LAWRENCE CO. – The Oolitic Biddy Basketball League, offering basketball for any kids ages kindergarten through 6th grade from public, private, or homeschool, now offers online registration.
If you wanted to register but didn’t have time to go in person, now you can sign up from your phone or anywhere online.
Sign up online at their website www.ooliticbiddyball.org from October 2 until November 3, or in person on October 23 and 24 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Dollens Gymnasium.
The cost is $35 per player.
Biddy Basketball is for all boys and girls in classes kindergarten through 6th grade. Players can attend any school, including homeschool, and is open to surrounding counties.Â
Games are played on Saturdays at Dollens Elementary School. Games begin in early December and run till the end of February.
K-1st grade players will have a total of 8 games. Players in grades 2-6 will have the same eight, but with the chance to add two more via the league’s end-of-year tournament.
While one of the League’s goals is to remain affordable, Barry Miller explained that as a non-profit, “There are programs available for kids who may not be able to afford it.”
The Oolitic Biddy Basketball League has been around for over 60 years, and on average there are 180 kids involved in the league per season, a number that has grown since Barry Miller took over.
“We like to have fun and we like to teach the skills.” Barry Miller, the current owner said. “I always try to have fun with the kids on Saturdays, but we always require coaches to practice the game so kids can learn the game.”
They look for teaching opportunities throughout the games.
“I’ve tried to modernize it with online registration” Barry said “You can sign up from your phone or online by going to our website.”
About Oolitic Biddy Basketball League
Oolitic Biddy Basketball League (OBBL) has provided a safe place for the youth to play organized basketball for over 65 years. OBBL was started in the mid-1950s by residents Kenny Tyree and Jerry Lewis when they started holding organized league games in the little gym of what is now called the old Oolitic High School gymnasium. Kenny and Jerry continued the operation of OBBL before finally handing the torch over to long-time Oolitic resident and basketball expert Mike Gilbert. Mike spent a lot of time refereeing games for Kenny and Jerry before taking the league over in 1985, making him the perfect leader to continue the tradition. Mike spent a lot of his time bleeding the blue and white for the Oolitic Bearcats by coaching various sports at Oolitic including the boy’s basketball team.
In 2015, Mike began the process of handing over the league to Lawrence County resident Barry Miller who, like Mike, spent a lot of time coaching and refereeing the league games on Saturdays. Today the league is still operated and run by Barry, who is committed to keeping the traditions of Oolitic Biddy Basketball going and carrying on the rich history of the league.
