It’s been an exciting spring for Keegan Beer.
The 18-year-old has been playing basketball with the Niverville Panthers for years, and after two years of near misses the team finally made it to provincials and won the Boys AA championship. The Panthers went in as the number one seeded team and defeated the defending champions, the Carman Cougars, 76–40 to capture Niverville Collegiate’s first Varsity Boys banner for basketball in 40 years.
But the championship was just the start for Beer. He was then named Male Player of the Year in the AA division by Basketball Manitoba.
“It was pretty cool,” says the student athlete. “They invite us all to a banquet in Winnipeg after the All-Star games for all the divisions, and then I got picked for AA. I didn’t know in advance I was getting it, so it was a cool surprise.”
He wasn’t the only one who had a surprise that evening. His coach, Richard Toews, was expected to give a speech—a fact Toews hadn’t known ahead of time.
“My coach didn’t know he had to do this speech, so he had to do it on the fly,” Beer adds. “It was pretty funny.”
The Grade 12 student is quick to share the glory with his teammates, noting the importance of working together.
“It’s a team sport, so while I did win an individual award, the whole team is part of it as well, you know. The best part of it was playing with your teammates. I would say we really worked well together. We knew where each other were on the court, and we have really good team chemistry and communication.”
The 6’1” guard also credits his coaches with helping the entire team to grow in different areas of their game, and he underlines the importance of practicing.
“If you want to get better, definitely put the time in,” Beer says. “Natural talent is great, but you always have to work hard, because the results are a matter of how much time you are putting into practicing.”
Overall it has been a banner year for the Panthers. In addition to the provincial title and Beer’s award, fellow player Parker Davis was named to the All-Star team, and coach Richard Toews was awarded the title of AA Boys Coach of the Year.
As for Beer, he plans to maintain a focus on sports. After graduating from NCI this June, he’s heading to Canadian Mennonite University in the fall, where he plans to study physical education and eventually become a gym teacher.
“I love sports and the benefits they provide, and I would enjoy teaching little kids a love for sports,” he says, before adding, “Plus, wearing shorts to work is a thing I’ve always wanted to do.”
