provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The Sanibel Tropics, Sanibel Island’s first AAU youth basketball team, celebrated an exciting milestone this weekend at the Southwest Florida Kickoff Classic in Naples, earning their first tournament win with a 24–6 victory over Florida Future.
The third-grade team competed at The Village School in Naples, marking their second tournament appearance since forming in October. In just a few short months, the young athletes have been practicing hard, developing their skills, and building confidence as they represent Sanibel in competitive travel basketball.
Sponsored by Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, the Sanibel Tropics are helping bring new opportunities for youth sports to the island. The team was created in response to growing interest in competitive basketball among Sanibel’s young athletes, and families say the program has already sparked excitement and pride throughout the community.
“We are excited to earn our first win,” said coach Dylan Murphy. “I’m incredibly proud of the growth and improvement these kids have shown in a short amount of time. Our goal is to continue developing them not only into strong basketball players, but into high-character, hard-working individuals.”
The team is coached by Dylan Murphy and Carey Galantino. The Sanibel Tropics roster includes: Jaxson Britt, Paxton Galantino, Ling Cecilio Gonzalez, Nishan King, Liam King, Benjamin McMullen, Declan Murphy, Barron Phillips, Penelope Stewart, and Andres Vargas.
With continued practices at the Sanibel Recreation Center and upcoming tournaments, the team looks forward to building on its progress while proudly representing Sanibel on the court.