waverly basketball

[smurray]

There are 3 churches in town, within walking distance of each other, that have inside basketball courts. It would be awesome to organize something with them for kids to have access to.

[tiger_balla]

we can talk all we want about "things used to be," but the reality of it is...the interest is not there....numbers in the biddy ball program in the past have been good, but by the time kids reach junior high and high school, their interests are different and they do not wish to put in the time or committmment required to be successful... add to that parental input...and suddenly numbers dwindle....
when i was in school...sports was all we had......... not anymore
when i was in school...i was told by my parents if you wanted to play, it did not matter who the coach was..not anymore
when i was in school, playing was enough..you did not have to be the best, but to be part of a team...not anymore.....
so along with the number of teams at the junior high level....times have changed too...we probably could not field 2 or 3 teams, even if we still had three different junior high schools...check out the park and see how many kids are playing on the basketball courts.... the interest is not there.....
we can put blame on whatever we want, reality is that society has changed.....
Getting cut at the junior high level can work one of two ways...you can quit, or you can be motivated...ask someone who REALLY wanted to play and got cut, what did that do....ask someone who got cut and then went on to play college basketball...desire and dedication
I am not saying that having 3 teams and more kids to draw from wasn't a good thing...I am saying it is about more than the "administration"...it is also about society changing...

[Tigersports]

Tiger_balla

Word from Junior high open gym is about 30+ 7th graders and about 15 eighth graders are attending tryouts are coming up soon notice the interest fades from 7th to 8th due to cuts last season

[Tigersports]

As for the Carl Wolfe days Coach Robertson needs to go to the school board or AD to make it possible for students of all ages in the district get in free or for a dollar not sure what the cost of ticket is now probably around 5 or 4 for presale that is terrible We have the best facilities in Southeast Ohio and it should be rowdy like it was back in the days of Jeff Rueter and Daryl Howard and it could be Travis has the energy and the drive to make this program great. I have complete faith he can make it happen.

[smurray]

Speaking of the Biddy Ball program I know folks are upset with the changes this year. It is being run by the YMCA and it costs more so more than likely some kids aren't going to be able to afford it. We should be doing everything we can to allow any kid that wants to play to be able to. This is the age these kids start learning the fundamentals of the game. Someone in the know fill us in on the reasoning of this change and how it will be better for the "overall" program?

[crazymidgets]

the junior high numbers are good, lots of kids are at conditioning, a few more 7th graders (30 maybe) than 8th graders (20) but again the 8th grade class went through cuts last yr so that might have something to do with it, so the possibility of having 2 teams is something that could happen. lots of size and lots of guards.
I don't believe desire has much to do with it these kids love to b-ball and are playing all the time be it the y or in front of the their houses its just not seen because there is no centralized place for them to meet.
One of the things that I have found out which absolutely blew my mind is that the teams be it football boys, men and womans basketball, jr. high whatever it is does not run off of a budget, a coach does not get a certain amount of money to spend for his team or program you just write up what you want and then the school board gives a yeah or neah which I find as being not very business like, so I think our coaches are being handcuffed somewhat when it comes to spending the money they do get, especially if a couple on the board have an agenda. I would say it comes down to for them, "ok I really need this so I want to make sure I get it I better not ask for this" when if they were just given a budget they could spend the money in whats in the best interest for their program. IMO. Tell me what you guys think of this and if you find this is the proper way!

[pcohio]

Speaking of the Biddy Ball program I know folks are upset with the changes this year. It is being run by the YMCA and it costs more so more than likely some kids aren't going to be able to afford it. We should be doing everything we can to allow any kid that wants to play to be able to. This is the age these kids start learning the fundamentals of the game. Someone in the know fill us in on the reasoning of this change and how it will be better for the "overall" program?

I am going to speak up on this issue as I am obviously involved...Nothing I say below is meant to upset or offend anyone, it is just the facts of this year's Biddy Ball Program! Sorry in advance that it is so long winded...

It costs more? $30 for members and $40 for non-members...It is the same cost as last year for YMCA members and just $10 more for non-members. As far as those kids who can't afford it, is the $10 price increase really what is keeping them from playing? If so, the YMCA does and will offer "Scholarships" to area youth that would like to participate but can not afford the fee. We did not increase the cost to benefit the YMCA. Unfortunately, since the program is not "sponsored" by Waverly City Schools, the school administration is charging us a rental fee to use the Downtown Gym!

Reason for the change? Last season, as stated, the entire program was run by Travis Robertson, the head basketball coach for Waverly. The program was very successful and was a great fundraiser for Waverly Basketball.
This year, the school board was forced to place restrictions on volunteer coaches in the Biddy Ball program. These restrictions included First Aid and CPR certification, Background Checks, etc., etc. While I am all for background checks, etc., the issue with this is that these volunteer coaches would have been forced to pay for these items out of their own pocket. This could cost each coach in upwards of $200!
After learning of this, Travis approached the YMCA about assisting him with the program since we have our own certificate of insurance and we can also provide additional gym space for the program!
We were obviously very excited that Travis chose the YMCA for this endeavor and we have had several meetings to make this the best program possible for the kids!

Where I take the "people are upset" issue personally is that there seems to be a stigma that if it is ran by the YMCA, it is just about money and not about the kids! I can assure you all that this is the FARTHEST thing from the truth! My number one goal as Program Director at the YMCA is to make sure ALL kids are given the opportunity to be active in a program they enjoy! For me, it is ALL about the KIDS!!! Also, for those of you that don't know, the YMCA is a NON-PROFIT oragnization!
I can assure you that we have taken great strides to ensure that the Biddy Ball program is as close to the same and just as beneficial to Waverly Basketball and kids in the community as it was last year. One exciting change that the YMCA has adopted is allowing females to participate. We hope to get enough girls to have separate Male and Female divisions!

