SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Hoopfest officials announce a new youth league for Spokane-area children.
Spokane School Districts and AAU Basketball will join forces to create the Hooptown Youth League LLC, where kids can play closer to home. Children will be able to play basketball at their local gymnasiums and children will be grouped together from nearby schools if necessary.
The costs of this new league will be reduced. Free gym space, reusable uniforms, more volunteers, and more funding from sponsors and donations will make this new league cheaper to join. A new app and website will also be introduced to provide up-to-date information.
.@SpokaneHoopfest local basketball officials and coaches unveil plan for future of youth basketball in region pic.twitter.com/ErcEXvYK5B
— Alex Crescenti (@alex_crescenti) June 21, 2022
Panelists for those talking about this newly proposed league include Spokane Hoopfest Association Executive Director Riley Stockton, Gonzaga Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Brian Michaelson , Eastern Washington men’s and women’s head coaches David Riley and Joddie Gleason, Spokane Public. Superintendent of Schools Adam Swineyard, Gonzaga Women’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Nilson and Hoopfest Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board Rick Betts.
Hooptown Youth League LLC wishes to increase the local basketball community with area youth. Coaches from area universities will volunteer their time and train with youth coaches, and coaches from secondary schools will help with youth programs at primary schools that feed into their respective schools.
Local high school and college basketball players will also work with the children.
There are three interrelated sessions that play in this league. Starting in September, there will be a basketball physical education unit for elementary school students in city districts. Then, matches will be played in this new league in November and December. Finally, there will be tournaments with teams organized by clubs and coaches with more AAU events.
Players will register as individuals, not teams in the AAU system. Teams will be formed based on skill and age level. Individual registration will help take the burden off parents trying to find a team for their kids, a coach, and a gym space for practices.
League games will be scheduled throughout the season to increase the competitive nature of games.
Grade 7 and 8 students will still remain in the traditional AAU curriculum. High school programs will run as normal, but SYSA recreational leagues will still be available for children who are not on their high school teams. Primary school children will also be able to continue playing for the club team or manager they currently play for.
Hoopfest officials hope the new league will encourage kids to continue to be multi-sport athletes and make basketball more accessible in the Spokane area. Nearly $100.00 has already been paid to start the league.
Opening of registrations for the league at the beginning of September.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Hoopfest 2022
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