They can't wait for their turn to be Ponies

Everyone knows the old saying that Rome wasn't built in a day. Well, championship basketball teams aren't either. They are built with talent, but also with hard work, dedication and lots of time in the gym.

And when it comes to spending time in the gym, it would be hard to find a high school basketball program that spends more time in the gym than the Havre High girls, the two-time defending Class A state champions.

Led by head coach Dustin Kraske, the Blue Ponies have lost just one game (47-1) in the past two seasons and have racked up a number of accolades in the process. In addition to the two Class A titles, HHS also won an Eastern A Divisional championship and the Central A regular season crown twice.

Havre has also had a number of great players during its run the past two seasons, with numerous individuals earning All-State honors and college scholarships - players like Kyndall Keller, Marca Herron, Kaylee Nystrom, Danielle Wallace, Kadia Miller and many more. While those players had plenty of talent, basketball is a skill game and the development of that skill takes time. It also takes a lot of hours in the gym.

But after seeing the results Havre has produced in recent seasons, it's no surprise that players are flocking to the gym to take part in the Ponies' annual basketball camp this week.

The three-day camp, held at Sunnyside, offered instruction to players as young as second grade all the way through eighth. A lot of time is spent on fundamentals but players are also given a chance to play, too.

"We think it's good to have kids just play basketball," HHS assistant coach Hayley Donovan said. "Even if they are just in second grade and even if it's just two-on-two. That's just our philosophy."

That philosophy is clearly working and even though Blue Pony basketball camp is just a small part of the program's work in the offseason, it's another brick in the foundation, with 60 young players in attendance this week. One of those is 10-year-old Tahlyn Olson, who watched first hand as her older sister, Ryen Olson, helped the Ponies win the 2018 state championship.

"I am a big fan of the Ponies," Tahlyn Olson said. "My sister was on the team when they won a state championship."

Olson also said she enjoyed the way the Ponies play basketball.

"They use teamwork," Olson said. "And they play really well together."

Bergen Olsen is another camper who said she spends a lot of time playing basketball, not just in camps but also in school and on travel teams. And like Olson and the other dozens of youngsters participating, one of her goals is to one day play for the Ponies.

"Yes," Olsen said about wanting to play for the Blue Ponies. "That definitely motivates me."

Another thing that can bring inspiration to aspiring girls basketball players at the camp is the fact that some of the Pony players are helping Donovan run it. That gives them a chance to pass on their knowledge to a younger generation, which makes becoming a Blue Pony girls basketball down the road even more appealing.

"It's been a really great week," Donovan said. "We have had a lot of kids come out and that's made it fun."

Leighton Owens is another Pony basketball fan attending this week. She, like many others on the floor this week, hopes to be a varsity player for Havre one day and camps like this are just the beginning of that process.

"Yes," She said. "That would be fun. It's been fun getting to play with my friends."

The bottom line is that there is nothing more fun than winning, and with a successful foundation in place, one that includes a pipeline of enthusiastic, young talent, the fun being had by the Havre girls basketball program should continue for a long time to come.