Watervliet Press Box
- Jerrod Birmele
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
Once-in-a-lifetime experience for Panthers and Tigers student-athletes
The Watervliet varsity basketball teams with their courtside cheerleaders were given the opportunity to travel to Detroit on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2026, for games against Lawrence varsity teams at Little Caesars Arena, looking to make the home court of the Pistons their own “Court of Dreams,” with wins over the Tigers. The student-athletes from both school systems were given an experience of their high school careers that they will not soon forget, announced by Watervliet’s own Tom Gear.
The two districts were chosen for the Court of Dreams Powered by GameAbove, a season-long program providing young athletes from across Michigan with the opportunity to play on the same court as the Detroit Pistons and other NBA players before a Pistons home game. Also treated to the thrill of participating were the cheerleaders of each school. Watervliet had an additional star for the event in senior Natalaya Desjardin, a member of the cheerleading team, as she led the arena in an a cappella performance of the Nation Anthem to open the games.