Boys & Girls Clubs revives basketball program

Years ago, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada had a thriving basketball league for children. Then it dwindled until it stopped about six or seven years ago. Now, the organization is bringing it back with a citywide league.

Mark Jacoby, area director, heads the sports program. He works from the Lied Memorial Clubhouse, 2850 Lindell Road, and has a vested interest in seeing the league return. He grew up across the street, literally. As an 11-year-old, he watched as the facility was built in 1974. He has worked with the organization for about 25 years.

“The whole thing is we’re trying to build sports across the valley,” Jacoby said. “We’re going to have 16 clubhouses, with a new one coming on around spring break. And our goal is to develop sports at all our clubhouses, even the ones that don’t have a gym. They’re adjacent to an elementary school so they can (use their facilities).”

Besides the Lied facility, basketball league locations are the Southern Highlands Club, 10900 Southern Highlands Parkway; the Andre Agassi Club, 800 N. Martin Luther King Blvd.; and the John C. Kish Clubhouse, 401 Drake St.

Jacoby said he’d like to see 400 kids involved in the league. It targets youths ages 5 through 12 and is intended as a developmental league, teaching participants the basics of the sport.

“It seems like we’re really working hard with after-school programs like Homework Help, Healthy Habits and Smart Moves, which teaches kids how to conduct themselves (properly), but there are no sports programs,” Jacoby said.

He said sports teach young people about teamwork, commitment, sportsmanship and work ethics.

In the past 30 years, obesity has more than doubled in young children and quadrupled in adolescents, potentially leading to a host of chronic diseases later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conversely, the CDC reports that regular physical activity provides a long list of physical benefits for children.

Basketball games are set to start at about 6 or 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with some Saturday events.

“There will be no Friday night games,” Jacoby said, as “parents are busy. They have things scheduled on Friday nights, and not only that, but it’s a family time.”

On Jan. 21, the inaugural practice was held at the Lied facility.

Jason Baker was the first one there and brought his son Vegas, 7. They used to frequent the facility but not for a while, but Dad had been involved in its sports programs as a child. Recently, he saw something on the Internet promoting the new league and decided to let his son join.

“I played it as a kid, and I thought it’d be pretty fun for him,” he said. “If he was home, he’d be — we have a basketball hoop out front — so he’d be doing that or on the computer, just being a typical kid.”

At first, barely a dozen kids showed up, then more trickled in until there were roughly 50. Eight of them were girls.

Leon Dulley, 8, said even if the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada wasn’t offering basketball, he’d be playing the sport in his own backyard.

“I like to play basketball, and I practice really hard,” he said.

Kyree Knight, 9, said if she wasn’t at the practice, she’d still be at the facility because she’s there almost daily. She said she liked it because, “I get to meet new people, make new friends. I signed up (for the league) because I play basketball and like it a lot. I knew I’d be good at it.”

Willis Brown, director at Southern Highlands, headed the launch clinic and began practice with exercises: jumping jacks, running in place, ab crunches, push-ups and a child’s version of planks. The kids were divided into four groups. One boy abandoned his group, hurrying to join the one where his friend was. Then the instruction began.

The children took turns zig-zagging between orange cones while dribbling, learning to swap the ball between hands as though a defender were beside them. They learned the value of keeping a solid hold on the ball when stopped. Those who didn’t had it batted out of their hands. Sometimes everything went wrong, and basketballs escaped as if they had minds of their own.

Parents watched from the bleachers, using cellphones and cameras to capture the moment.

Boys & Girls Clubs members can take part in the league free, and nonmembers pay $70, which includes a one-year club membership.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada serves more than 21,000 youths in kindergarten through 12th grade in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Southern Highlands and Summerlin. For more information, including club locations, visit bgcsnv.org or call 702-367-2582.

Contact Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 702-387-2949.