Island youth basketball team earns first tourney win
The Sanibel Tropics earned its first tournament win with a 24-6 victory over Florida Future at The Village School in Naples at the Southwest Florida Kickoff Classic, held on Feb. 27 through March 1.
It marked the third grade team’s second tournament appearance since forming in October. The island’s first AAU youth basketball team, the youths have been practicing hard, developing their skills and building confidence over the last few months as they represent Sanibel in competitive travel basketball.
The team is coached by Dylan Murphy and Carey Galantino.
“We are excited to earn our first win,” Murphy said. “I’m incredibly proud of the growth and improvement these kids have shown in a short amount of time.”
Sponsored by Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, the Sanibel Tropics is bringing new opportunities for youth sports to the island. It was created in response to growing interest in competitive basketball among Sanibel’s young athletes, and families said the program has already sparked excitement and pride throughout the community.
“Our goal is to continue developing them not only into strong basketball players, but into high-character, hard-working individuals,” Murphy said.
The roster includes: Jaxson Britt, Paxton Galantino, Ling Cecilio Gonzalez, Liam King, Nishan King, Benjamin McMullen, Declan Murphy, Barron Phillips, Penelope Stewart and Andres Vargas.
The team holds practices at the Sanibel Recreation Center.
For more information, visit sanibeltropics.com.