Register for Volleyball today!
Deadline is Thursday, September 1!
Basketball and Volleyball teams participate in the Menlo Park Recreation Department League (Burgess League). The Oak Knoll teams are comprised of only Oak Knoll students. No previous experience is necessary. Teams are organized and coached by parents. Practices are at Oak Knoll and games are played at Burgess Gym.
Basketball season is almost upon us. With more than 60% of our third, fourth and fifth graders participating on Oak Knoll teams, I thought it would be helpful to review the goals of the PTO/School sponsored sports programs.
Goals of After School Sports Teams at Oak Knoll School
Playing Time: If we are not careful, the goal of winning can supersede the essential goals of our program. The result is unacceptable to the Oak Knoll community. At 3rd and 4th grades, and at this level of development, this is a time to develop skills and have the opportunity to learn the game. “Select” teams and “the best five” play are perfectly fine strategies for older athletes, not for eight and nine year olds. At 5th grade we begin the transition to more competitive contests. To that effect, I want to reiterate the Oak Knoll Playing Time Rules:
Introduce students to sports: For many kids, this may be their first introduction to organized sports. We want it to be a positive experience.
Be competitive: We want our teams to play hard, be competitive and win games.
Build team skills: The responsibilities of being on a team (coming to practices, cheering on teammates, sharing playing time) need to be embraced by all players.
Build new friendships: As Oak Knoll continues to grow, we want to encourage students to interact with others who may be “outside of their circle of friends.”
Learn basic skills of the sport: We want to make sure our children are learning the building blocks of the sport. Middle school and high school coaches want players who know the fundamentals of the sport. We encourage coaching strategies that teach the fundamental skills for the long run over tactics that work only at this level.
Have fun: Having fun is probably the most important goal of our after-school sports programs. Our success should not be measured solely by wins and losses, but rather by the enjoyment of players, coaches and parents.
Build Oak Knoll Community spirit: We want our teams to support one another, rooting for one another at games and other community building activities. We encourage grade level “Jamborees”. We encourage our coaches to support each other, share best practices, and see themselves as a “grade-level” team.
If your child is planning to play basketball this year, please review the goals with them. If you are planning to coach, please make sure you understand our goals and Equal Play Rules and will coach within them. If you are a parent with or without a child playing basketball this year, please make sure you understand the goals and Equal Play Rules.
I look forward to another great year of basketball for our teams.
David Ackerman
The Oak Knoll Volleyball and Basketball teams play in the Menlo Park Recreation (Burgess) League competing against other area schools. The League is run by Burgess. The games are played at Burgess and officiated by Burgess referees. Starting at the fifth grade level, for basketball teams, Burgess has playoff competitions and provides trophies to the top winners. At the lower grades, there are no playoffs and Burgess provides t-shirts to the participants. (Volleyball playoffs do not begin until 6th grade.) Since the league is run by Burgess, any trophies for the teams should by awarded by Burgess.
The After School Sport program will not give trophies for participating in the program. Likewise, the coaches are not permitted to give trophies. We want consistency among the teams and it would be unfair for some teams to be given trophies simply for participating while other teams do not get them.
While we want to encourage the students to play on the Oak Knoll teams, to develop the fundamental skills of the sport, to learn the game and have fun, at the same time the students need to realize that not every team or individual gets a trophy. From a developmental perspective, we want to help the students learn that they may play their best and try their hardest, and their coaches may recognize their efforts, but they will not receive an award for simply participating.
Basketball teams play in the Menlo Park Recreation
(Arrillaga) League and compete against other area schools. The Oak Knoll teams are comprised of 3rd,
4th, and 5th grade Oak Knoll students. Girls may opt-in to boys’ teams. Boys may opt-in to girls’ teams. No previous experience is necessary. The coaches are parent volunteers.
Registration opens on October 1, 2011 and will be done online at www.sportability.com/oakknoll. Registration closes on October 28, 2011. No late registrations will be accepted. A waitlist will begin after registration closes, if anyone drops out, openings will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The cost for the season is $100.00. Scholarships are available. There will be an additional fee of $25.00 for any uniform not returned at the end of the season.
Team practices may begin as early as November 21st and will be two times per week at Oak Knoll. Practice times will be determined by the coaches. Teams will be formed once registration is closed. Every effort will be made to make balanced teams. Accommodations cannot be made for scheduling conflicts once teams are formed. Please indicate when you register if your child has a significant commitment one day a week which precludes them from attending practice or games. Please update conflict information as needed up until the registration deadline.
Games begin the second week of January and last through the end of March. Teams play one game per week at the Arrillaga Gym on one of the two days listed. Based on previous years, teams will likely play on one of the following days and approximate start times:
3rd Grade Girls – Friday (3:50, 4:45 & 5:40)
or Saturday (3:20, 4:15 & 5:10)
3rd Grade Boys – Friday (3:50, 4:45 & 5:40)
or Saturday (2:25, 3:20, 4:15 & 5:10)
4th Grade Girls – Monday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
or Tuesday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
4th Grade Boys – Monday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
or Tuesday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
5th Grade Girls – Wednesday (3:45, 4:40 &
5:35) or Thursday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
5th Grade Boys –Tuesday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
or Wednesday (3:45, 4:40 & 5:35)
Volunteers are needed to support the teams and make the program viable. Parents are asked to volunteer for one of the following: 1) Coach, 2) Assistant Coach, or 3) Scorekeeper. All coaches and assistant coaches are required to submit fingerprints to the school district. There will be a mandatory coaches meeting on November 9th at 5:45pm to form teams.
Register at sportability starting May 13th!
Registration will close Friday, September 7th, 2012!
Registration will be open all summer.
Volleyball teams play in the Menlo Park Recreation (Arrillaga) League competing against other area schools. The Oak Knoll teams will be comprised of combined Oak Knoll 4th and 5th grade girls. No previous experience is necessary. The coaches are parent volunteers.
Registration will be available on-line at sportability.com starting May 13th, 2012. The cost for the season is $65.00. Scholarships are available. Registration deadline is Friday, September 7th, 2012. No late registrations will be accepted. A waitlist will begin after registration closes, if anyone drops out, openings will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Team practices begin in the middle of September and will be held at Oak Knoll. Teams will practice two times a week. The time of practices are determined by the individual coach. Teams will be formed once registration is closed. Every effort will be made to make balanced teams. While accommodations cannot be made for scheduling conflicts once teams are formed, please notify us when you register if your child has a significant commitment precluding them from attending practice or games.
Games begin Monday, September 24th and finish before Thanksgiving. Teams play games one day per week at the Arrillaga Gym in Menlo Park. Based on previous years, teams will likely play on one of the following days and approximate start times:
*Tuesdays: 3:45, 4:25, 5:05 and 5:45
*Thursdays: 3:25, 4:05, 5:25 and 5:45
Volunteers are needed to support the teams and make the program viable. Please email your After School Sports Coordinators if you are interested in being a coach. All coaches and assistant coaches are required to submit fingerprints to the School District.
Questions? Contact your After School Sports Program Coordinators : Monica Young, (monicayoung@comast.net), Laura Huber (laura.huber@gmail.com) and Erica Galles (ericagalles5@gmail.com)
