KINGSTON — For the 15th year running strong, Kingston’s annual three on three Hip Hop Hoop Shoot will be bouncing into Kingston Junior High gymnasiums for a basketball extravaganza.
Imagine, a day filled to the brim with youth basketball. It all begins at 9 a.m. Jan. 20.
The event will feature divisions for boys and girls, grades 3-9, with 15-minute games played in straight double elimination tournament style. Kids can sign up through Poulsbo Parks and Recreation for $15 per player — a maximum of five players per team. Registration is available at 19540 Front St. in Poulsbo or by phone at (360) 779-9898.
“If the player is already signed up with winter rec basketball, they get a $5 discount,” said Hoop Shoot director Joe Schiel. “The first 80 teams get event tees. The first 50 teams to register receive a free pizza from Kingston Pizza Factory.”
Players are being asked to register early, while calls for volunteers to help run the event are going out.
“We try very hard to keep this a kid-oriented event,” Schiel said. “You can also volunteer right at the event, we will get you on the floor. You don’t need to know basketball rules … the kids call the fouls. The (volunteer) monitor keeps the score, time and peace.”
During competition, kids will control all substitutions, foul calls and game decisions under the eye and supervision of the adult court monitor. That autonomy both helps the kids in teaching them the facets of the game, while cutting down the organizational hassle of hiring referees for the massive event.
That is why volunteers are needed both as game monitors and helping hands for the tournament. Helpers are needed for the duration of the games which typically last from 9 a.m. to 9-9:30 p.m., Schiel said.
At the end of the day, each division winning team will receive championship shooter jerseys for each of its players while each second place divisional team will receive medals. All divisional awards are being provided by Kingston’s Coldwell Banker and Swanson Realty.
Coldwell Banker and Swanson Realty have also provided trophies which will be awarded to event winners in shooting contests. The skills contests will be broken into age and gender groups and will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
