ALBERTON – Last week the Alberton Panthers basketball team began training sessions for what could be a challenging winter season.

The team is small this year, with only eight boys playing. Head Coach Dan Moe felt the lack of experience of many players might impact the team’s performance. He said basic rules about the pace of the game and the ability to avoid fouls would be especially important to learn this season.

“We will not have a lot of depth,” Moe said.

According to Moe, Alberton will have the smallest team in the conference. He said most of the teams the Panthers would face were traditionally powerhouses in the competitions. With how young the team is, the skill gap could also be a challenge.

The seniors on the team are all returning varsity players. While the sophomore players were on the junior varsity team, Moe said there was a large gap between varsity and junior varsity with a giant leap between the two.

“It’s night and day,” Moe said. “It’s like playing high school sports versus college sports.”

According to Moe, there will be a “tremendous challenge” for the younger kids on the team to improve and play at the varsity level. The younger players typically have unique skills, which raises the game to the same level as other players.

It was hoped some of the younger members of the team would be able to step up and compliment the seniors. However, for now the practices have aimed to put the team in the mindset for basketball.

At present, the team has been busy with review of the basics. With only three training sessions the Panthers have gone over fundamentals and skills for games. Moe said there are no secrets to training a team and the important thing is skills to mesh together.

“We need to work harder every day at playing as a unit,” said Moe. “[To be] functioning together, five people as one.”

The Panthers have some advantages in the team. With many of the basketball team already veterans of the Clark Fork Timberwolves, the team dynamic is already there.

Many also participate regularly in track and field. As a result, the players will be in shape for competition. Moe felt the competitiveness would help, but a question still existed as to whether it could be transferred to basketball.

“Basketball is very much as skill set game,” Moe said. “Can you handle it, can you pass it, can you shoot it?”

According to Moe, it is important for the whole team to possess the same level of skills.

However, the team has worked hard to prepare for the season. The seniors have helped to set the pace in practice and work to bring the younger players up to the right level.

According to Moe, everyone has had a good attitude so far and there has been noticeable improvement, even in the older players.

“Those four seniors have all shown some improvement from where they were when they left last year,” said Moe.

After the first week of practices, Moe was confident with the team’s start to the season.