OT Kids Basketball League?

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Anyone know of good places for kids to play basketball in the Portland area?
My oldest is 3 and she watches NBA games with me and I’m teaching her to dribble, and shoot on a small hoop. She loves it so far, and I’m interested in finding a good place with other kids for her to play.
I know most places need volunteers, and I’m willing to coach, or ref if needed, (I’d rather coach, two blown knees later and Running isn’t my favorite thing to do...).
Even if the leagues are for older kids, it would be great to know where to look as she gets if older if she wants to play.

 

[dviss1]

Anyone know of good places for kids to play basketball in the Portland area?
My oldest is 3 and she watches NBA games with me and I’m teaching her to dribble, and shoot on a small hoop. She loves it so far, and I’m interested in finding a good place with other kids for her to play.
I know most places need volunteers, and I’m willing to coach, or ref if needed, (I’d rather coach, two blown knees later and Running isn’t my favorite thing to do...).
Even if the leagues are for older kids, it would be great to know where to look as she gets if older if she wants to play.

Lol she's 3... CUTE!! I love kids.

It's a little early to start competing. For now, just play 1 on 1, or 2 on none with her, where you pass the ball to each other and shoot (teaches sharing of the ball).

Start at the Y when she's in like Kindergarten.

That gives you 2 years of you helping create her love for the sport. Watch games with her and get OVER excited when something good happens. She'll wonder why daddy is so excited. Put her on your lap and tell her why YOU love basketball. Say only positive things.

Now, she needs a "starter kit".

Hopefully she already has a lil tykes basketball hoop. If not get one tomorrow. Even now challenge her to shoot from farther and farther away. Let her know she can do it. Build her confidence. When she turns 6 in first grade, go big and get her one of these. They're only 25 bucks at Target:

The girls are opposite of the boys. Boys play to look good. Girls play because they love to.

In first grade go anywhere, play anybody (the Y youth leagues are perfect). She needs to get used to competing. Actually competing. Teach her toughness. Throw the ball on the ground and make her slide on the ground and get it. Make her run into you to initiate contact and make layups. The best girl players develop that particular skill. Tell her to be SELFISH. Meaning: ONLY share the ball with her teammates. She should be almost angry that the other team has THEIR ball. Her mentality should be to ATTACK at all times. She's there to compete. You play to WIN the game.

Then when she's in third grade, Bring her to us. The Portland Energy. We should have our girls AAU program up and running by then.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Lol she's 3... CUTE!! I love kids.

It's a little early to start competing. For now, just play 1 on 1, or 2 on none with her, where you pass the ball to each other and shoot (teaches sharing of the ball).

Start at the Y when she's in like Kindergarten.

That gives you 2 years of you helping create her love for the sport. Watch games with her and get OVER excited when something good happens. She'll wonder why daddy is so excited. Put her on your lap and tell her why YOU love basketball. Say only positive things.

Now, she needs a "starter kit".

Hopefully she already has a lil tykes basketball hoop. If not get one tomorrow. Even now challenge her to shoot from farther and farther away. Let her know she can do it. Build her confidence. When she turns 6 in first grade, go big and get her one of these. They're only 25 bucks at Target:

The girls are opposite of the boys. Boys play to look good. Girls play because they love to.

In first grade go anywhere, play anybody (the Y youth leagues are perfect). She needs to get used to competing. Actually competing. Teach her toughness. Throw the ball on the ground and make her slide on the ground and get it. Make her run into you to initiate contact and make layups. The best girl players develop that particular skill. Tell her to be SELFISH. Meaning: ONLY share the ball with her teammates. She should be almost angry that the other team has THEIR ball. Her mentality should be to ATTACK at all times. She's there to compete. You play to WIN the game.

Then when she's in third grade, Bring her to us. The Portland Energy. We should have our girls AAU program up and running by then.

Thanks for the advice. Interesting story, my parents had a little tykes basketball hoop for me when I was really young, because even at like 2 years old I would run around and try to emulate what I saw basketball players on tv trying to do. They had kept it, and when my oldest (the 3 year old) turned 2, they refurbished it, and put her name on it, and had it all fixed up for her birthday. She's always liked watching sports with me, and we go out in our back yard where it's set up and play a lot. I don't know how much she'll want to play as she grows up, but it's super fun now. The toughness thing I don't think I'll have to teach her, she's got two sisters and they're all kind of crazy, and competitive with each other over everything already. When I dribble around she tries to body up on me and get down in the defensive stance, cracks me up.
I have a female cousin who played college basketball, that will help her out if she wants to follow the basketball path.

