Jai Dhilon decided it was time to make a difference.
Through his high school years, the 18-year-old watched the rise of video games and social media snatch the interest of his teenage peers away from sports and physical activity.
That's when, in April 2024, the graduate of Penticton's Princess Margaret Secondary began working on a project to bring alienated hoops fanatics together.
He started by calling his close friend, Penticton Secondary School graduate Matthew Reeder, 18, who hopped on board and helped form SM Prep.
An independent basketball program, SM Prep has since attracted 16 players from Keremeos to Kamloops to compete at tournaments across the province.
"Seeing more and more kids my age on the streets and or inside all day just on technology made me want to make a change wherever I can, starting from my local city in Penticton," said Dhilon, adding that there was no organized local U18 club team to play on.
Dhilon is joined by Reeder on the club's U18 team. Since its inception, SM Prep has also formed a U16 squad.
The program jolted onto the scene for the first time in July 2024 when the U18 team outlasted long-running clubs from across the province to win the Okanagan Heat Hoopfest in Kelowna.
One month later, the club appeared at the nationals in Langley, where it finished third overall.
"Basketball in B.C. is really (Lower Mainland)-based, and I started this because I wanted to get the Okanagan represented more," Dhilon said.
With no steady flow of funding, SM Prep has relied on community contributions to pay for travel expenses and its jerseys.
Dhilon and Reeder would spend the early days of SM Prep walking down Main Street in downtown Penticton, visiting local businesses and finding support through sponsorship.
They've since partnered with multiple locations, including Kelowna restaurant Veerji.
"It's become a bigger thing beyond Penticton, and we're hoping to expand more as time goes on," Dhilon said.
When the cash comes through, the teens use an app called PrimeTime Sports to find where they want to play. It's a B.C.-based database that tells users where the next basketball tournaments are taking place, and how to enter.
"The guys on our team absolutely love basketball, and it's incredible to see how dedicated and much we have expanded this business at just 17 and 18 years old," Dhilon said. "It shows how committed we are to the sport and our community."
Hailing from different high schools across B.C. Interior, Dhilon says he and his new teammates have become "best friends" since the club launched. Most of the team's members were strangers beforehand.
Players on both SM Prep teams come from Penticton, Summerland, Keremeos, and Kamloops, among other communities.
"What better place for us teenage guys to be on weekends than in the gym playing the sport we love in a local, competitive atmosphere," Dhilon added.
The club is looking to continue its early success on the court from April 18 to 20, when it hosts teams from across B.C. and beyond for the national qualifiers. Games are expected to take place at Penticton Secondary and Princess Margaret, Dhilon said.
SM Prep is also hoping to return to Kelowna in July and defend its Okanagan Hoopfest championship.
The club's recent surge has led to several of its current players getting attention as U SPORTS prospects, including Dezi Ducheck and Cason Scott.
"It鈥檚 really amazing to see how much talent we have in this group of guys," Dhilon added.
People interested in getting involved with the club can email Jaiveer17@icloud.com. SM Prep also acknowledged Penticton's Lori Lancaster, who was one of its first supporters.
