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The Calgary Surge will look to do more on and off the CEBL court in 2024

Tuesday's Surge 2 The Dome season opener kicks off Calgary's CEBL club's more ambitious second season.

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If you were the Calgary Surge, what would you do to overcome?

This year's championship would be a step up, especially since the city's professional basketball team came so close to winning last summer, losing to the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the final.

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But… really… the club has had such a phenomenal debut year – both on and off the court – that the standard has been set very high.

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“Sometimes I look at my finger and I see the ring just steaming off — maybe that would have made the first year better,” said Jason Ribeiro, vice chairman and president of Surge. “But no… Year 1 exceeded our expectations.

“We pinch ourselves over and over again and say, 'This is pretty cool what we've been able to pull together.'”

Year 2 starts with a bang on Tuesday – maybe another pinch hit.

It's the long-awaited Surge 2 The Dome, Calgary's Canadian Elite Basketball League's season opener at the Scotiabank Saddledome (7 p.m., TSN3).

That means a nationally televised Alberta battle against the Edmonton Stingers at the city's famous sports arena, not the Surge's usual basketball home.

The gala is part of the “2nd year means more” mantra that Ribeiro and co-founder Usman Tahir Jutt are bringing to the YYC Roundabout scene.

“I think it's more than anything,” Ribeiro said of how to build on the franchise's first year in Calgary. “I think last year's success met our initial expectations, and we can't come a few baskets short of the championship and say, 'Let's tear it up and come up with something new.'

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“It's really about doubling down and sticking to the values ​​of the story of why we did it in the first place.”

In addition, Ribeiro has features.

This Surge has come out in the offseason to talk to fans so they can better understand what the community wants from them.

“The Calgary Surge is on a mission to represent, entertain and unite the city through the power of basketball and the arts – and this year is different,” said Ribeiro. “You could slice it last year, but now it's carved.

Calgary Surge Jason Ribeiro, players Rugzi Miller-Moore, Corey Davis Jr. and Calgary coach Tyrell Vernon
(L-R) Calgary Surge's Jason Ribeiro, players Rugzi Miller-Moore, Corey Davis Jr. and coach Tyrell Vernon Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Calgary. The team will play its first game on May 21. Jim Wells/Postmedia Jim Wells/Postmedia

“I think that's going to be a very clear strength for us this season.”

Surge wishes it could partner more with charities throughout the year.

They want more basketball camps in 2024.

They intend to approach post-secondary institutions within the calendar year.

And the team wants to attract more kids to the games, like the thousands who came to WinSport last summer, through ongoing programs and partnerships with city organizations.

Last Wednesday's Get Well Initiative, the club's partnership with the Calgary Board of Education, brought Grade 7 and 8 students from across the city to WinSport for an intramural team game as part of a training camp.

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“We want to have more kids in the stands through our programs,” Ribeiro said. “And we want more praise on the court – it's a high bar after last year, but we're not satisfied.

“And we want more entertainment and more audience sharing — that's why we're making this game in the Dome.”

And they'll do it in the Dome with their players in Calgary 88 jerseys.

Remember the professional team from 1988-92 that played in the unique World Basketball League?

Surge does.

“After the storybook Year 1, how do we show respect and how do we respect that we stand on a lot of shoulders,” Ribeiro said. “Although the 88's lifespan was short and a little difficult in terms of height requirements, the growth of the game has just exploded in terms of reliability and the impact it has on communities across Canada, so there's room for conversation here. there was basketball here.

“If we can take a little time to honor that legacy, we will. So we're looking forward to that.”

There's more coming to the Dome on Tuesday night.

“Keep your eyes open on Tuesday,” Ribeiro continued. “I think that for this small organization, which did not exist a year and a half ago, we will turn heads with thousands of people. It's not just a number, it's her makeup. Maybe it's people who don't go to the dome that often, or maybe they're rediscovering our old facility, and it's the tide that makes them go.

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“And then I think you're going to see thousands and thousands of kids, growing up in the wings of the CEBL at the season opener, the national team doing their thing – getting their first experience with basketball. to the generous support of donors.

“I think we're going to put on a great show live on TSN that not only shows who we are as the Surge, but also what Calgary is to the rest of the country.”

So the bottom line for the Surge?

In the past year, the things that have made them successful have become more and more common.

A good idea, it might seem.

After all, they have a solid foundation to build on.

“I think what made us punch above our weight was that we were laser-focused,” added Ribeiro. “We have a laser focus on community values. We've been laser-focused on our brand and doing something different with clothing and art. And we really wanted to win.

“Calgary deserves a winning team. While we can't guarantee that — and I hope we can — I can guarantee that every decision is made with a win-win for this great city in mind.”

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