Applications for Garden City Basketball are now available on our website www.gardencitybasketball.org or you may signup online. The regular intramural game day season is expected to start Saturday, December 5th and run through March 6th, 2010.

The focus of Garden City Basketball is our intramural program. Our greater mission is to provide a wonderful experience for all of our participants so that a love for the game of basketball will be nurtured and developed.

Consistent with last year, Garden City Basketball intends to conduct its clinics and games on Saturday MORNING at the St. Paul’s Field House. In response to numerous emails/phone calls we have received regarding the time slot our program will operate this upcoming season, the GCAA has inappropriately announced their winter schedule as 8 AM to 4 PM. The GCAA does NOT have a village permit for this timeframe. No permit has yet been issued by the Village of Garden City. The Village allocates time/space based upon enrollment normally in the middle of November. Our anticipated Saturday morning program will begin with our K-1-2 clinic, then our girls program, and will end with our boys program.

Garden City Basketball has no disparity in ages in our program. The age groupings used are the same ones that were used when Coach Skramko ran the GCAA program. In past years the Garden City Basketball program has enjoyed tremendous support and has provided instruction to 400-600 children each season. Garden City Basketball is a proud member of the JrNBA/JrWNBA, iHoops, and the AAU, respected national youth sports organizations, and our program follows their rules, policies, and procedures. Each of our intramural teams are assigned a head coach and at least one assistant coach.

All intramural teams are established randomly and coached. Our program uses the same reversible dazzle cloth jersey for all teams so that we may move players even during a game to ensure everyone has a fun time. Our goal is simply to have a great program that is our version of fun for children. Our participants are provided equal playing time with no tension and no pressure.

The Garden City Basketball intramural program is held in the St. Paul’s Field House. We offer:

• Saturday and weeknight clinics for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade Boys & Girls. Our nationally recognized clinic uses 8ft baskets and stations of different foundational skills & drills. Professionals recommend staying at a lower basket as not to create poor shooting mechanics in younger players. Basket height at a young age needs to be set for all players not for the limited few who can use the higher basket. If a second grader would like to “play-up” on a 3rd/4th grade intramural team we always have made this accommodation.

• Boys intramurals games for teams in the 3rd & 4th grade and 5th & 6th grade (teams are formed in late November).

• Girls intramurals games for the 3rd & 4th grade and 5th grade and higher (3rd /4th grade teams formed in late November)

• Boys & Girls 3rd Grade and higher weeknight clinics.

• Boys intramural “Friday Night Lights” for the 7th & 8th and 9th & 10th grade. “Friday Night Lights - Streetball” is for Boys 7th thru 10th Grade and held on Friday night at Stewart School. This is the longest running program of its type for this age group in the village and many of the older boys have enjoyed 9 years of pick-up basketball with Island Garden refs and Coach Skramko. This program was originally formed 9 years ago as an “anti-drug and alcohol” alternative. There were teams, uniforms and formal games. The offering has evolved over the years to what it is today. A relaxed format where teenage boys play lots of basketball the way they want to play. Last season the boys generally played about 90 minutes of hoops followed by half court “knock out”. All other clinics and games offered by Garden City Basketball are scheduled on Saturday.

• A variety of special activities like the JrNBA Skills Challenge, NBA Nation, and NBA Cares events.

The quality of the clinics held by Garden City Basketball are some of the best offered. The focus at our clinics is on skills, drills, development, and fun. As in past years, we anticipate at least 6 clinics for each of our 3rd grade through 7th grade participants (NINE hours of instruction). In addition, last year our K-1-2 clinic supplied over THIRTY hours of instruction! Garden City Basketball is second to none in the quality and amount of training we fairly allocate to our participants. For our weeknight clinics, we utilize AAU/Island Garden Instructors. Guest appearances of college players, players from Christ the King, Chaminade, and Garden City High School players have added to the caliber of our sessions.

The registration fee for Garden City Basketball is $50. We do not have “incentive” pricing to signup early. Unlike other programs, we do not believe in nor will we ever charge a late fee.

If there are any questions, please contact John Skramko at jskramko@optonline.net or 746-9659.