We have extended the registration deadline to Friday, November 14th and games will begin the first Sunday in December. I hope that the upset people will understand the reason for the changes and understand that the YMCA is HERE FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN!

[smurray]

Why was the school board "forced to place restrictions on volunteer coaches in the Biddy Ball program."?
Are you telling me EVERY other school in the State, or if you want to keep it closer to home, in southern Ohio either abiding by these restrictions or going through a YMCA? Did we check with schools in our county, in our league who have biddy ball programs to see what they are doing? What about those programs who are successful year in and year out, have we checked with them to see what they do with the young kids who become very successful in H.S.?

I heard it laid out a few days ago, pretty much as you explained it, pcohio. Don't get me wrong, I am not against the YMCA or trying to say the Y is benefiting financially by this.
I just don't understand it all and think some kids are being left out in the cold, so to speak.

I guess we can find out if kids were left out or how the biddy ball program is affected by taking a look at the number of kids participating this year compared to the numbers from last year's school sponsored program.

[pcohio]

You know as well as I do that the Waverly administration runs things a little differently than other school systems...

I don't understand why you feel these kids are being left out in the cold when it is basically the same program as last year??
The only major difference is it is being run through the YMCA...Why does this make it less beneficial for the kids??

[pcohio]

Biddy Ball Skills Day for Players and Coaches
Sunday, November 23
at the YMCA
2:00PM = 3rd-4th Graders
3:00PM = 5th-6th Graders
*Coaches Meetings will follow each 30-minute Skills Day Session

Games will begin on Sunday, December 7th

[outsider79]

Sounds to me like we owe the YMCA a big thank you for stepping up to the plate and helping us out!

[GoIrish34]

I heard that the "biddy league" was suppose to be a boy's league and a girl's league but changed to co-ed after the deadline because there wasn't enough girls. Rumor has it that there was enough for at least 2 girls teams. Let them play against each other every week. They will learn more that way, more than playing against and with boys. Some parents are not happy about that decision.

[pdracing23]

I dont think the problem with waverly basketball lies within the ymca biddy ball league. If you take a look at some of the better programs in our area such as the Greenfield Mcclains and Logan Elms you will find that they have their own biddy ball programs but also have a try out traveling team in place at the 5th and 6th grade levels.

I personally think there are some kids too advanced at 6th grade to benefit from an instructional biddy ball program. All we are accomplishing is placing one star athlete on each team and letting them score 40 points a game. My Step son and Nephew both playing in the biddy ball program last year and learned nothing. Yes my nephew could score 40 a game but it was not developing his game any. I had connections with coach Stiverson and the Logan Elm program that enabled them to play in some aau type tournaments and see what was out there. When you travel around and play against excellent competition it shows you that maybe you aren't as unbeatable as you thought and just because you can score 40 in a waverly biddy ball league doesn't mean you don't have to work to get better to compete with the states elite.

[smurray]

I think Wheelersburg does the same thing (select 5th & 6th grade traveling team) and it obviously pays off.

Waverly had a 6th grade traveling team the year Walls, Arnett, Murray, Good, Ferguson, Davis were in 6th grade. There was one girl on the team, Mackenzie Gullion. Don Gullion coached the team.

[soccerfix]

Waverly has had a traveling team for 6th grade every year. Harrison Martin's group had a traveling team when he was in the third grade and Roback was in the fourth. Steve Martin coached them through the sixth. The freshman group now with Kelly and Noble traveled as sixth graders. Last year Rick Swain coached the sixth grade bunch. The YMCA has had a 5th and 6th grade tournament probably for 5 years every March. Some parent has to step up and take the ball. I've always said the biddy ball program needs tweaked but at least Brian at the Y is trying.

[smurray]

I thought they had recent traveling teams soccerfix, but I couldn't speak for who was involved.

[crazymidgets]

There was a traveling team last yr for 6th graders, and the yr before Nathan Spriggs took a team out of the ymca and played in a league at triple crown which turned out to be a decent league Chillicothe (2) teams, Westfall (2) teams and Unioto I believe were involved in it.
Would that be something that could be done by the ymca? Coordinate a league with surrounding ymca's, with Jackson, Chillicothe, Portsmouth and possibly Triple Crown.
I've seen where people have been concerned about costs, is there a reason fundraising could not be implemented to make this free for all the kids, bake sales, shootathons, merchant drives etc?
Im an outsider looking in but a few thoughts I thought I would throw out there.

[pdracing23]

soccerfix,

Rick Swain was involved with a traveling team last year that went to three local tournaments. Waverly,Lucasville, and Jackson. They played a combined maybe 8 or 9 games and had 2 practices. Yes it was great for the kids and they gained a little experience. I was more so talking about an actual traveling team. Playing in 9 or 10 tournaments throughout the season. There was a 6th grade team from Lucasville last year that just traveled around to different tournaments all basketball season long, I believe they played in a total of 14 tournaments and absolutely dominated the Waverly and Jackson tournaments. They didn't play in their own tournament because of a tournament in Columbus with much better competition.

I am in no way saying there shouldn't be a biddy ball league as it is a way for kids to improve their skills and stay active with the game. I am just stating that there are some kids that need more to keep a competitive drive about themselves.

[soccerfix]

I saw the Lucasville team play last year and they were terrific. What you have to understand is the time and effort the players, coaches and parents have to commit to have a team like that. It takes a lot of money, that someone has to sponsor. trust me the administration of any school will not sponsor a team like that. Also gym time seems to be a big problem. It is hard enough to find a gym for biddy ball let alone a select team.

[pcohio]

The YMCA Biddy Basketball League is going great! Thanks to those of you that are supporting the league and those of you that see the ultimate goal is to get our kids playing basketball and to ultimately have some FUN doing so!