Basketball Mania with JPRD

Jan 18, 2013 9:09 AM Save

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Contegra coaches gather their team during a timeout during the 2nd quarter on Saturday, January 12 to talk strategy during their first game of the season. Basketball is in full-swing at Jerseyville Parks & Recreation Department (JPRD). The department is two weeks into the season for 2013 Boys' Basketball League. The two month-long league consists eight teams in the 1st/2nd grade division, ten teams in the 3rd/4th grade division and seven teams in the 5th/6th grade division. There are nearly 240 players among 25 teams in the league; up from 120 players among 13 teams in the 2012 season. The league will run through February and conclude with a tournament, tentatively scheduled for February 18 - March 1.

This year was the first time that the 1st/2nd grade division was introduced into the league. Teams within the 1st/2nd grade division will play eight regular season games and teams within the 3rd/4th and 5th/6th grade divisions will play 10 regular season games. All teams will be guaranteed a minimum of one game in the end-of-season tournament. All games are played at the Susnig Center, located at 401 Mound Street. Five counties are represented in the league, including Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin and Madison.

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Logan Kuehnel, 5, learns how to properly hold the basketball at the shooting station from the station leader, Steven Goetten. Itty Bitty and Pee Wee Basketball, with a combined 60 participants, began this past Sunday, January 13 at the Susnig Center. Itty Bitty Basketball is for toddlers three to four years old and Pee Wee Basketball is for children five to six years old. The program helps the participants develop an understanding of the sports basic skills and concepts through station rotations in a non-competitive environment for 45 minute sessions that last six weeks. The four stations include shooting, dribbling, rebounding and passing. The program's success is dependent upon parents as volunteer station leaders. As the weeks progress, less time is spent at the stations and small "scrimmages" are created during the remaining session time. On the sixth and final week, the session time will be spent scrimmaging an entire game. Participants will be awarded a medal of participation at the end of the last week. Parents can look forward to Itty Bitty and Pee Wee Outdoor Soccer starting in April.