A winter basketball league in Houston is expanding this year to teach the game to an even younger generation of players.
For the first time in the five-year existence of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s basketball league, it will include players in kindergarten and the first and second grades. The league was previously for students in the third through sixth grades.
Jim Root, parks and recreation director, said it was an easy decision to expand the league.
“The earlier we can teach these kids the fundamentals of the game, the better,” Root said. “We may not see it now, but it will pay off for our programs in the future.”
Unlike the older teams, the new league will be strictly instructional. Yes, scores will be kept. But the focus of each game will be teaching the players how to play the game correctly. Coaches will serve as referees and when a violation occurs, the whistle will blow and the player will be told what happened and why it was not allowed. Play will then go live again, and the player committing the violation will be allowed to pass the ball to a teammate.
There will also be changes in the equipment and court. Instead of regulation 10-foot goals, Root has purchased adjustable 8-foot goals. The basketballs will be youth size, and the court will be much smaller. Play will take place inside smaller boundaries and allow spectators to sit close to the action inside the elementary gym. Root said they will be encouraged to bring lawn chairs or cushions and sit on the floor alongside the court.
Unlike the league for older players, which includes teams from Ava, Willow Springs, Norwood and Mansfield, the younger league consists of local players only. Root invited students from Houston, Raymondville and Success schools to participate. He said about 75 children — both boys and girls — registered to play.
The games will begin Jan. 8 and last six weeks. Games are held each Saturday. There are seven teams. Boys and girls will play together.
Root said many members of the community made the league possible. The Houston School District allows teams to practice in all three of its gyms, and the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce is allowing the youngest teams to practice inside the community building at its fairgrounds. Two adjustable goals have been purchased for the facility. Multiple businesses help sponsor the league and offset the costs of insurance and paying for officials and scorekeepers.
Besides teaching the game of basketball to area children and allowing them to compete together, the league benefits two area charities. Root pays volunteers who receive gate money for each game. This year, they are giving what they raise to Hospice of Care. Proceeds from the concession stands, which are also ran by volunteers, will be donated to Texas County Relay for Life.
Area establishments benefit, too. In the cold winter months, when business is usually its slowest, the league will bring hundreds of kids, parents and family members into the community. They shop, eat and spend their money in Houston.
“It’s a win-win for the kids and the community,” Root said.
