Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Bret Van Valkenburg, Turner Basketball

Bret Van Valkenburg relishes his role, and his time as a Tornado

There is something unique about playing basketball for the Turner Tornadoes. Many people who live in the town or have played for the team, describe it as a family atmosphere and no one knows what that's like better than Bret Van Valkenburg.

And while many of the players for the Tornadoes describe the team as a family, in the case of Van Valkenburg, basketball truly is a family affair. That's because Kevin Van Valkenburg, who played for the Tornadoes during the glory years of the early 1990s is the head coach of the team. He also happens to be Bret's father.

"It's a little different," Bret Van Valkenburg said of having his father be his coach, "It can be a little hard sometimes, but I enjoy it. When we go home, we still talk basketball but we can still keep it apart."

Like most players that grow up in Turner, Bret Van Valkenburg has been waiting his whole life to play basketball for the Tornadoes. And according to the senior, basketball has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember.

Of course, Van Valkenburg spent a lot of time around the team because his dad was the head coach of the team previously, but more than that, the game of basketball was just engrained into him. Whether it was playing with the other little kids at halftime of varsity games or shooting around outside with family, basketball was life.

For the past four seasons, Van Valkenburg, who first played varsity as an eighth-grader, has been a key part of the Tornadoes attack and after the graduation of Lucas Reed and other key players on the team last season, there was a big void in leadership and it was up to Van Valkenburg to help fill it.

And so far things have gone fairly well for the senior and the Tornadoes. Overall, their record isn't scintillating as the Tornadoes are 2-10 on the season overall and 1-8 in District 9C play. Yet, the team has been highly competitive in most of its games this season, with the exception of a few and Van Valkenburg himself has become one of the most reliable scorers in the league.

Van Valkenburg has had a number of stellar games this season for the Tornadoes and he is one of the reasons why Turner is optimistic that this will finally be the year that they break through and win a game at the 9C tournament. Something that hasn't happened for quite some time now.

Yet, there is still more than a month of basketball left to play before that happens, which also means Turner has time to play itself into a higher seed, which could help put an end to the tournament drought.

Van Valkenburg and the Tornadoes will continue their quest this week with a nondistrict game against Dodson, before paying a visit to Chester to take on Chester/J-I, which is currently tied for first. But before the Tornadoes hit the floor once again, the Havre Daily News caught up with Van Valkenburg for five questions.

HDN: How have you responded to having to take a bigger role on the team, not only on the floor but as a leader as well?

Van Valkenburg: "I try to keep the team together. I try not to let them get down on themselves or mad at the refs or at teammates. I just try to keep everyone together so we can keep playing as a team and as a family."

HDN: Do you have a favorite pro or college player?

Van Valkenburg: "I like Steph Curry. He is fun to watch. I like how he is always so calm and cool and how he can dribble the ball so easy and doesn't have to worry about it getting taken away."

HDN: What is your favorite thing about playing basketball?

Van Valkenburg: "Just playing with my teammates. I really like passing them the ball and helping them score. It's not all about you when you are playing. It's about your teammates and I really enjoy that part of it."

HDN: What has been your best memory as a Tornado?

Van Valkenburg: "Probably just how close everybody is and how much fun we have playing together. Even if we lose, we still have fun. It's not about the scoreboard, it's about how much heart you have and how much fun you have playing."

HDN: I know you guys have a goal of winning a game at the 9C tournament, if you could achieve that, what would it mean to you and your teammates?

Van Valkenburg: "It hasn't been in our history to win a lot. So it would mean a lot to us. Since I have been playing, I started in eighth grade, we have not won a game at the tournament, so it would be a great way to send out my career."