Yates Center’s Karter Westerman is headed to Colorado Springs for the Elks Regional Hoop Shoot.
It’s the next step after Westerman won the Elks Kansas State Hoop Shoot in Wichita earlier this month. Once Westerman advanced, the Iola Elks club raised around $1,500 to help send Karter and his family to Colorado Springs.
The Kansas competition was held at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita. Westerman, a fifth-grader at Yates Center Elementary School, has aspirations of playing basketball in middle and high school as well.
Westerman said the competition has built his confidence.
“It was pretty fun. I didn’t think I’d be able to go all the way to Colorado and then when I did I got so excited,” said Westerman. “I want to win and go to nationals in Chicago. I’m pretty confident shooting the ball because I practice a lot.”
The three-point basket has become Karter’s favorite shot, he said.
Westerman’s sister, Grace, plays for the Yates Center High girls basketball team. Karter said he enjoys looking up to his older sister for tips on the court.
“She’s always teaching me stuff about basketball and always includes me,” he said. “She shows determination.”
Karter served as the manager for the girls basketball team this past season.
In addition to the Elks helping pay for Westerman’s trip to Colorado they also put on coaching and shooting clinics for the kids.
“It’s definitely an experience a lot of kids should be able to have,” said Karter’s mother, Kayla Westerman.
“Being there was a different environment, the Elks take it very seriously,” Kayla Westerman said. “They put the kids first the entire time which made us feel like it was a really good program. They take care of your family and it didn’t matter what place you got, they treated you like you got first place. They had an awards banquet after for all of the kids.”
Westerman is headed to Colorado Springs with his mother, Kayla, and father, Matt.
