Shooting for the Stars with Youth Basketball

We're about midway through the season of youth co-ed individual basketball league and the competition has been nothing but fierce on the court. Between practices and games, it has been a busy 2018-2019 season. Youth between the ages of 5 and 12 have the opportunity to join a team and play basketball during the Fall. Practices and games, both lasting about one hour, are held on Saturday mornings as well as some weekdays, depending on your team schedule. The games are played at Walltown Park Recreation Center, Edison Johnson Recreation Center, Community Family Life and Recreation Center at Lyon Park, W.D. Hill Recreation Center and Holton Career & Resource Center. Throughout the season, 

Want to know more about the practices and game rules? Check out this Parent Information Sheet which goes into detail on rules for each age group, cancellation line, winter weather details, and more. You can also check in on the season standings and game results on our website by clicking here. 

Interested in volunteering? The Youth Basketball League is always looking for volunteer head coaches and assistant coaches! Please fill out the Volunteer Application Form,complete a background check and contact Jonathan Ray before November 1. Not quite sure if volunteering is for you? Learn more about the rewarding opportunities you can experience in this coach's highlight from one of our seasoned volunteers, Ed Cvelich.

My name is Ed Cvelich. People call me “Coach Ed” because my last name is difficult to say.  I have been volunteering as a basketball coach with DPR for 13 years. I’ve always had a passion for basketball and my sons played basketball throughout their Middle and High School years. Even then I desired to coach youth basketball but my time was taken up with transporting them to their practices and games. Once both of them were in college, I had the time to volunteer.

There were several young kids in our neighborhood of Walltown who wanted to have a basketball team. So in 2005, I registered them in DPR’s JR NBA as the Walltown Wildcats and we have had Walltown teams ever since. It has been very gratifying to see the youth grow and mature as players and as people.

You never know what kids will say. One player asked me at practice how old I was. When I told him he replied. “Coach Ed, you are too old to coach. You will have a heart attack!” My response was, “I may be too old to play but I am not too old to coachJ.”

If you have any other questions regarding the individual league, email Jonathan Ray or call 919-560-4355, ext. 27221. For more information, visit the Youth Basketball page on our website by clicking here.