Youth basketball rebounds in Orange Cove

ORANGE COVE – The parks and rec department is going in with a full-court press on a new way for kids to get active.

From now until Dec. 19, families will have the opportunity to enroll their children in the Orange Cove Parks and Recreation Department’s youth basketball league, aimed at children in pre-K through eighth grade. Regular registration ends on Dec. 6, and late registration will be open from Dec. 7-19.

“By giving these kids an outlet to actually go exercise and enjoy new activities…maybe they’ll enjoy it and figure out that they’re actually pretty good at it,” said Gabriel Jimenez, recreational coordinator for the city of Orange Cove.

Jimenez shared that for the first 50 kids who sign up, registration will be 50% off, meaning that regular registration will be $25 and late registration will be $30. Additional children can be registered for an extra $5 off with a birth certificate to prove sibling status.

According to Jimenez, the goal is to have anywhere from 50-80 children, but he has aspirations of making the league as big as it can be.

“We’re not going to deny anybody,” Jimenez said. “Even if we go above that, it’ll be great, but if we can get the minimum we can start off there.”

The department is also looking to keep cost and convenience in mind, with the league running almost entirely at the community center, cutting out the need for players and their families to travel. Though a concrete date is still in the works, Jimenez said the league will kick off in early January, likely around Jan. 6, and run until late February.

Before then, however, local players-to-be are invited to the free Winter Youth Basketball Clinic on Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Hosted by the parks and rec department, in partnership with the Orange Cove High School boys and girls’ basketball teams, kids will be able to learn the game’s fundamentals, such as dribbling, shooting, passing, defense and more.

Outside of bringing some healthy competition and a way to exercise to the children of Orange Cove, this budding league represents the return of the city’s parks and rec department, which Jimenez said faded away during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though the city used to have sports like basketball, baseball and soccer, it’s now been the work of Jimenez and his assistant, Star Elizondo, to spread the word that these activities are coming back, and hopefully in full swing.

Jimenez shared that after the loss of the department, he moved on to start his own document translation business, but having worked for the city for eight years prior, he was more than happy to answer the call and return.

“The majority of this is because I love the community, and I want to give back to this community as much as I can,” Jimenez said.

The parks and rec department has been posting league updates on Instagram and Facebook, and registration can be done at the Orange Cove Community Center or City Hall. The league is also looking for volunteers to coach or help with activities, and those interested can ask staff how to get involved.