The Troop West basketball program is looking to partner with businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The national girls basketball program based out of the Santa Clarita Valley is seeking the support of local businesses to help the team grow.

“We want to build a name and a brand in this valley,” said Steve Howell, parent liaison for the program. “It’s a testament  to the program and coaches for parents and players to travel as far away as Ventura county to participate.”

Sponsorships would help Troop West rent a gym for the girls to practice in. The program was originally using the Valencia High School gym, but they were later informed that they could no longer practice there, according to Derek Ballard, head coach for the program and former coach of the Saugus Boy’s Varsity basketball team.

“We need sponsors,” said Ballard. “We’re trying to raise money to rent a gym because the whole premise is to provide a great opportunity to girls in basketball that doesn’t cost a lot of money.”

Ballard said that the average price for someone to participate in a girl’s travel team ranges between $300 to $1,000, and that Troop West did not want the experience to be so costly.

Sunshine Day Camp and Smith Landscape & Maintenance have already signed as sponsors, according to the Troop West website. Ballard said that the goal is to raise $5,000 to pay for the program to use a gym into October.

“This is a real push for getting girls in our valley an opportunity to play on the big stage,” said Ballard.

Troop West aims to develop strong, confident young women, provide a program to take each young ladies basketball skills and maximize that potential into the opportunity to play in college, and create an atmosphere of family, trust, loyalty, and commitment, according to Howell

“People get too caught up in the competitiveness of the sport,” said Howell. “Its bigger than that, it is about building strong confident young women”

In the past six months, Troop West has attracted talent from the Santa Clarita Valley, Oxnard, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Ventura, and Thousand Oaks areas. The program has over 20 girls, half of which are from Santa Clarita, according to officials, and runs from March to October.

Troop West is set to compete in national tournaments such as the AAU National Championships, the ACES Coca Cola Nationals, and the Best of the West Showcases.

For more information about Troop West, click here.

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