Outreach Basketball Team
Made up of students from the outreach network, students work to form a cohesive unit who play in the Greater Montreal Athletic Association from late fall into the winter months. With great coaches, Colin Throness, Paul Berry, John Cummins, Geoff Saunders along with John Devlin, this year’s edition made it to the playoffs and we are very proud of their accomplishments. Check out our “win from within” Gatorade video as it gives a great overview of what the Alternative United Pit Bulls are all about.
Alternative United Pit Bulls
In 2013, four outreach network teachers, Paul Berry, John Commins, John Devlin and Colin Throness,
approached the GMAA about bringing the alternative schools together to form a basketball team. It was an
instant success, both
on and off the court, and the following year Gatorade approached the coaches about making a video as
part of their “Win From Within” series.
Since then Alternative United has continued to grow. In 2015, the team launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $3000. They used the money to launch a website http://www.alternativeunited.ca/ and a yearly creative writing contest that’s open to all outreach students.
In the following years, the coaches and other Outreach staff continued to build on Alternative United’s momentum, organizing fundraisers and often registering two basketball teams, as well as boys and girls futsal teams. In 2016, Alternative United launched “Voices”, a yearly creative writing contest and anthology open to all Outreach students. The contest was an instant success, bringing in over 70 writing submissions. In the following years, with the help of visual arts teacher Heather Hardie, the publication took on a new allure, with captivating cover art and a stunning visual arts section. The contest also now brings on yearly guest judges, allowing the students to meet and mingle with the likes of magician and literary scholar, Joseph Culpepper, and famous local writers such as Helen Chau Bradley and Heather O’Neill.
You can check out last year’s fiction publication online or if you would like to order a copy of the book, as well as Alternative United jerseys, t-shirts and hoodies, contact Alternative Unite via email at teamaltunited@gmail.com
Game Schedule 2022-2023
Click on the icon below to download the game schedule for this year.
Alternative United Team A Schedule Alternative United Team B ScheduleBasketball Photos
Click on the image below to open the gallery on Google Photos.
