Youth basketball has tipped off in Malibu.
For the past two Fridays and Saturdays, kids from kindergarten through eighth grade have been passing, dribbling and shooting hoops in the gym at Malibu High School as a part of the Malibu Parks and Recreation Department’s youth basketball league.
City of Malibu Recreation Coordinator Katie Gallo said the basketball season, which began on Dec. 5, is off to a smooth start.
“Everyone was really excited to start the season,” she said. “We also added an ‘Itty Bitty’ program this year, for kids age three to five. That is a weekly fundamental basketball class, so everyone was really excited.”
On Friday evenings, seven teams made up of sixth- through eighth-graders play. On Saturday mornings and evenings, five teams square off in the kindergarten/first grade division. Also on Saturdays, 15 teams full of elementary school hoopers in grades two through five compete in divisions designated by grade level.
The middle school cheerleading program, which began on Dec. 4, also performs cheer routines during the middle school division basketball games.
Indy Moore, who coaches a team in the kindergarten/first grade division and a team in the fifth grade division, said the environments at the games are awesome.
“It’s a good energy,” said Moore, who has coached youth basketball in Malibu for close to a decade. “The fifth-grade league is a pretty competitive league, so the crowd gets into it. The coaches get into it. It is a fun atmosphere.”
Gallo said there are 280 youths participating in the youth basketball program this year, which is 25 more players than last year.
“We have an extra team in the kindergarten/first grade division and we have an additional team in the middle school level,” she said.
Playing in the youth league gives kids a chance to interact with each other in a fun environment.
“Parents get to sit in the bleachers and cheer on their children,” she said. “It’s a really good opportunity for people in the Malibu community to be with each other, communicate with each other and just be there for their children.”
Moore, who played in youth leagues when he was a youngster, said he took things he learned on the hardwood and applied them to everyday life.
“Discipline and teamwork; communication,” he said. “I was shy as a kid, but with basketball you have to communicate and talk with your teammates and coaches.”
Last Saturday evening, Moore’s fifth-grade squad, the Lakers, lost on a buzzer-beater to the Knicks by a score of 20-19.
“That was a hard fought game,” he said. “Everyone there left everything they had in that gym. You had kids on both teams hugging. It was a cool experience.”
Gallo said along with the action on the court, the action on the sidelines also has been great.
“We rely heavily on the parent volunteers,” she said. “They never let us down. We have always had enough coaches, team parents and assistant coaches. There is a really good volunteer base here.”
The kindergarten/first-grade division season runs until Feb. 14. The divisions encompassing grades two through five run until Feb. 7. The middle school division plays until Feb. 13.
For those who missed out on this year’s deadline, sign-ups for next year’s league begin next September on city’s website.
Playing in the league could turn out to be one of the best experiences for local youngsters.
“For socialization, you learn that you are not going to always win,” Moore said. “No matter what you do you are going to lose at some point in your life. That makes you stronger and makes you appreciate winning that much more. You can carry that over into life or any other sport.”