The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Latrel Hinzey has recently been added to the Haldimand Huskies Basketball Club coaching staff as an assistant coach. The Ontario team earned three division championships in the under-15 (U15), under-17 (U17), and under-19 (U19) categories of the Ontario Cup Provincial Championships this year.

With a successful basketball club welcoming him onboard, Hinzey is ready to take on his newest opportunity. “I am super excited to be a part of this club because it can open up many doors for young Bahamian athletes, they are three-time championship holders for three age divisions and the club is well organised and has all the equipment and facilities to make any player better,” he said.

His newest endeavour is especially favourable as the 26-year-old once had aspirations of becoming a professional National Basketball Association (NBA) player.

However, after the dream he had been chasing since the humble age of 13 did not pan out, he decided to pivot toward another path.

“In its place a new dream came into focus in what I like to call God’s plan. I have found my newest passion which is helping the next generation achieve this goal. I believe that our country has so much talent and the amount of Bahamian professional players should far exceed the current numbers,” he said.

Through his newest coaching journey, he has many goals to help Bahamian athletes that are in similar positions he encountered growing up.

Hinzey said his goals are to learn as much as he can on and off the floor, help Bahamians gain as many scholarship opportunities as possible, and to help athletes get noticed by university coaches. The RM Bailey Senior High School graduate shared that his ultimate goal is to simply give young men a chance.

“My ultimate goal is to take young men off the streets and this goal is more spiritual than physical and it requires a helping hand from everybody living in The Bahamas,” he said.

The Huskies are equally as excited to have the fellow Bahamian on their coaching staff.

In a social media post welcoming Hinzey to the Huskies basketball club, they praised his work ethic and enthusiasm.

“Latrel’s got great energy and enthusiasm that is always welcomed in the gym. [He] will push our athletes in practice as he learns the Huskies style of play and systems and we’ve added him as an assistant coach to all teams in order to allow him to help out where and when he’s needed,” according to the post.

The newest assistant coach is thankful to his mother and coaches who have helped him on this journey and credits discipline and guidance for where he is today.