The league starts play June 7. The registration deadline is May 16. It costs $85 per player. Each team will play at least eight games.
To sign up, contact Cooper by email at followjamescooper@gmail.com or by phone at 937-561-4101.
Cooper, a former South High School basketball star and College of Wooster Hall of Famer, wants to teach kids “character, fundamentals and sportsmanship” in the league.
“The plan is to start with the basics — for example, ball handling,” Cooper said. “Our second graders need to know the proper stance as far as knees bent, shoulders slightly forward, head up, wrist movement, not palming the ball, small stuff like that. With shooting, it’s hand alignment, stance, follow through, shoulders going forward. We’ll touch on the small things like that, showing them the basics.”
Cooper, 39, grew up around the game, playing as often as he could, seven days a week. He remembers playing in the Jim Scoby League in Springfield when he was a kid. For years, he has devoted himself to giving back to the children of Springfield. His own sons, Javon, 9, and Jerin, 7, will play in the league.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “I still play to stay in shape, but I don’t want to be one of those guys talking about what I used to do. So it feels good to give back, starting with my own sons and then teaching other kids and seeing them make progress. Honestly, basketball changed my life — being from Springfield and traveling the world for free and seeing so much that I wouldn’t have seen if I didn’t play basketball.”
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