Brush up on your pick-and-roll knowledge, fadeaway technique and full-court press fitness, because the San Diego Hoops LGBT Basketball League is open for signups. The registration process of coaches reviewing player drafts is underway in preparation for the start of a 14-game season beginning Oct. 19, with playoffs concluding in early March.
The league, which began in the fall of 1999, has eight teams and between 75-100 players depending on the season, including some women.
Says Jeff Praught, the league’s commissioner, “San Diego Hoops is San Diego’s only basketball league for LGBT athletes and their friends. We offer a competitive but friendly environment to play in. Many members have been playing for years, building friendships within the league because of our unique draft feature, which ultimately leads to people playing together eventually.”
Any prospective player wishing to play for a team must attend a “coach’s review” Oct. 5 or Oct. 12 at Golden Hill Recreation Center. Players can go to as many of the events as they like. While the reviews begin at 6 p.m. with a run-time dependent on attendance, there will also be an open gym until 9 p.m. on each night.
Says Praught, “San Diego Hoops is built around a player draft. Anyone is eligible to be drafted so long as they attend one of three coaches reviews. These reviews are simply for our eight coaches to get an idea of a player’s talent level. All levels are welcome.”
With a new emphasis on the social side of playing basketball, the league will also offer a draft party Saturday, Oct. 15, at The Loft from 2-4 p.m., where rosters will be unveiled and last year’s award winners will be presented with their trophies and medals, along with a weekly Saturday social event from 2-4 p.m. that will rotate between the league’s five bar sponsors: Baja Betty’s, Flicks, The Loft, Pecs and Urban Mo’s.
Online registration is now available using PayPal at the league Web site. Early registration costs $75 before the Oct. 8 deadline and $100 after Oct. 14.
More information can be obtained from the San Diego Hoops Web site at sdhoops.net or from sending an e-mail to commissioner@sdhoops.net.
