Western Loudoun Basketball League (WLBL) – 2012

1st Annual “Kickoff Meeting”

Agenda Review

• Welcome• WLBL History• Board Introductions• League Structure• Coaches • Technology • Sponsorship• Spirit Wear• Officiating• Coach/Player

Development

• Middle School Program

• High School Program

• Connections to local High Schools – LVHS, WHS

• Code of Conduct

WLBL History

• Formed in 1970 by parent volunteers who wanted their kids to play organized basketball, regardless of skill ability. First year organization had about 75 players

• In the 1990’s – longtime league president Louie Saunders stepped down in 1995. Louie is still involved with the program today as a lead official and trainer.

• New Board Elected in 1995 included Don Rose, Matt Pinkston, and Norris Beavers, among others.

• In 2004 league expanded to include 2nd and 3rd graders due to demand

• In 2006, growth in area saw league expand to 800 players in youth, and 160 in high school recreation league

• In 2009, league exceeded 1000 player mark.

• In 2011, league exceeded 1000 player in YOUTH program alone, 1200 total – 108 house teams, 8 travel teams, and 12 high school rec teams.

• In 2012, Matt Pinkston and Norris Beavers stepped down after 15 years of service, but remain actively involved with board and officiating.

WLBL – Who do we serve?

• WLBL serves Western Loudoun County – an area that includes elementary schools and middle schools who feed into Loudoun Valley High School and Woodgrove High School. All residents living in the geographic area who would be assigned to a school in our defined region are welcome to participate – this includes public school, private school, and home school children.

Giving Back

• Other than offering a great program for children of all ages, gender, and skill level, WLBL has given back to the community. Over the last 10 years, WLBL has purchased scoreboards for the gymnasiums at Round Hill ES, Emerick ES, Hamilton ES, Mountainview ES, Kenny Culbert ES, Blue Ridge MS, and Harmony MS. These scoreboards average $6,000+ each. Our program is happy to give back to the institutions who teach our children and who partner with us for gym space and facility usage. We are proud of what we have given, and are looking for additional ways to give back in the coming years!

WLBL 2012 Board of Directors

• Derek Irelan, President / High School Liaison• Randy James, Vice President /Director of Coaches• Meg Adams, Treasurer• Stacey Hegerich, Secretary / Director of Spiritwear• Stephen Renner, Director of Technology, Registration, Scheduling• Adrianne Graham Hobbs – Director of Sponsorships, Equipment,

and Elementary School/Middle School Liaison. • Vic Diloreto – Director of Middle School Program• Onzy Elam – Director of Coaches/Player Development • Ed Markowski – Director of Officiating• Claire Volker – Director of Assessments• Danny Michael – Director of High School League• Randy Nixon – Rules Committee Chair• Norris Beavers, Dick Hickman, Louie Saunders, Teri Vineyard, and

Jeni Spagnoli – Officiating Committee

Recognition for Years of Service

• Matt Pinkston – 15 years of service to the league. President of the league – 2 years. Vice President of the league – 13 years. Official for 10+ years. Built initial league website. Helped convert registration from paper to electronic form. Kept all By laws and rules up to date. Also runs NoVa West Lacrosse!

• Norris Beavers – 15 years of service to the league. Treasurer for over 10 years. Official for over 15 years. Also runs Upper Loudoun Little League!

WLBL – Mission Statement

• WLBL is a youth organization comprised of board members, coaches, volunteers, parents, and players. It exists to enable the youth of its member organizations to learn, grow, and develop skills via basketball competition by playing on their neighborhood teams. The administrators, coaches, parents, and spectators should never lose focus that the main objective is to promotes sportsmanship, integrity, and fairness that serves the best interests of the overall majority of the children who participate in our program.

WLBL – Mission Statement

• The purpose of the league shall be to implant firmly in the youth of the community – the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, and courage so that they may be well adjusted, strong, and happy, so they may grow to be good, clean, healthy and trustworthy citizens.

• The purposes will be achieved by teaching basketball fundamentals, and providing supervised related activities. The coaches and Board members shall bear in mind that the attainment of exceptional athletic skill or winning of games is secondary, and that molding future citizens is of prime importance.

