MBBC launches plan for 3-on-3 league
Plans are in the works to create a new opportunity for area youngsters to be introduced to the game of basketball.
The idea proposed by Medford boys basketball head coach Ryan Brown and Medford Booster Basketball Club president Ryan Pilgrim is the formation of a 3-on-3 youth league for third and fourth graders. The league would be based in Medford, but the hope is to bring in players from surrounding communities to create a fun league where learning fundamentals and establishing an enjoyment for playing are the main goals.
“The goal is to try to create more opportunity for kids in the Taylor County area to play basketball,” Brown said. “It just seems like every coach I talk to, especially in the smaller schools but it’s even true in Medford, that numbers are going down. Our thinking is that it would be a great deal if we could bring in third and fourth grade girls, allow them to put teams together and just play some 3-on-3 full-court basketball.”
The vision is for teams to practice in their home gyms up to two times a week and then come to Medford for four or five Saturday mornings in late December and early January to play a couple of games each week. Being 3-on-3, teams could be as small as five to seven players. If groups with larger numbers meet up, Brown said they’d be welcome to go to 4-on-4 if that works better.
Games would be non-competitive with coaches on the floor working with their players and officiating and would likely be played at Medford Area Elementary School and Medford Area Senior High. They would feature 14-minute halves with running clock.
The option will be included when Medford’s Booster Basketball Club early sign-up opens online on May 1. A link is already up on the club’s website (www. medfordboosterbasketball.org) for non-Medford teams to join.
“Our goal is to see numbers go up for all of our area communities and to get kids to really enjoy playing,” Brown said.
Brown said he envisions two Saturdays of skills sessions in November before deer hunting and the Thanksgiving holiday. After a couple of weeks of practice in early December, two game Saturdays could be held in mid-December, two more could be held in early January and if participation is high enough and teams wish, one more Saturday could be added.
Brown said an advantage for fourth graders would be the season could build momentum for those players, especially in Medford, who may transition right into Great Northwest Basketball.
