Hoops for Kids tournament ready for tipoff

You don’t have to be an NBA player to take part in this basketball tournament. In fact, "hanabuddah" kids and old "couch potatoes" are encouraged to try their hand at dribbling and dunking their way to victory.

The fourth annual Hoops for Kids basketball tournament, hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i’s ‘Ewa Beach Clubhouse, will be held next Saturday and Sunday on the ‘Ilima Intermediate School basketball court in ‘Ewa Beach.

Proceeds from the event will provide after-school athletic activities for at-risk youth in the ‘Ewa area.

Club athletic director Gary Ortiz added that organizers are trying to raise money to send members, all eighth- and ninth-grade boys, to compete this month in basketball tournaments in San Diego and Fullerton, Calif.

Hoops for Kids is open to all ages. Participants can qualify to compete in six divisions, such as Hanabuddah (ages 12 and under), No Ack (ages 13-15) or Couch Potatoes (ages 18 and up with "manini" skills).

The registration fee for a team of four players is $100, and each participant will receive a free T-shirt.

Registration forms are available at all Boys & Girls Club locations; city & county recreation centers in ‘Ewa Beach, Ho‘ae‘ae and Makakilo; and McDonald’s restaurants in ‘Ewa Beach, Kunia and Waipahu.

For information or to have a registration form sent to you, call 689-4182. Deadline for registration is Saturday, the morning of the event.

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