WLBL Goals

• Goal of program – to help each and every participant learn the fundamentals of basketball and sportsmanship. Help each and every participate improve their level of skill in the game of basketball. Help each and every player learn MORE about the game of basketball. ENSURE EACH AND EVERY PARTIPANT HAS FUN AND WANTS TO RETURN THE NEXT YEAR!

WLBL Structure• House program: 2nd grade through 8th grade – boys and girls. WLBL is the only program other

than Upward (Leesburg) to accept 2nd graders in program. Must live in defined region of Western Loudoun County – child should be zoned to attend LVHS or WHS in high school. Program has end of season tournament to determine league champion and recognizes division champion.

• HUSSA program – “house league” all star tournament which includes all Loudoun County House leagues . Leagues may enter teams from 5th grade up to 8th grade– separated by gender. Teams are chosen by coaches who vote for 10 top players for each school represented (Middle Schools). Teams practice for a week, sometimes, two, and participate in a three day tournament.

• Middle School (formerly travel): 6th, 7th, and 8th grade boys and girls tryout for “select” teams, who compete against other Loudoun County schools. Middle school is used only as term to designate geographic areas for who tries out for which team – program is not administered by the schools, so participation is open to anyone in WLBL program who wishes to tryout.

• High School program – recreation league for high school divided into two leagues – 9 th/10th grade and 11th/12th grade. Boys and girls play together – league does not have any practices, just games on Sundays at the high school.

• CBC – Catoctin Basketball Club – local club which recently came under the WLBL umbrella – provides opportunities for additional time on the court – via clinics, camps, and AAU basketball. AAU basketball is active during spring, summer, and fall. Program does not have AAU outlet during winter season when WLBL program is underway. Program is open to ANY resident who wishes to participate, or any team – not an exclusive program for Western Loudoun Residents.

• WLBL Officials – WLBL has its own Officials organization. We do NOT contract with any local officials organizations – we recruit our own officials who are local residents, and many residents who have gone through our program as players and come back to become referees. Officials may begin in program at age 16.

WLBL – Coaches

• Composed of volunteers – many parents, and many non parents!

• Recruitment – we are always looking for coaches – many times the number of teams we can field is a direct result of the number of coaches we can recruit!

• Goals – teach the kids the fundamentals of basketball, competing, and sportsmanship! Make them want to come back next year!

• Training – clinics, invitation to attend high school practices, attend middle school practices.

Technology

• All new website design – trying to streamline info to make site interactive for coaches, parents, and referees.

• Facebook/Twitter! • Coaches Corner – tools for coaches• Communication (e-mail, text, etc)• Rainedout.com – coming out this week – will

help with communicating last second blackouts, and weather related cancellations/delays

• Feedback

Sponsorship programs and Fundraising!

• Sponsorship program – includes two packages:

$250 – team banner on team page, front page of website banner for all to see, business on jerseys for 1 team

$150 – team banner on team page, business on jerseys for 1 team.

• Sponsorships due Friday, November 2nd.

Fundraising – Spirit Wear!

• No more Kettle Korn! We be selling t-shirts, shooter shirts (long sleeve), sweatshirts (hoodies), and car/fridge magnets! Link is now on the website and is LIVE!

• Order by November 9th to guarentee items before the Holidays! Orders after 11/9 will not be delivered till February

• We are looking into selling spirit wear at the Turkey Shootout tournament, and may have some drinks and/or food as we are allowed for sale as well!

• Future tournaments will have t-shirts for our league, as well as food and other items to help bring in more money and keep registration low, and help us give more back to the kids with clinics, more scoreboards (maybe Harmony Aux gym?) and other great benefits!

Officiating Organization

• Who are our officials? People in our community!• Training provided to them – clinics, on court practice and

feedback• Message for 2012 – CONSISTANTCY and Feedback! • Will keep officials who specialize in a certain grade

group/gender, with the same group THROUGH the playoffs. This should help stabilize how game is called and allow the players to “play”!

• WE ARE HUMAN! Mistakes happen. This is not as easy at it looks!!!

