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Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball coach Phil Gary (center, in black baseball cap) addresses campers at the first-ever Junior Huskies Basketball Clinic, held July 24 at OPRF. (Provided by Phil Gary)<\/p>\nIn its debut last year, the Junior Huskies basketball feeder program saw more than 300 boys and girls participate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going real well,\u201d said program director Phil Gary, who is entering his sixth season as varsity head coach of the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team. Gary believes the feeder program has room to grow, and he\u2019s looking for increased participation this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a good number,\u201d he said, \u201cbut we want to have as many kids as possible be involved in our fall league.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For OPRF girls basketball varsity head coach Renee Brantley, the Junior Huskies are a valuable asset, helping her high school program grow and improve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been great being involved with the community and getting connected with the younger ballplayers,\u201d said Brantley, about to begin her third season leading the Huskies. \u201cJust seeing them learn, grow the game, develop chemistry with each other, and get familiar with how we do things has been really impactful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball coach Phil Gary (center, in black baseball cap) addresses campers at the first-ever Junior Huskies Basketball Clinic, held July 24 at OPRF. (Provided by Phil Gary)<\/p>\n
Player evaluations for the Junior Huskies fall league take place Aug. 9 and 10 at the River Forest Community Center, 8020 W. Madison. On Aug. 9, third and fourth grade boys will be evaluated from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m., followed by fifth and sixth grade boys from noon until 1:15 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The following day, girls from grades 3-5 will be evaluated from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Then boys entering seventh and eighth grades will get a look from 3:35 to 4:50 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each participant receives a uniform, and fall league games begin Aug. 16 at OPRF. Games are held each Saturday until Oct. 25 and there will be one practice each week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Gary, the league\u2019s schedule is designed to accommodate those participants who play sports in the fall like football, soccer, and volleyball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will help keep kids playing football or other sports in basketball shape,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Besides the fall league, other aspects of the Junior Huskies include a skills academy, which runs every Tuesday, Sept. 9 through Oct. 14; a winter travel league team whose season runs from November through mid-March; and youth basketball camps for boys and girls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brantley and Gary agree that having a strong feeder program helps the high school programs at all levels.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt allows us to get engaged with the talent in the community and establish a great culture,\u201d Brantley said. \u201cIt gets kids excited about playing basketball at OPRF. There\u2019s a lot of talent here and we want to retain that talent as much as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs coaches at the high school level, we get to see the future early,\u201d Gary said. \u201cWe get to see the kids who are growing and developing. By the time they are freshmen, they know the plays we run and recognize a lot of familiar faces. It\u2019s a win-win for everybody.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gary also believes the new gymnasium being constructed in Phase 2 of OPRF\u2019s Imagine Project will be a game-changer for both the Junior Huskies and the high school programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be caught up to speed with a lot of high schools, particularly in our conference [West Suburban Silver],\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of schools in our conference have updated gyms, which helps kids want to be in them more.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Brantley admits there\u2019s a challenge for OPRF to retain local talent with nearby private schools like Fenwick, Montini Catholic, Nazareth Academy, and Trinity around, she\u2019s been heartened by the support she sees in the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel like we\u2019ve built meaningful connections,\u201d Brantley said. \u201cIt\u2019s great going to the grocery store and they call out, \u201cHey, coach.\u201d You provide them guidance and offer constructive criticism about their game and support them as much as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gary is looking for more donors and sponsors to help build up and sustain the Junior Huskies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAny donation helps. It\u2019s all for the kids and it goes for a good cause,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information about the upcoming fall league and other programs, or to help out, please visit jrhuskiesbball.com\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n
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