Talk about a buzzer beater.
When Carrissa Reyes registered her then-seven-year-old son to play basketball through the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association in 2019, the team was in desperate need of a coach.
Reyes figured someone else would volunteer, but when no one did, and the convenor messaged parents to let them know the team would be disbanded unless they found a coach by the next day, Reyes stepped in.
Carrissa Reyes is a coach in the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association community league.
“I couldn’t in good conscience have my son and the other children not be able to play a sport they wanted to try,” she said.
Not only had Reyes never coached basketball before, she had never really played the sport, either. The lifelong soccer player availed herself of the resources and training the association offered and got to work.
“It was kind of a learning process for all,” the 36-year-old mother of three, who works as an administrative assistant, said. “I was learning, the kids were learning — we all learned together, which then caused us to grow together.”
There were 12 children on the team that year, and Reyes was the only coach. Her husband was working shifts, so she often ran practices and games with her youngest child, who was one at the time, in a baby carrier on her back. Her middle child, then four, watched from the bench.
At that age, the team is split into two groups, each playing at the same time on separate half courts.
“It was tough,” Reyes said. “I was in the middle of the two courts, going between the two to give the kids the direction that they needed. Typically, for that age group, three coaches is ideal.”
Today, all three of Reyes’ children play basketball. She continues to coach and has upped her commitment to the WMBA. She started volunteering as a convenor for the South Winnipeg Community Centre in 2021 and joined the association’s board of directors the next year.
She appreciates the opportunities to connect with people from her neighbourhood and spread awareness about the WMBA.
“I just love being involved in a sport that my kids are passionate about,” she says. “It’s just about getting the kids out there, having fun, enjoying a sport they might not have tried before.”
Reyes has two assistant coaches, but that doesn’t stop her from tapping shoulders and trying to get every parent involved at some point during the season. Her aim is to show them it’s an enjoyable experience with a minimal time commitment.
“Kids love to have their parents involved, so it just encourages parents to put themselves forward and help out in order for their kids to be able to play.”
Established in 1997, the WMBA supports more than 200 teams and offers six leagues, spanning all age groups.
The association is seeking volunteers to get involved as head coaches and assistant coaches for its fall/winter season. Duties include teaching basketball skills and concepts at team practices and games with the support of the area convenor, and communicating with team members.
For more information and to apply, visit wmba.ca, call 204-925-5774 or email [email protected].
Reyes especially encourages parents and grandparents to consider volunteering.
“If you’re there anyway, get involved and be part of something your kids enjoy,” she said.
If you know a special volunteer, email [email protected].
Aaron Epp
Reporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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