me and helped me grow as an athlete."
A proud dad in the stands
Watching his daughter reach this level fills Spencer Cleaver with immense pride.
"Yeah, very proud," he affirms. "She's done really well this year and put a lot of time and effort into her training. She's a great kid and has fun doing it, so we enjoy watching her have fun."
The commitment involves significant travel from Portage to Winnipeg for Attack Academy, a sacrifice Spencer and Jemal gladly make.
Like his daughter, Spencer feels some nerves about the scale of the nationals.
"Yeah, it's a little nerve-wracking. I'm sure it's intimidating for the girls," he acknowledges.
However, confidence stems from the team’s performance, as he notes, "They played really well over the season, and they did really well at club provincials in Winnipeg. So I think they're up for it."
He emphasizes the joy of watching Kinley thrive: "It’s really impressive for us to watch her and watch her improve and have fun and have fun with their teammates, that really makes us pretty happy."
Looking down the court
As Kinley eyes the transition to high school basketball, her aspirations are growing. "I would say in the future, my basketball career, I hope, will be good. I hope to play for my mom and JV and Varsity," she states, adding, "I hope that I can play at Winnipeg University, and maybe have more opportunities as an athlete."
Her parents’ support, meanwhile, remains unwavering. "As long as she keeps loving it and is passionate about it," Spencer says, "then yeah, we will support her as far as she wants to take it."
Kinley Cleaver and her Attack Academy teammates tip off their national quest in Langley on July 25th, carrying Portage pride and big dreams onto the court.