Itty Bitty Basketball teaches fundamentals, sportsmanship
Carrie Pichler
Young players practice their skills by dribbling itty bitty basketballs.
Carrie Pichler
Tiny player Olivia Ramirez practices her layup during Itty Bitty Basketball.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
An itty bitty player learns the basics of stretching from an older helper.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
Carrie Pichler
Itty Bitty Basketball players learn fundamentals, teamwork at early age.
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Here they come, NBA and WNBA … 3 to 5-year-old all-stars are making their big boom. Itty Bitty Basketball is taking to the court with founder and coach Tina Begay leading the way.
Begay started the program in 2005 in Arlee for the “littles” after watching the YMCA host a program of the same nature. She was also seeing kids at older levels not understanding the dynamics of team sports.
“This is something that kids need to pick up at younger ages,” Begay said.
Coach Begay hopes playing basketball earlier will help them in future sports endeavors; not only learning basic fundamentals, but also understanding the meaning of sportsmanship and being a team.
Begay is expanding to other communities in the valley with the support of Arlee Youth Basketball, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Headstart, and Tribal Health and Human Services Youth Health and Wellness. In the past there has been a small charge to the families in order to supply equipment and t-shirts but because of the extra-added support this year, Itty Bitty Basketball is able to offer its basketball clinics without charge.
On board to help Begay in her mission is Becky Malatare and Pearl Caye from THHS as well as her own teenage children and various high school kids. Begay coordinates high school volunteers with their coaches and makes sure it’s well worth their while, writing letters and putting in a good word for her volunteers that apply for college scholarships.
“The little kids just love them,” Begay said about her big kid volunteers. “The little ones respond well to them and I think the big kids have fun, too.”
It takes patience to work with children in this age bracket.
“Their attention span is not so good,” Begay laughed. But with stickers and plenty of high fives, the kids have a ton of fun.
Their favorite part is the tunnel, where the parents and spectators come onto the court and form a tunnel with their hands in the air for the kids to run through at the end. The coaches emphasize the importance of the roles of parents in youth sports.
“Sometimes we have great positive messages from the bleachers and then sometimes, not so great,” Pearl Caye said.
“It’s important for parents to not only participate in helping with the kids’ practice, but also to show good sportsmanship and be positive,” Begay added.
Begay and Caye are also both basketball referees with Montana Officials Association.
“The one thing in reffing you’re taught is you can either be a ref, a coach, a fan/parent, but you can’t be more than one,” Caye said. “The parents have a role and they have the opportunity to be encouraging to their kids and other parents.”
In the eighth year of Itty Bitty Basketball, Begay is excited to see some of her kids readying to be freshman next year and play high school basketball.
“It’s exciting and fun,” she said. “We’re just trying to encourage the community to learn the basics of basketball at younger ages as well as familiarizing them with just the whole experience,” she said.
Itty Bitty will host clinics Nov. 23 at Two Eagle River and Dec. 7 at Arlee High School. For more information, contact Tina Begay or Becky Malatare on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/groups/ittybittybball.