So the lame part about making shots through contact is being a 5'10 white dude, in hs and college I could dunk, but barely so it was only fast breaks by myself but my coaches made me practice layups through contact so much that I got really good at them, to the point it felt weird taking a lay up without someone hitting me. I remember a friend of mine telling me I was better around the rim when I had a 6'10 guy all over me then when I was wide open, I think he was joking.

Anyways, hope in a few years she's good enough for the AAU team, and good luck with all the preparation to get it up and going.

 

[PDXFonz]

DViss makes an excellent suggestion.

I suggest buying a 20lb medicine ball and start teaching her to shoot on a 10 foot tall rim.

Sink or swim!

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

DViss makes an excellent suggestion.

I suggest buying a 20lb medicine ball and start teaching her to shoot on a 10 foot tall rim.

Sink or swim!

Lol, about a month ago we had the hoop as low as it goes, and when she realized she could dunk it, that's all she wanted to do, so the hoop got bigger. Which makes me think I need to get out my SpaceJam movie.

 

[H.C.]

@TorturedBlazerFan
I don't know how far you're willing to travel.
But in Mcminnville I teach a basketball smart start class for ages 3-5.
We just had our first class Wednesday for baseball.(The class is full and they fill really fast)
For example, registration for baseball opened April 30th. The class was full with 32 children on the 1st.

Initiating a child into sports is delicate at times. Especially at a young age. One night they could love it, the next night they could hate it.
There are three other instructors and we all teach a specific skill(4 rotations so the child doesn't get bored) over an hour and a half.(+ potty/water breaks)
Classes go for 6 weeks.

If you're interested I can get you more information.
The next course is soccer, then basketball come January.(If I remember my dates correctly.

 

[PDXFonz]

Lol, about a month ago we had the hoop as low as it goes, and when she realized she could dunk it, that's all she wanted to do, so the hoop got bigger. Which makes me think I need to get out my SpaceJam movie.

Yes, getting space jam out is a must. I propose that is what you do instead of the baby basketball hoop.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

@TorturedBlazerFan
I don't know how far you're willing to travel.
But in Mcminnville I teach a basketball smart start class for ages 3-5.
We just had our first class Wednesday for baseball.(The class is full and they fill really fast)
For example, registration for baseball opened April 30th. The class was full with 32 children on the 1st.

Initiating a child into sports is delicate at times. Especially at a young age. One night they could love it, the next night they could hate it.
There are three other instructors and we all teach a specific skill(4 rotations so the child doesn't get bored) over an hour and a half.(+ potty/water breaks)
Classes go for 6 weeks.

If you're interested I can get you more information.
The next course is soccer, then basketball come January.(If I remember my dates correctly.

She’ll be 4 in August so January would be a good time to start if she decides she wants to keep playing basketball.
If you have any information I’ll take it, McMinnville is about an hour 15 minutes drive for us, but that might be ok depending schedules and all that.

 

[CupWizier]

Thanks for the advice. Interesting story, my parents had a little tykes basketball hoop for me when I was really young, because even at like 2 years old I would run around and try to emulate what I saw basketball players on tv trying to do. They had kept it, and when my oldest (the 3 year old) turned 2, they refurbished it, and put her name on it, and had it all fixed up for her birthday. She's always liked watching sports with me, and we go out in our back yard where it's set up and play a lot. I don't know how much she'll want to play as she grows up, but it's super fun now. The toughness thing I don't think I'll have to teach her, she's got two sisters and they're all kind of crazy, and competitive with each other over everything already. When I dribble around she tries to body up on me and get down in the defensive stance, cracks me up.
I have a female cousin who played college basketball, that will help her out if she wants to follow the basketball path.

So the lame part about making shots through contact is being a 5'10 white dude, in hs and college I could dunk, but barely so it was only fast breaks by myself but my coaches made me practice layups through contact so much that I got really good at them, to the point it felt weird taking a lay up without someone hitting me. I remember a friend of mine telling me I was better around the rim when I had a 6'10 guy all over me then when I was wide open, I think he was joking.

Anyways, hope in a few years she's good enough for the AAU team, and good luck with all the preparation to get it up and going.

The Boys and Girls Club have some great early child basketball programs. My daughter started at the one in Sellwood and was on a coed team and was still one of the better players. Also pick up a Portland Parks and Recreation booklet as it will show classes available at various schools throughout the Portland area and then there are the various Community Centers that have youth programs. My grandson played at Mt. Scott Community Center as well as the Eastside Community Center near Mall 205. I would also suggest using these programs for several years and avoid the higher cost of AAU ball till she shows the willingness to stick with it and willing to commit the time. I would say around 10 years old is a good age to look for an advanced program. My suggestion would also be like Dviss suggested and work with her yourself right now and then maybe look at around 6 years old to play some team ball.