CYGBA getting ready for year one

Posted 9/30/15

The Cranston Youth Girls Basketball Association, or CYGBA, is a brand new basketball league created for the girls of Cranston. Featuring a hawk logo with the motto “Hustle and Heart Set Us …

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CYGBA getting ready for year one

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The Cranston Youth Girls Basketball Association, or CYGBA, is a brand new basketball league created for the girls of Cranston. Featuring a hawk logo with the motto “Hustle and Heart Set Us Apart,” league director P.J. Thibodeau said the “league is being created to encourage girls of different age groups and skill sets to play basketball on their own terms, with their own goals who will, hopefully, develop a love of basketball.”

Thibodeau knows basketball. He knows it because he has lived it, played it and coached it. Now he has a vision for the future –to one day have a league, indoor gym and outdoor court dedicated exclusively to the girls and young women of Cranston. He envisions a place where they no longer have to fight for court time, playing time or practice time.

“Too many times I’ve seen a situation where a girl gets left out of a pickup game solely because they’re a girl. I’ve even seen it in leagues with my daughter, Talia. Living in Providence, she played in a co-ed rec league where her coach told her to ‘cheer the team on’ and ‘let the boys take the shots.’ I couldn’t believe it. So I stepped in and convinced the coach to let me be his assistant and work with the girls at his practices. I’ve been coaching ever since.”

Establishing a league of female basketball players is the first step of his two-part plan. The CYGBA will cater to girls of different age groups and skill sets.

“I’ve learned that youth teams include girls with varying abilities that are grouped together based upon age, not ability. The result is that girls with a history of playing basketball, and with advanced ability, control the play of the game. Because of that, the girls who have not yet developed the same skillset can often get left behind,” Thibodeau said. “What we will focus on is skill development and teaching. Our coaches will always be looking at the whole team and our league will focus on grouping the girls fairly. For this reason, the CYGBA will offer three levels of basketball play.”

The first level will consist of a clinic for girls in the first to fourth grades who have little or no basketball experience. This introduction will teach the girls basic basketball techniques, rules and drills, while keeping it fun. Two eight-week, one-hour options are available: Friday nights from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., beginning Oct. 16 and ending Dec. 5; and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., beginning Oct. 17 and ending Dec. 6. The cost of the clinic is $60, and Cranston YMCA members are offered a $20 discount.

The second level of girls’ basketball will be the recreational level. This level introduces game play and weekly practices. The structure will cater to the girl who enjoys playing basketball in a fair and balanced playing environment. Teams consist of eight to 10 players and game rules favor development, not wins and losses. The recreational league has a 12-game season that begins on Nov. 7 and ends near March of 2016. This league includes one 90-minute weeknight practice per week and one game (mostly Saturdays) each weekend. The cost of the league will be $130 with discounts given to multiple family members and/or Cranston YMCA members. Practices for this level will begin the second week of October.

Finally, the CYGBA will offer travel basketball for more experienced girls. This level requires selection by coaches and an increased commitment from families and players. There are two 90-minute weeknight practices per week, skill sessions and weekend tournaments throughout the year (between December and March of 2016). The cost of this league will be $200 per player with a discounted option for girls looking to play both rec and travel. Practices will begin the second week in October.

“Travel teams give experienced players chance to play against better players across the region,” Thibodeau said. “If a girl has talent, she should be able to develop that talent in a competitive environment.”

As a youngster, Thibodeau played youth basketball in Pawtucket, moving on to Saint Raphael’s Academy where he was a basketball co-captain his senior year. He continued playing basketball at the West Point Preparatory School in New Jersey where he also served as co-captain of the team. Later on, after an enlistment in the U.S. Army, he played for Rhode Island College and in many men’s leagues across New England.

Unfortunately, Thibodeau can no longer play basketball due to medical reasons. “I love basketball. I love everything about it … the teaching, the teamwork, the drive to improve and the fun of it all,” he said. “Directing a league and coaching the kids is a way for me to continue my love of the sport since I’m not able to play anymore.”

Thibodeau is no stranger to running leagues or being a part of them. He was the long time director of and player in “The Over the Hill League,” the country’s longest, continually running men’s league, located in Blackstone, Mass. Just last year he directed the CLCF Gal’s Basketball Program, which had more than 140 girls taking part in the program. “I think we had a tremendous year on every measurable level. But, at the end of the day, I felt that we could do more things and have more success if we had the freedom to expand and develop as our own league. Philosophically, I felt that it was important move the league into the future and not stay stuck in the past.”

Thibodeau states that he has been overwhelmed by the show of support and excitement that he is already receiving from families around the city.

“From the coaches, to the parents, to the kids … everything has been positive. I think it’s a tribute to the men and women willing to coach these kids in such a selfless way. And I think we already have so many coaches on board because the coaches and I shared the same philosophy – to put kids in positions to succeed while developing their whole game,” he said. “There is no such thing as the perfect player, so it is ridiculous to expect perfection. It is, however, fair to expect improvement with what everyone put into last year. When kids are willing to learn and improve, it’s an amazing journey and we were blessed to have the coaches and families supporting them so strongly. Hustle and heart set us apart, if you will. ”

The CYGBA has already begun receiving online registrations and tryouts will take place Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. Walk-in registrations are also welcomed. For more information, please visit their website at www.cygba.org.

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