The basketball leagues are back at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca/Lathrop.
Dominic Roa was among those thrilled once again to be playing organized hoops in a familiar setting.
“I enjoy the sport,” the Sequoia Elementary School eighth grader said on Friday.
He’s been a member of the local Boys & Girls Club since 2014, and has been playing basketball since the age 7.
Roa is among the 30 or so players in the four-team Junior High Basketball League, consisting of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders – he’s on the Warriors and was Player of the Week after scoring 16 points in the opener of the six-game regular schedule (playoffs and championships will be held on April 5 and April 14, respectively).
The other teams in the league are the Celtics, Bulls, and Nets. After three games, the Nets hold on to the top spot with their perfect 3-0 mark. The other teams entered Week 4 with identical 1-2 records.
Games are played at the Boys & Girls Club gym honoring local NBA legend Scott Brooks.
Team Coordinator Trayana Davis was in charge of spearheading the basketball league after a two-year pandemic hiatus.
“I was nervous at first,” she said.
Davis has been a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca for 16 years. She recalled her first-ever visit to the facility located at 545 W. Alameda St.
“As soon as I walked in the gym, I knew this where I wanted to be,” said Davis, who has enjoyed playing basketball since she was a fifth grader.
She played freshman and sophomore hoops at Sierra High in 2013 and 2014.
At the Boys & Girls Clubs, Davis is among the four coaches involved in the hoop league – three are helping out as volunteers, she noted.
The basketball season also featured players age 6-9 and age 10-12. Both leagues wrapped up play not too long ago and involved about 80 club members altogether.
Davis is hoping to continue to build on the program by adding a high school league.
Such programs help in developing fitness, positive use of leisure time, reduce stress, and provide appreciation for social and interpersonal skills.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca/Lathrop has been serving the community since 1982. The goal is to provide a safe and positive environment to help young people reach their full potential.
For more information, log on to www.bgmanteca.org.
