Euro Trip!

POLSON — You thought the road trip to Libby was a long way to go for a basketball game? Forget it.

Two talented Polson eighth graders, Wyatt DuCharme and Payton Lefthand, are looking at a plane flight across the Atlantic Ocean this summer as part of the NBC Camps International Basketball program. The two were chosen for their basketball skills, character and references from a pool of 100 kids from Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

“It’s really cool,” DuCharme said. “It’s an awesome feeling receiving recognition for the skills that you have.”

The two will play for an NBC travel team that will tour the United Kingdom for two weeks in July and play European squads to test and build their basketball skills.

“My parents were really excited and they told me that they’d never been to Europe so it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Lefthand said.

DuCharme and Lefthand are teammates on the Polson Middle School team.

“We do all sorts of stuff during the summer with the 3-on-3 tournaments too,” DuCharme said.

Lefthand, who was named by his parents, Renee and Patrick Lefthand, for Seattle Supersonics legend Gary Payton, was on a Spokane Hoopfest team last summer that won its division. He also plays football, enjoys the outdoors and is a marksman, usually sharing the meat he gets from hunting with his family and the community.

“I love the game of basketball and this is the most exciting opportunity I’ve ever had to get to play the sport I enjoy,” Lefthand wrote in a letter to the community. “This trip will teach me responsibility, help me grow as a person, become a stronger leader and let me be proud of what I have accomplished.”

Lefthand’s specialty is the point guard position and he tries to model his game after Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose. His favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lefthand has attended NBC camps for the past two summers. This past summer he was selected to the All-Star team and was given the “Shadow Award” for the best defensive player. He then learned that he had been selected for the NBC travel team and encouraged his his friend, Wyatt, to apply.

“Wyatt is really good at basketball,” Lefthand said.

DuCharme was selected to the team as well, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a multi-sport athlete and an all-around basketball player. He’s a straight-A student and notched perfect scores on the Montana state standardized tests last year. He plays trumpet in the school band and does football, wrestling, snowboarding, skiing, knee boarding and water skiing. DuCharme was also a state champion in his weight class for wrestling last year. When he and Lefthand were deciding who they modeled their games after, Lefthand quickly made the assumption that DuCharme was like Magic Johnson out on the court.

“Not many kids my age get a chance to see and learn about another country,” DuCharme said in a letter to the community. “I want to go on this basketball tour so that I can have more opportunities to play and learn basketball. My dream is to become an NBA player after I finish college.”

The two have already started fundraising for their trip, which is going to cost $5,000 apiece and each youth on the NBC tour team has to raise the amount. That covers the camp, airfare, travel, lodging, uniforms and meals. Both of them are now doing whatever they can to make the trip happen. While both families are certainly helping out with the costs, $5,000 can be steep and that’s why the boys are seeking sponsorships from across the community. They will be hosting fundraising events and host a 50/50 drawing on Feb. 9 during a fundraiser luncheon at the Tribal Complex in Pablo. A large raffle is in the works.

The boys will be selling Valentine’s Day baskets, are planning a springtime 3-on-3 tournament and putting donation cans in local businesses. If you’re interesting in helping DuCharme and Lefthand, you can make contributions in either boy’s name and send it to P.O. Box 1314 or 34296 South Finley Point Rd., Polson, MT 59860. There are also accounts set up at Community and Eagle Bank. To assists or make a donation, or for more information, call either 885-3107 or 319-2728.