• Interested in joining the organization? See Ed Markowski!

Coaches / Players Development

• Coaching Clinics and opportunities

• Sunday clinics coming soon!

• Feedback

• Turkey Shootout tournament (1st annual) – will include ALL house teams. 2-3 games in scrimmage style, running clock style. Will allow coaches to get a few games in and see what they need to concentrate on!

Middle School Program• Harmony and Blue Ridge• Teams are composed of anyone who lives in our geographic area –

who would like to tryout and be considered. • Tryouts include an independent team of evaluators for each grade

level – of which NONE have a child trying out, and most have not seen the players play.

• Teams selections are made by Head Coach, Middle School Director, and President/Vice President using evaluations from the independent assessors.

• 6 boys teams – 6th/7th/8th for each school• 4 girls teams – “A” and “B” for each school – composed of girls in

6th, 7th, and 8th grade• Games on Sundays at selected gyms. Teams play all year at the

same gym with other teams for that grade/gender level.

High School Program

• Open to anyone in our defined region and both high schools.

• No practices• Games on Sunday afternoon at the high

schools! • NEED HELP WITH RECRUITINC

COACHES AND PLAYERS!!!!• Goal – allow the kids to have fun, with

friends, and keep active!

High School Connection• WLBL is connected directly to LVHS and WHS programs. Since our

program is the primary “feeder” program to the high schools, we maintain relationships with the leaders of these programs – the Athletic Directors, Head Coaches, and Assistant Coaches of these programs. We had several head coaches come out this year for our evaluations, and many players from the high school teams came to help out during evaluations – many of whom participated in our program before going to high school. WE even have some players who coach a team from time to time!

• We enjoy great relationships with Chad Dawson, Kevin Weeren (who coaches in our league), Kenyama MacFarlane, Steve Douglas, and Kevin Copley. We are also connected with Kris Kelican (AD –LVHS) and Rusty Lowery (AD – WHS) frequently and they are very supportive of our program and our youth.

• Both high schools will have WLBL night – where our players get in for free if they wear their WLBL uniforms. We will also have some teams participate at half time during games at all levels – Varsity, JV, and Freshman!

• There are clinics/camps each year locally for the kids sponsored by the coaches – Chad Dawson, Steve Douglas, and Kevin Weeren.

WLBL Code of Conduct

• New policy this year – “no tolerance”. • Background – kids have changed in the last 10 years,

and so have parents. We have witnessed people screaming at other coaches, players, fans, and officials. There is no place for this behavior.

• These are your neighbors – you may see them tomorrow at Harris Teeter or Giant or Coaches Corner!

• How would you feel if someone screamed at you over a 3rd grade basketball game? REALLY??

• This is YOUTH basketball…not the NBA and not college. ESPN is not coming out today…and no one will appear on the ESPYS next week.

• Our worse offenders, year after year – the younger ages.

WLBL – Code of Conduct

• Our community is seeing more confrontations in other sports, and we are coming close to being the community pictured on the next ‘U Tube” video, with a viral effect! We need to take a deep breath and realize – this is YOUTH SPORTS!

• Positive energy only – no negativity toward players (ESPECIALLY), coaches, and referees. (YES, we said REFEREES).

WLBL – Code of Conduct

• No one has the right to yell at people incessantly.

• Referees are human – they make mistakes• Know the rules – there is no such foul as “over

the back”. The foul is a “push” in the back to gain better position for a rebound.

• Treat others as you would like to be treated – how would you feel if someone was yelling at you for an entire game while kids were playing?

Code of Conduct• New rules:• First offense for yelling obsessively or behaving in a way contrary to

our league’s behavior guidelines – a warning. Please be respectful as a board member, referee, or PRCS representative can issue this warning, and will ask your name to ensure we have a record.

• Second offense – Ejected from venue. No exceptions, please leave the premise. Declining to leave or being confrontational will prompt venue to call the authorities. Must meet with select Board members prior to being allowed back in any gym or league venue/function.

• Third offense – Expulsion from the league for the remainder of the year. Cannot petition to come back to the league until next colander year, and must meet with select Board members prior to being accepted.