The Bermuda Under-14 girls’ basketball team will look to broaden their horizons on a whirlwind developmental tour to Canada.

The team, including 16 players and coaches, depart today for Montreal, where they will play two exhibition games against high-school opposition and compete in a four-team round-robin tournament this week.

“The emphasis of this trip is to further expose the team to the level of play expected of them as girls’ basketball in Bermuda goes forward,” Tim Trott, the head coach, said.

The tour was made possible by the fundraising efforts of players and their parents.

“Both players and parents have worked hard to raise funds for the trip through car washes, bake sales and tag days,” Trott said. “The ­majority are playing for their schools in the Bermuda School Sports Federation leagues and have been training since January.

“The players are more excited at the prospect of seeing snow than anything else, but I’m sure their minds will switch to basketball as we get closer.”

Trott acknowledges that the domestic women’s game has been in decline and hopes the tour will help reverse the sport’s fortunes.

“Women’s basketball has been on the decline for the last few years,” he said. “There hasn’t been a league in that time and for some ­players, a change of priorities has pushed basketball to the side: ie, work, children, etc.

“The hope is to work with the younger players, form a league specifically for them and continue to emphasise skills and fundamentals.

Bermuda squad: Ember Butterfield, Zariah Amory, SiYaunne Hall, Demiqua Daniels, Nya Heyliger, Caroline Amaral, Amber Furtado, Indya Lewis, Yasmin DeGraff, Emily Hellam, Inshan-nae Smith, Jade Stewart. Head coach: Tim Trott. Assistant coach: Lakeisha Bell. Team managers: Erna DeGraff, Tania Hellam.