MMBRA Officials Represent at the 2026 Canada Basketball U15 & U17 National Championships
- MMBRA
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
From August 3–8, the best young basketball talent from across the country came together for the 2026 Canada Basketball U15 & U17 National Championships, with four MMBRA officials among those selected to take the floor.
The U15 and U17 National Championships serve as an important developmental opportunity for both athletes and officials. More than 500 athletes take part each year, with all 10 provinces represented across the tournaments, along with Northwest Territories teams on the men's side.
The U15 and U17 men's championships were held at the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, while the women's championships took place at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Four MMBRA Officials Take the National Stage
Four MMBRA officials were selected to represent Quebec at this year's championships:
Julia Shebitchenko — U15 Women
Jamall Fisher — U15 Women
François Loignon — U15 Men
Shaun Pearce — U17 Women
Officials are selected for the National Championships through their Provincial Organization after being identified as elite candidates. Each year, 48 officials from across the country are selected, with 12 officials assigned to each of the four divisions.
For many officials, these championships represent their first opportunity to work on the national stage and an important step in their development before progressing to CCAA and U Sports National Championships.
A Week of Development
While the competition on the court is intense, the National Championships are designed to be about much more than simply officiating games.
The 12 officials in each division are accompanied throughout the week by three Referee Coaches, who provide instruction, feedback and guidance both on and off the court. For the U15 Women's tournament, MMBRA's own Alfie Paoletti was among the Referee Coaches, giving the Quebec contingent an additional connection to the development process.
The week provides officials with an opportunity to receive consistent feedback, work alongside officials from across the country and learn from experienced Referee Coaches in a national-level environment.
It is also an opportunity to build relationships. With the men's and women's tournaments taking place on the same campus in Regina, officials from both sides were able to spend significant time together away from the court. Group activities and events throughout the week created plenty of opportunities for team bonding and memorable experiences beyond the games themselves.
A Long Road to Regina
For François Loignon and fellow Quebec official Danny Jean-Charles, the trip to Regina got off to an unexpected start.
The officials departed on Sunday, August 2, but a WestJet strike led to significant delays at Toronto Pearson International Airport. François and Danny were forced to spend the night at Pearson and ultimately missed the first day of competition.
The following day, they were rerouted to Saskatoon. From there, the two officials rented a car and made the roughly three-hour drive to Regina, finally arriving on the second day of competition.
Despite the difficult start, both officials were able to get back on the court and make the most of the remainder of the week.
Strong Finishes for the MMBRA Contingent
The hard work throughout the week culminated in several significant assignments for the four MMBRA officials.
Jamall Fisher was selected as Crew Chief for the U15 Women's gold-medal game, in addition to serving as Crew Chief for a semifinal.
Julia Shebitchenko was selected as U2 for the U15 Women's bronze-medal game.
François Loignon served as Crew Chief for the U15 Men's bronze-medal game and also received a semifinal assignment.
Shaun Pearce was selected as the fourth official for the U17 Women's gold-medal game and served as Crew Chief for a semifinal.
These assignments provided all four officials with an opportunity to put the lessons and feedback from throughout the week into practice on some of the biggest games of the championships.
Quebec Well Represented
The MMBRA contingent was part of an even larger group of Quebec officials at the National Championships.
In addition to the four MMBRA officials, Quebec was represented by:
Isaiah Hines — U15 Women
Vincent Labbé — U15 Women
Alexandra Therrien — U15 Women
Laurence Laviolette — U17 Women
Rachid Dingao — U17 Women
Danny Jean-Charles — U17 Men
The strong Quebec representation provided an opportunity for officials from across the province to share the experience, support one another and celebrate each other's accomplishments throughout the week.
Building Toward the Next Level
The U15 & U17 National Championships remain an important part of the development pathway for Canadian basketball officials. The combination of national-level competition, experienced Referee Coaches and a week spent working alongside some of the country's top emerging officials makes the championships a valuable learning experience.
For MMBRA's four representatives, the 2026 championships provided another important step in their officiating journeys — from their first games of the week through semifinal and medal-game assignments.
The experience in Regina and Sherbrooke will serve as valuable preparation as these officials continue to progress toward future opportunities at the CCAA, U Sports and other national levels.
Congratulations to Julia, Jamall, François and Shaun on representing MMBRA at the 2026 Canada Basketball U15 & U17 National Championships!
Watch the Games
Missed the action or want to rewatch some of the games from the championships? All games from the 2026 U15 & U17 National Championships are available to watch on Canada Basketball's YouTube channel.
Photo Album
View photos from the week in our National Championships Photo Album.
