Ear-piercing screams ignited the Vancouver Bandits’ crowd as 4,500 students from Langley, Surrey, and Abbotsford schools filled the Langley Events Centre in the first School Day special game June 6.

Tip off took place at 11 a.m. instead of the traditional evening times, and provided the kids an exciting game as Head Coach Kyle Julius led the Bandits in an exciting near comeback against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, which resulted in a 103-106 loss.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Kyle Julius says that this is the atmosphere that the organization is wanting to grow, that this crowd brings in “a different kind of loud.”

“I know that's a different kind of loud. I've actually coached in two of those before, so I think it's important. I think it's highly important. I'm proud of the organization for doing that,” Julius said.

“This is where you build generational fans. Kids come out, they talk about their parents. Then eventually they bring their kids and their kids, and this is how it starts. So another great thing. Community initiative and I think it's amazing. It's, I don't know how you quantify it, but there'll be a lot of kids in here that pick up a basketball after that game tomorrow, and that's pretty special.”

Matt Born, a teacher at Abbotsford Middle School, only has positives to say about the experience of school day games.

“What an incredible opportunity for young people to be out of school in June to be part of this culture, the sports culture of the Fraser Valley,” Born comments. “Just a great opportunity for kids, putting grade six, seven, and eight kids together is amazing in itself in British Columbia, but when we put them in a stadium with some good entertainment, it's a blast. The kids really pump it up and it's an outlet for them.”

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