Youth hoops changes discussed

KENT — At a meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission on Jan. 29, Director Lesly Ferris had several updates and questions about the town’s basketball program. Coming up on Saturday, Feb. 23, she said, is the annual HotShots basketball shooting contest at Kent Center School.The competition, open to boys and girls ages 9 to 15, will begin at 1 p.m. Players have three one-minute rounds to shoot from “hotspots” around the court. Prizes are awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners in several age groups.She also reported that Meagan Leach has been appointed as a coach for the town’s basketball program. When she was younger, Leach participated in the Adams League, which was created in 1989 by Bruce Adams, who is now the town’s first selectman. The Adams League is strictly for in-town play and is not a travel program.Ferris raised a question about the age groups included in the league.“The other Region One School District towns have a third- and fourth-grade basketball program,” Ferris said. “We have a fourth- and fifth-grade program. The question is whether we want to move to a third- and fourth-grade program and keep Adams League fifth- through eighth-grades; or whether we want to disband the Adams League and have third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade programs.”In response to a question, Ferris said the Kent youth basketball program has never been involved with teams from other towns. “We’ve always done our own program.” Ferris said the main decision that will have to be made is whether to maintain the basketball program as currently structured, playing all games within the town league; or realign the program and begin playing games with other towns.No decision was made.