Basketball key to staying out of trouble growing up
Sopear Chhin suits up for her final season of Bison women’s basketball
Vuthana Suon STAFF
career winds down. Photo by David Lipnowski.
Sopear Chhin credits basketball for helping her avoid the pitfalls of inner-city life.
Chhin grew up in the West and North Ends of Winnipeg, attending Gordon Bell high school before transferring to Sisler for her senior year. She feels an obligation to give back to her community and would like to help today’s youth strive for a successful future.
“Coming from the inner city, basketball has been a great part of my life and has allowed me to stay out of trouble,” said Chhin. “I’d like to work on different projects here and there to help out that part of the city as much as I can.”
Chhin, the fifth-year captain of the Bison women’s basketball team, hopes to improve on last year’s disappointing quarterfinal loss at the Canada West conference playoffs in her final year and to pass on the knowledge and experience she has obtained to her teammates.
“With the experience I bring to the table, I can show some of my younger teammates the ropes and help them grow as players,” she said.
Chhin uses her speed on defence to help establish an outside presence for the Bison attack, and she is always a threat from behind the arc. Last season, she finished 10th in the Canada West conference in three-point accuracy, at 11.1 points per game. Today, she’s averaging just under that total at 10.2.
Chhin will look back fondly on her time with the Bisons, crediting some of her personal growth to the skills she’s learned on the court as a player.
“In my first year, I came in shy and reserved and I was a pretty negative person, but being in basketball has helped me become more of a mature person,” she said.
Basketball has also given Chhin the opportunity to travel across Canada and visit Europe. Furthermore, her time on the junior provincial team has allowed her to showcase her skills at the Canada Games.
“What I’ll miss most when I’m done is the players; they’ve become sort of like a second family to me, and I’ll miss being able to go on trips that I might not have done otherwise,” she said. There’s more to life than basketball, though. Chhin has also been named to the Academic All-Canadian team the last three years. She is hoping to pursue a career in education.
Chhin was the first player recruited by Bison head coach Pam Danis, so there is a special bond that has developed over the past five years between player and coach. Danis has watched Chhin grow from a fresh-faced rookie just out of high school to a confident young woman.
“Throughout her five years here, I have challenged her to get out of her comfort zone, and though it may be difficult for her, it’s been amazing to witness the personal growth thus far,” said Danis.
“Sopear is so hard and demanding on herself that at times it can be her greatest downfall, but she’s done a really good job at channelling that energy in a positive way.”
Danis believes Chhin has been given the opportunity to be in a position of influence and to help give back to others.
“I see her being a great teacher, and she’s got a passion for working with minority groups,” said Danis. “She is such a great role model for everybody, and especially for young girls in the inner city.”
