The community of Bezanson may be small but we are full of hometown spirit and pride. Bezanson is the home of the bulldogs where students wear white and green with pride. Bezanson school is full of athletes that take what they learn as a bulldog and go on to high school and college sports. One of Bezanson’s own, is back wearing a green uniform, not as a bulldog, but as a Lakeland Rustler.
“ I loved growing up in Bezanson, because it made everyone a lot closer and to this day most of us are still really great friends.”
Ally Pilgrim grew up in Bezanson and was apart of the Bezanson Bulldogs basketball team. “ It was a great starting point because I was able to get the experience before I got to a bigger school,” recalls Pilgrim. Ally’s past teams have been Peace Country Thunder, Northern Energy Basketball, Swoosh Canada, Peace Wapiti Titans, and currently the Lakeland Rustlers.
Her achievements to date: Female Athlete of the year at Bezanson (grade 8), Female Basketball player of the year at Peace Wapiti Academy (grade 11 and 12), Individual Sportsmanship award, participated in the GPRC all star game ( grade 10-12) as well as the shooting stars showcase. Ally’s leadership skills rewarded her with becoming the captain of the Peace Wapiti Titans in grade 11 and 12 and also was the captain of Northern Energy Basketball in 2016.
When asked about her future, Ally expresses that her future goal is to either play CIS basketball (university) or just finish schooling after a couple years of college. “I love the team I play for right now, so I will be here for a couple more years, my plans may change in the years to come.” To Ally, her favorite part of Basketball is not only playing, but also the feeling of the competition when they are about to play. “ I love that I can always improve and I love getting on the floor a doing what I know as well as working as hard as I can for my team.”
Sports are what can bond a small town together. To all those individuals who would like to pursue a career in basketball, Ally’s advice is, “ push through, even in the toughest times and keep working as hard as you can. Even when you think you are at your breaking point, whether you are tired or stressed out or whatever your predicament is, pushing through will make you better. Another thing is to just enjoy it. Even when you get to the competitive levels there are still ways to enjoy the game! My last piece of advice is to put yourself out there, especially if you are from a smaller town. Go to camps and talk to coaches. Send emails to college coaches and let them know you are interested in playing. This will help when you want to start playing college and university ball. It’s also never too early, if you are in high school and want to send a coach a message about playing, go for it! They can then help you get better and watch you as you get older.”
Bezanson may be small but it is full of talents, and in the words of Ally Pilgrim, ” I think that Bezanson was the best place that I can think of to grow up in.”