When coach Nathan Bingham took over the F.H. Collins first nations basketball team earlier this year, he immediately saw energy, passion and an opportunity for something even better.

'These guys are really passionate about playing the game,' said Bingham in an interview Tuesday. 'You can see that if you watch them play. That's evident.'

Bingham, who coached first nation sports teams in Bella Bella, B.C. for two years before moving to the Yukon last August, was head coach of the senior boys volleyball team last fall. That's when he saw the first nations basketball team in action.

Already this season the team has played in tournaments in Prince Rupert, B.C., Valdez, Alaska, and have visited schools in Teslin and Carcross. Bingham wants to continue the travel, perhaps even further south one day.

'The big picture is pretty exciting for this team,' he said. 'A lot of the guys are from the communities. We go back out there and take these guys to their home and put on clinics for the youth.

'(The hope is) to instill an appreciation of the game in the youth, and bridge the connection between them and us because they're going to be our future students. It's another chance to catch the kids and give them a chance. There's not a hell of a lot to do in small communities, so it's easy to fall into a bad rut.'

Bingham said the trips are also a good opportunity for the players because they get to develop their confidence.

Their next trip will be a homecoming for a lot of players on the team, as they travel to Old Crow for Easter break this weekend where they will go head to head with the Watson Lake Bears. The Bears are another first nations team from South Yukon.

'They're pretty pumped,' said Bingham. 'We actually ran out of room on the plane for everybody because Watson Lake got their funding late.

'We needed three extra seats, so we asked three of our guys to go early and we didn't have any problem with the first three guys we asked.'

Imants Bunkis, vice principal at F.H. Collins, said because the team has so many kids from Old Crow the school has been hoping to arrange a hometown visit for quite awhile. Bunkis said Crime Prevention Yukon really made that possible this time.

'Phil Treusch has been a real advocate of our team,' he said appreciatively. 'They gave us a substantial grant to take our team and our message to Old Crow.'

There's no better time to visit the north Yukon community than Easter Break, when the community holds an annual celebration including events such as dog sled races, a tea boiling competition and a bannock bake-off.

'The Old Crow community has been absolutely phenomenal, in terms of wanting us to come and organizing everything from events to accommodations,' said Bunkis.

George Sidney, Aaron Smarch and Paul Josie have all been on the basketball team since it began two years ago.

'Us, we're oldtimers,' joked Smarch, who said basketball has helped him make better decisions. 'It keeps us active and out of trouble.

'It gives us something to do all day.'

'Whitehorse is not the best place for things to do,' said Sidney. 'Basketball is fun and it passes the time. It's something to do.

'You meet new friends, meet new people and get to go out and explore.'

While both Sidney and Smarch are from Teslin, Josie hails from Old Crow and can't wait to get home. He hopes to help the youth in his hometown with positive decision-making.

'That's what we're doing,' he smiled. 'We try to get the kids out of trouble and tell them to stay active. That's what they need these days. It also helps us be more responsible. We're brushing influence onto little kids, the younger generation. There's not much to do in Old Crow.

'Don't make the mistakes like I have in the past. Keep a positive attitude toward the future.'

The team recently returned from a tournament in Valdez, Alaska, which Smarch described as an eye-opener.

'It really opened my eyes to how much talent there is, and how much better we need to be,' he said.

Bingham believes his team can definitely get better. His goal for the team is to get back to Prince Rupert next year, and contend in the championships. The team has also received an invitation from Bella Coola, B.C., to visit the community.

'It's a real opportunity for some of these guys,' said Bingham, who has talked with Watson Lake coach Larry Keisling about starting a joint travelling team to represent the Yukon.

It's opportunities like that Smarch and Josie are determined to train for.

'We're going to try to qualify for Prince Rupert in November,' said Josie.

'We're going to qualify,' Smarch interjected.

'We're going to improve out talent and bring it on,' added Josie.

'All summer,' said Smarch. 'And I mean all summer.'