Walter Murray basketball a family tradition for Scott and Zach Hawley

Walter Murray Grade 9 student Zach Hawley is starting to chase his basketball dream, and his family is quite literally on the sidelines cheering him on.

His father, Scott Hawley, is a teacher at Murray and also one of Zach’s coaches on both his high school and club basketball teams. The two have been on the same bench ever since Zach started playing basketball when Scott introduced him to the sport.

“Basically as soon as I could stand, my dad got me into it,” Zach said.

The sport definitely runs in the family, as Scott played basketball at Walter Murray and even won a Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) title during his playing days.

The pair got to experience BRIT together this year. Zach came close to winning it, but Walter Murray ultimately lost 74-65 in the final, falling to Alberta’s Raymond High School.

Scott said he’d been talking about Zach following in his footsteps at BRIT ever since he was young.

“It was super cool for me. I’ve thought about this for a long time,” Scott said.

“For it to come to fruition this year was kind of amazing, as it was always sort of that thing that was way out there in the future.”

Zach said he also knew it was a special moment.

“Not many players get to be there in Grade 9 and have their dad as a coach right there,” Zach said. “I think it was helpful to have him on the bench there right with me.”

The father and son have been playing in tournaments together for years. When Zach was turning 10, he won a tournament in Calgary with his club team Greenwave United, and since then they’ve continued participating in tournaments across Western Canada.

Last spring, the club’s under-16 team entered into the under-18 division. When Zach performed well, Scott said he knew it was time to pursue more opportunities for his son.

“We needed something beyond Saskatchewan to keep him growing,” Scott said.

“We always kind of knew that would be the path eventually, but maybe not this soon.”

Scott was able to get connected with Canada Elite out of Toronto, and Zach was invited to a national team tryout last Thanksgiving.

“Now he’s on the spring and summer team for Canada Elite that will be travelling the eastern United States,” Scott said. “We’ve realized we need to find continual developmental opportunities.”

Zach said he’s excited to continue playing and growing his game, but he knows that it won’t always come easy. He said he’s in the gym every day, working hard to hone his skills.

“I think the biggest thing is athleticism and just being able to (have) quickness and burst by anybody,” Zach said.

“There’s a lot of things that athleticism, I think, can help in other parts of my game, such as defence and rebounding.”

Zach said he knows he has some big shoes to fill when it comes to shooting.

“My dad was always the best shooter in the gym, so being able to shoot passed down, I think,” Zach said with a laugh.

It’s something his dad frequently reminds him of, Zach added.

But ultimately, Zach said what keeps him playing is simply that the game is fun and satisfying, and he enjoys competing against other players across the country.

“Just because I’m in Grade 9 and I’m from Saskatchewan, I can come and compete with these guys and beat them,” he said.

“I think it’s important to me that I continue to improve.”

There are a few major goals that Zach wants to reach in his basketball career. He said he’s got his sights set on playing at the college level.

Scott said he knows that’s a high target, but while he’s confident in Zach’s work ethic, he also wants to make sure his son is given the chance to reach his goal.

“I want him to have all the opportunities until he chooses to stop playing,” Scott said.

“I just want every door to be open to him that we can possibly open, so his basketball experience isn’t limited by lack of opportunity.”

The pair said it’s important to respect boundaries and separate life on the court and at school from their life at home.

“I try to give him as much space as I can,” Scott said.

Zach said it’s a two-way street, and they both have to be aware of that.

“I bring stuff on the court home and stuff at home to the court,” he said.

“If we want to talk about something that happened in the game, we can, and sometimes that’s what usually happens on the way home.”

The father and son are both focused on the short-term right now as they play through the rest of the high school season, aiming for a city championship with Walter Murray. Then it’ll be a busy spring and summer as Zach heads out east.

“It’s pretty incredible to watch how he’s gone down this path and kind of made a name for himself,” Scott said.