SANTA ROSA — Jared Lopez practiced dribbling around his back and through his legs on the driveway as the varsity basketball team practiced at the same time a few blocks away from his home.
Lopez, 8, said he was getting ready for his evening basketball practice with the Santa Rosa Youth Center Basketball League.
“I joined this league because this is where I live and it’s the team I play for,” Lopes said while dribbling the basketball.
“The coaches are there to help the players learn better basketball.”
The youth center’s co-ed basketball league has become the primer for fundamental basketball training. It is playing a key role in the small town’s success in basketball at the varsity level and the rise in Warriors basketball state rankings.
The league is actively registering players for co-ed play grades kindergarten through sixth.
“More and more of our youth are interested in a basketball,” said Carlo Ochoa, director of the youth center. “Santa Rosa is a basketball town first, even though we live in a football state.”
Ochoa says Santa Rosa is a basketball town first based on the success of the basketball teams over the years.
And as the varsity boys basketball season revs up coming off big wins against two 5A teams, the Warriors are the number two team in the state in 3A, according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll.
Ochoa wants to keep that winning tradition going in Santa Rosa with the youth basketball league he has operated for more than five years.
He said the youth league helps young players learn the fundamentals of the game.
“The focus with the league is to develop the kids. We help them gain their confidence,” he said.
“Santa Rosa has become a perennial power,” he added. “We have won so many consecutive district championships maybe this year we will go all the way.”
The league accepts players from around the area and is planning to partner with the Mercedes and La Villa youth leagues.
About 150 players sign up annually, making 20 teams with four teams per division in each age group.
“I’m reaching for more,” Ochoa said. “I want to reach the 200 mark and my goal is to get the most participation.”
And to not miss a single varsity game, no games are held on Tuesday, Friday or Saturday.
“Practice is twice a week,” Ochoa said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
He said he’s pushing the sign-up deadline early to get an eight-week season out of the league so the young players can get more games and more out of the basketball experience playing organized games.
“The future looks good because of (the youth league),” said Juan Cipriano, Santa Rosa High School boys varsity coach. “It’s about time we get someone helping out the younger kids and bringing us along.”
