History of the “Higher Hoops” Basketball Classic (2006–2015)
In the fall of 2005, Dwayne Sheehan, Executive Director of the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHSAA), along with the President of Basketball Alberta, traveled to Vancouver to observe a highly successful high school basketball tournament called “Higher Hoops.” The event offered scholarships to high school players, and they saw great potential in bringing a similar tournament to Calgary.
By fall 2006, the Higher Hoops Basketball Classic was launched as part of Calgary’s annual Fall Tip-Off Basketball Tournament, forming a partnership between:
- CSHSAA – Organized the tournament, secured gymnasiums, managed the 64-team draw, provided officials, handled results, and coordinated with media and Shaw TV.
- Basketball Alberta – Promoted the event and secured corporate scholarship sponsors.
- Calgary Booster Club – Established selection criteria, chose scholarship winners, contacted them, introduced them at championship games, and provided an MC for the awards dinner.
The inaugural tournament awarded 25 scholarships of $1,000 each, fully funded by corporate sponsors—making it an immediate success.
Growth and Evolution
In 2009, the tournament was rebranded from “Higher Hoops” to “The Basketball Classic”, with HSBC Bank Canada becoming the title sponsor, a role they held until the tournament’s conclusion.
By 2012, two additional scholarships for high school managers and trainers were introduced. Winners had two years to claim their scholarship, after which any unclaimed awards were returned to a Founder’s Scholarship pool for redistribution.
Final Results & Impact
Over 10 years, the tournament awarded scholarships to 317 Grade 12 basketball players, totaling $317,000 in post-secondary funding.
- The number of annual winners ranged from 22 to 40.
- All scholarships were funded by corporate sponsors and individual donors.
- In the tournament’s final two years, the Calgary Booster Club also contributed $1,000 scholarships to the Basketball Classic.
The Rugby Clearwater Cup (2008)
Inspired by the success of the Basketball Classic, a similar initiative—the Rugby Clearwater Cup—was launched in May 2008, in partnership with the CSHSAA, Calgary Rugby Union, Alberta Junior Rugby, and the Calgary Booster Club.
Though the event followed the same format, it struggled to secure sponsorships and was discontinued after a few years. The Calgary Rugby Union later revived the program, but without involvement from the Booster Club.