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Hooping it up: Youngsters learn fundamentals of basketball
NEW MADRID, Mo. - The teams moved rapidly up and down the court. Sometimes expertly handling the ball the player lofted it into the goal. Other times the ball would soar over the goal and the tussle for it wouldn’t end until the referee’s whistle sounded.
The New Madrid Youth League season for the fourth through sixth grade boys is currently under way.
Steven Medlin, athletic director for the New Madrid Parks Department, said the Youth League basketball program is a way to keep youngsters active during the winter months. More importantly, he continued, it teaches them the fundamentals of the game.
“If they can get the basics and develop a love for the game of basketball, we hope their interest grows. Every year we try to build on that,” he said.
The New Madrid Parks Department offers three basketball programs - last fall fourth through sixth grade girls took to the court ending their season just before Christmas. The boys league, which has about 40 participants divided among four teams, began play just after the holidays and will end their season in early February.
The second week of February second and third graders will have their turn in a co-ed league. Medlin described this as the “prep league.”
He explained the youngest players will have lower goals. Referees will often offer advice to the youngsters to keep the game moving along.
“It is really just to expose them to the structure of the game. It is a stepping stone,” Medlin said. “So we have kind of a stepping stone process to teach these kids from their very first experience in basketball all the way up to the middle school level.”
According to Medlin, most participants are from the New Madrid County R-1 schools along with Immaculate Conception Catholic School in New Madrid.
Parents and others serve as coaches, often taking part from season to season.
“We like that continuity with the coaches from the standpoint they can see how these kids need to progress and what to work on at each level,” Medlin said.
Others take on the duties of referring the games.
Medlin added when the members of the Central High School basketball team show up to referee games, the young players are especially enthralled. “With all the high school basketball success we are having right now, having them out here working with the younger kids it is almost like local celebrities,” he said.
And the school coaches are involved, too. At Saturday’s game, New Madrid County Central Middle School basketball coach Dontre’ Jenkins was one of two referees following the action.
The program has particularly benefited from their interest in the development of young players. According to Medlin, the three-point shot was eliminated to encourage young players to drive into the basket to make their shots with more control.
Also noting there can be a big difference in skills and size when teams are made up with fourth through sixth graders, Medlin said the third quarter is set aside to give the less experienced team members the opportunity to play.
Medlin, who has directed local sports programs for 10 years, called the Youth League basketball program a success.
“Those kids who are having so much success at the high school level right now all played out here under this system. Some of these same coaches that are out here today coached them at a young age and really helped develop them into the basketball players they are,” he said. “Obviously when they get to high school they learn some more advanced things but the fundamentals and the foundation of our (high school) sports program comes from these youth leagues.”
He encourages parents to be patient, pointing out youngsters might not always initially show the talent a parent is in hopes of their child having as the youngster learns the game. He said as coaches, referees and even members of the crowd offer encouragement, the young players will show improvement year after year.
“These are competitive leagues where we have first place and second place medals at the end of the season. However, it is really about the fundamentals. There are times where if the score has gotten too important to the crowd we will just turn the scoreboard off . . . and we will just play,” he said. “Through the years I have only had to do that two or three times. For the most part, everyone understands why we are here and I’m thankful for that.”
More information is available about local youth league programs by following New Madrid Youth League Sports and Activities on Facebook. Also the League sends home notices through the New Madrid County R-1 elementary schools and by e-mails to those who have signed up previously.