As part of The Courier’s series on Charlotte County athletes competing at the Canada Games in St. John’s, N.L., we’re proud to feature
Tyson Washington, a 15-year-old basketball player from Saint Andrews whose rise began in a front yard and has quickly moved to the national stage.
Washington will suit up in men’s U-17 basketball, representing New Brunswick. For a teenager from a small town, the moment carries extra meaning. “Coming from a small town, a lot of people don’t know what you’re capable of,” he says. “Achieving this is a dream come true.”
His basketball story is as local as it gets. “My basketball journey started a couple of years ago when I started just playing with friends and shooting hoops in my front yard,” Washington explains. “Then I joined the school team and ever since, I have grown and developed more as a player.” From there, he added club reps with Fundy Force alongside his high-school team. “We won a banner for Fundy and lost one,” he says—early milestones that taught him both how to celebrate and how to come back stronger.
If there’s a through-line, it’s work. “We practice usually four times a week—sometimes more—and when we’re not at team practices you’re working on your game elsewhere,” Washington says. The motivation is simple: “Just wanting to be better every day has kept me passionate—and I love winning.”
He’s already cleared a major bar in New Brunswick’s high-performance pathway. “Just making the U-17 team is probably my biggest achievement,” he says. “I came in as underage with no experience and I ended up making it.” That experience, he adds, changed how he thinks about pressure and preparation.
Behind the scenes, Washington points first to family. “My mom has been my biggest helper and supporter,” he says. “She’s always helped me when I need it, told me what I need to improve on, and taken me to all these places to perform.” The support at home, paired with the tight-knit Saint Andrews community, has made the difference. “It means a lot because coming from a small town,” he said, “This is a dream come true.”
As he heads into the Canada Games, Washington’s advice to younger athletes sounds like something he repeats to himself before tip-off. “Don’t be scared and always go in ready to compete,” he says. “You don’t know what to expect, so just give it your all—all the time.” And if there’s one message he hopes people take from his journey, it’s this: “Anything is possible with hard work and dedication.”
From driveway hoops to the national stage, Tyson Washington carries Saint Andrews with him—proof that big dreams travel well from small places.
The Courier will feature all of the athletes from Charlotte County who are competing in the Canada Summer Games in this spotlight series.
