Town of Callicoon Youth Basketball

They’ve got game

Kids from grades three through six take to the hardwood for fun and experience

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — When they make a basket, their smiles light up the gym. Rousing cheers from teammates, coaches and parents solidify that moment as something to remember.

It’s a Saturday morning in winter and approximately 150 boys and girls, grades three through six, have donned their team-name-emblazoned t-shirts to engage in a morning of hoopla at the Town of Callicoon Youth Basketball program.

Under the auspices of program coordinator Jill Grishaber, and the experienced tutelage of Sullivan West boys’ varsity coaches Rick Ellision and Bob Menges, young participants are afforded a great introduction to the game of basketball. Ellison and Menges have volunteered for the program since the early ‘90s.

Years from now, some of these kids will light it up as varsity players. Last year’s graduating superstars Joe Winski, Sean Semenetz and Joe Meyer got their start in Ellison and Menges’ first youth basketball group. Current Bulldogs Kevin Cappiello, Derek Hahn, Ross Bernhardt, Bret Youmans, and Lady Bulldogs Kate Fanning and April Ackermann, came up through the program’s ranks. And while some have to work on Saturdays, the vast majority of those varsity players freely give the young program participants a positive initiation into the world’s greatest game as junior coaches.

Wearing color-coded t-shirts to match their teams’ NBA namesakes, the boys sport either dark blue Knicks shirts, lighter blue ones for the Nets, black for the Cavaliers or green shirts to emulate the Sonics, to name a few.

Over in the cafeteria gym, which has had its baskets modified with add-ons that lower the rim to eight feet, the girls sport black t-shirts to represent the WNBA Sting, red ones for the Mercury and blue for the Mystics, among others.

The program costs $50 dollars for town residents and $55 for out-of-towners. The jayvee players coach and ref the games for kids in grades three and four, while the varsity players coach the fifth and sixth graders. It is mutually beneficial to both the kids and their older coaches. For the youngsters, it’s a big deal to have high school kids to admire and emulate. But the benefits work both ways.

“This is my first year coaching,” said Cody Copp, a sophomore on the Bulldogs’ junior varsity team. “I get to teach the little kids and I have a lot of fun doing it.” Asked how his young team is doing, Copp smiled and said, “We’ve won a couple of games. It’s a work in progress.”

But it’s really not about winning. It’s about having fun and there is no shortage of that in evidence as you move in and out of the three gyms.

The league is in its playoffs now, after a regular season of six games. The top four teams in each age group are vying for a championship. It’s a single elimination tournament, with a consolation round to give each team an eight-game season. Teams that finish fifth or sixth get to play in the tournament too, just not for a title.

In addition to Ellison and Menges, junior varsity coach George Rose and girls varsity assistant coach Kurt Scheibe are on hand to ref, supervise and keep score. Meg Armstrong staffs the concession stand. The proceeds from the goodies go straight to the school’s basketball programs to help fund summer league participation and more.

March 11 marks the close of this year’s season. While the cheers, the camera flashes and the sound of the bouncing rock will temporarily vanish, you can be sure that what was started here is just the beginning for many young players who have started their life-long love of the game.

Playoff results are as follows:

Girls grades three and four

Mercury beat the Mystics. Sparks beat the Sting.

Games scheduled for March 4:

Sparks vs. Mystics, 10:00 a.m.; Mercury vs. Sting, 11:00 a.m. (championship)

Boys grades three and four

Pacers beat the Knicks. Sonics beat the Heat.

Cavs beat the Magic (5th- and 6th-place teams; were not in playoffs but still get to play)

Games scheduled for March 4:

Magic vs. Knicks, 9:00 a.m.; Cavs vs. Sonics, 10:00 a.m.; and Pacers vs. Sonics, 11:00 a.m. (championship)

Girls grades five and six

Monarchs beat Comets. Shock beat Liberty.

Games scheduled for March 11:

Comets vs. Liberty, 10:00 a.m.; Monarchs vs. Shock, 11:00 a.m. (championship)

Boys grades five and six

Clippers beat Lakers (Lakers were the top seed). The Sixers beat the Celtics.

Nuggets beat the Nets (5th- and 6th-place teams, not in playoffs)

Games scheduled for March 11:

Nets vs. Lakers, 9:00 a.m.; Nuggets vs. Celtics, 10:00 a.m.; and Clippers vs. Sixers, 11:00 a.m. (championship).

For a youth basketball photo album, visit riverreportersports.com.