Summer league leaves coaches at home
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published July 5, 2006

Fairview resident Brett Willgren drives toward the basket during a Summer Hoops game. (Photos by Larry Bennet)

The Rocky River Summer Hoops basketball league on the surface appears to be like any other recreation league. Teams play twice a week starting on June 12. The eight game season is followed by playoffs that includes every team.

The first variation is that you don’t have to be from Rocky River to play in the league.

“We have 56 teams,” Rocky River Recreation Civic Center manager Dave Ford said. “The kids come from all over the place. Mostly they are from suburbs from around Rocky River, like Westlake, Bay and North Olmsted. It is mostly boys but we do have 17 girls teams.”

The reason for allowing non-residents to play in the league was simple.

“We wanted to let the boys and girls have more competition where they can compete against kids other than the ones they normally see in rec leagues,” Ford said. “We have all levels. We have travel teams, CYO teams and just buddies from the neighborhood that put a team together just to have some fun. Some of the play is pretty good, especially our ninth grade boys teams. North Olmsted is always strong, Avon Lake too. It is fun to come out of the office and see some pretty good play. We have real officials and run it just like a real league.”

With one notable exception.

“We allow no coaches,“ Ford said. “The kids have to run it themselves and make their own substitutions.”

Ford said not allowing adult coaches was made for a reason.

Rocky River resident Brittany Towner attempts a layup.

“Everything kids are involved with now is set up for them,” Ford said. “Now this is getting back to playing pick-up, but this is organized basketball. It gives the kids some freedom. For some of the kids going into seventh grade it might be a little difficult but after the first couple of games, they get it and they understand.”

The program has taken place indoors at the Umerley Center since it opened six years ago. Previously the league was run indoors at the high school for three years and before that at the old outdoor courts for eight years.

“There has been a lot of talent to pass through the league,” Ford said. “ The Gansey boys played in this league. Olmsted Falls has always had some good teams. Rocky River had some good teams when Caruso and those guys played. It is a buffer league before a high school summer league.”

The league combines the backyard feel of pick-up with structured rules and uniforms.

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“We have great officials who are supervising the game,” Ford said. “Many of them are high school officials who are teachers and are available during the day. They are going to make calls and a travel is a travel.”

Former Berea varsity coach and Fairview athletic director Tom Faksa has had both of his sons play in the league. Sean Faska is currently a co-captain for his Fairview based eighth grade team.

“They don’t have to listen to some adult tell them what to do all the time,” Tom Faska said. “It makes them think for themselves and maybe learn  more about basketball. And at least one or two of the guys learn to understand what a coach goes through. The bottom line is they are playing. It gives the kids a reason to get off the couch. The refs are high school officials and they do a great job.”

Sean loves playing in the league.

“It is a lot of fun,” he said. “It is not that hard to be the coach. And I like there are officials; so there are no cheap calls of fouls. It makes it more fun.”

Rocky River resident Brittany Towner is a captain for her incoming ninth grade team. She agrees that deciding when to sub is not that complicated.

   “It is not a big deal, you just sub,“ Towner said. “We know what we are doing. The league is just fun. I like how it gives you freedom to make decisions.”

  Her teammate Molly McNally also enjoys the concept of the league.

    “The competition is good and I like that you have to learn by yourself what to do in situations,” McNally said. “I think it is helping prepare us for high school.”

   Fairview girls varsity coach Jessica Tafe is one of the referees for the league.

“I think it is a good opportunity for the kids to discover how to play,“ Tafe said. “When you have a coach you learn to do what they say and in this sort of a league, they have to learn to think on their own on what to do in certain situations, like when to call a time-out or when to run the clock. It lets them grow as people too. They have to work out the rotation and knowing what their role is on the team.”

The league playoffs start July 17.