The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 20, 2014 | 32 Bantam Venom recognized for giving back U13 basketball players hope to win day with Toronto Raptors Members of the Oakville Venom under-13 bantam boys' basketball team were already giving back to their community. Now they have a chance to be rewarded for it, beyond the satisfaction and improved self esteem that comes from helping others. The Venom is one of nearly 80 youth basketball teams from the Toronto area who earned a spot in the Ford Drills and Skills contest because of their community involvement. Five teams from each of the novice (ages 7-8), major atom (9-10) and bantam (11-12) age divisions will win a one-day drills and skills session with the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Winners of the contest will be determined by the number of votes each team receives on the contest's website (bit.ly/1eNqM2i). "(The Venom players) were already doing a few things in the community," said Venom head coach Toney McNeil, the director of Oakville Basketball Club. "So they said, `Let's just apply for this.' The excitement to see the Raptors on the court? That's what's motivating them. They love the game, and most of them love the Raptors too. To be on the ACC floor and be next to some of these legends of the game, that's a big, big thing." Members of the bantam Venom will assist in all aspects of the OBC's Ultimate Assist Fundraiser this Saturday (Feb. 22), when the club will raise money to aid members who otherwise might not have been able to afford to participate. Tickets for the event cost $10 and can be purchased at the club directly. The evening will feature a DJ, drinks, a community raffle and a variety of games for children, and is open to the public. Bantam Venom players are also volunteering at the Oakville Fareshare Food Bank this month and have begun to arrange an Easter food drive. This is in addition to the volunteer mentorships they have with some of the younger players in the OBC microballers system. "This is something new. Typically, it's been for 16-year-old players in the past, guys in Grades 10, 11, 12," McNeil said of the bantam Venom's assistance with the seven- and eight-year-old microballers. "I only got the idea because these players are already in the gym all day after school." Members of the Venom, competing in its first season of rep, are Faysal Munshi, Max Campanelli, Nicholas Walker, Gobind Kandola, Daniel Deletsu, Tyler Hartman, Mandeep Ari, Amar Lal, Jeremy Wu, Joshua Cheng, Quel Noel, Mustafa Nauman and Jarrett Wright. Alana Issa manages the team. -- Jon Kuiperij The Oakville Venom under-13 bantam boys' basketball team is one of nearly 80 youth basketball teams from the Toronto area to be awarded a spot in the Ford Drills and Skills Contest. The Venom was selected because of its community involvement. Keeper commits to Saint Peter's Holy Trinity high school student Taylor McLean has accepted a soccer scholarship from Saint Peter's University, an NCAA Division 1 school located in Jersey City, N.J. McLean is currently a keeper for the Toronto Lady Lynx under-17 girls' team. Prior to joining the Lynx, she played for the Woodbridge Strikers. She has also played on Trinity's varsity team in each of her four years at the school, helping the Titans win an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations title in 2012. McLean, who has carried a 3.0 grade-point average throughout high school and will write her SAT reasoning test this spring, intends to pursue a degree in social sciences. The Peacocks compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference against 10 other schools from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. SPRING HOCKEY PROGRAMS Get ready for try-outs & next season! March Break Camps ­ March 10-14th Spring Hockey Academy ­ Begins April 15th 3 on 3 Youth Hockey League ­ Begins April 28th 2014 CANLAN ICE SPORTS OAKVILLE 905.845.6989 www.icesports.com/oakville Follow us @IceSportsOak