Summer League at Northern is as hot as ever

During the summertime, most athletes along the Hi-Line are enjoying their summer vacation from school and putting in a lot of work to improve themselves, whether it be for fall, winter or spring seasons ahead. After all, getting some good gains means earning a better game later.

One of the major offseason programs in Havre is the Lights Summer League, which takes place in the Armory Gymnasium. Led and organized by Montana State University-Northern head coach Shawn Huse, the summer league focuses on many things, but the main goal is to help basketball youth around the Hi-Line improve their skills to make them even stronger for the next season.

When it came to the idea about having the Lights Summer League, Huse worked with another member of the community to come up with the concept and get it rolling in the Armory.

"I along with another parent of a youth in our community were just spit-balling ideas," Huse said. "With our gym open and kids wanting more basketball things to do, we came up with the idea of this summer league, where we were able to work with them on their skills, drills, techniques, terminology, philosophies and everything related to basketball. It was just kind of a weekly thing that developed from that conversation and we put together some flyers, tried it out and it's gone over great ever since."

Huse elaborated about the summer league further, detailing the growth the program has made over the years.

"A lot of people around the area are hungry for stuff like this," Huse continued. "Between that and allowing them to compete in a more controlled, open gym setting, it's just been something that the kids have really liked and I think it's been good for them. It's just been a lot of fun working with all these kids over the years, and I've even had some of them come play for Northern. It's been a good thing."

The summer league does not just consist of high school athletes, though. The program has sessions for younger kids, as well. Three sessions have taken place since the start of June, the first being the youth program, which is fourth and fifth graders, the intermediate session, which consists of sixth through ninth graders and the high school session for grades 10-12.

The program includes 10 power minutes of fundamental work, one hour of controlled and situational open gym scrimmage time and a chance to improve oneself in an array of ways. Some kids come to focus on shooting skills and basics, while others may put an emphasis on improving leadership abilities in their later years of the league. Not only does the league make sure young athletes get better at the game, but the coaches and former MSU-N athletes go out of their way to make the summer league fun, as well.

Another coach who helps with the summer league is Havre High head coach Walynn Burgess, who enjoys the opportunities the league brings for the basketball youth.

"When I was out at North Star we had talked about summer league because I wanted kids to have more opportunities in the summer to get in and play against other top talent along the Hi-Line," Burgess said. "Coach Huse was rambling the idea and just took it upon himself. It's been a real good thing we have done over the last several years."

There has been some great work put in during the summer of 2020, as well. The young athletes have just finished their fifth week out of six as of now, with the sixth week being their final session of the summer. From there, many of the student-athletes will be honing their skills further on their own time, whether it be at home or in another open gym, like what the Havre Blue Ponies have been able to do this summer, as well.

But at the end of the day, Burgess appreciates something the most, like the bonds he has been able to make with kids across the Hi-Line thanks to the summer league.

"My favorite part is getting to meet all the unique kids around the Hi-Line," Burgess said. "All the kids that love hoops on the Hi-Line mean something special to me and just seeing the different kids coming through. Kids that are just graduating now I've known since they were little. It's always nice to just get in here and get to know these kids. It's nice to see these kids, like at the 9C Tournament, come up and talk to you after the league is all said and done."

The Lights Summer League has been going strong for several years and even with the COVID-19 concern hitting 2020 like a freight train, the league did not let it stop another great year of work in the Armory. After all this time, Huse has gotten to see many great things, including watching athletes that participated in the summer league go on to be great basketball players along the Hi-Line, which in Huse's case, is one of the greatest feelings.

"I think it's very similar that from year to year, you see them grow," Huse said. "I've watched several players who started and were very awkward with some of their skills to being a great all-around basketball player. Something I focus on in summer league is trying to put the kids in situations that are uncomfortable for them and help develop a comfortability with those things. That improvement really puts a smile on my face. From the beginning of this year's league till now, I'm seeing these youngsters improve. When they look at you and give you a smile, it warms your heart. That's the biggest payoff of all."

The Light Summer League will be in its final week next Monday, with the athletes who participated moving forward with some great knowledge, improved skills and a grasp at what the game means to each of them. When it comes to basketball players getting better over the summertime, what better way than to do it with guidance from the great coaches and former athletes along the Hi-Line.

MSU-Northern women's coach Chris Mouat also does a summer league for girls each week in the Armory.