Morgan athletes have made a huge impact on youth basketball in Clinton. Several basketball players have been involved through reffing, coaching, and doing the scoreboard. Almost every boy’s Park & Rec team has at least one high school player to coach and teach them basic basketball skills. It is obvious how much the young kids look up to these high school athletes and how the Morgan athletes want to give back to their community and bring up the next generation of Morgan basketball players.
Each team is assigned two to three Morgan student coaches along with a parent to help out. One game is played every Saturday after a thirty-minute practice time. Coaches are there to direct drills and help build the skills of each player before guiding them throughout the game. Refs also play a part in teaching the kids how to play. After every call, they make sure to explain to the kids what they did. For example, if a kid travels, the Morgan student refs are there to explain that they cannot run without dribbling the ball. The refs are there to monitor, help the kids understand the game, and build the young player up while teaching them at the same time.
Junior Hunter Mancini, who coaches one of the boys Park & Rec teams, explains that he signed up to be a coach because it gives these kids someone to look up to, and it’s a great way for him to spend his extra time. He loves interacting with them and has coached these kids since his freshman year. He values the bond he has made with them.
Sophomore Jacquelyn Ciarleglio is a third and fourth grade girl’s coach. This is her first year coaching, and she said, “coaching is a really fun experience.” She saw lots of development from each of her players, and her favorite part is “watching their excitement after they score and how proud they are of each other.”
Refs and scorekeepers are paid fifteen dollars per game, and coaches are volunteers. Refs are required to attend a two-hour training that occurs at the beginning of the season and will follow an experienced ref for a game or two before they begin reffing on their own. Anyone who is interested in getting involved can go to the Park and Recreation Department.