Mandel JCC ready to start co-ed youth basketball league
The Mandel Jewish Community Center recently provided an opportunity for children to learn new skills and improve their game on the basketball court as they hosted a co-ed youth back-to-school clinic in Boynton Beach.
The free youth basketball clinic for boys and girls attracted over 100 participants in kindergarten through eighth grade. The children worked on drills at different stations, including dribbling, ball handling, passing and shooting. They also were able to compete in a scrimmage to showcase their skills.
The Mandel JCC in Boynton Beach will host a co-ed youth basketball league from Sept. 18 through Dec. 10 — its first organized youth basketball league since the COVID-19 pandemic. The youth league will be open to all skill levels and different grade levels, including kindergarten and first, second and third, fourth and fifth, and sixth to eighth.
“We are excited to bring it back and build a more robust sports program,” said Mandel JCC spokeswoman Samantha Mighdoll. “Our mission is to be inclusive with a co-ed league. We wanted to fill that need.”
She said it’s an opportunity for families to stay close to home to participate in basketball instead of traveling to play in other cities in Palm Beach County.
Jaquan Greaux, director of sports and fitness at the Mandel JCC in Boynton Beach, previously worked at the JCC in Hartford, Connecticut. He is looking to build up the sports programs in Boynton Beach in his first year.
“The clinic was an opportunity to promote our upcoming league and to gauge the interest of the kids,” he said. “We had a great turnout. It’s our mission to grow the league. We had a lot of our potential basketball coaches help out at the clinic. We were able to teach the kids the right technique and work on specific skills. The kids were able to see the gym and learn and gain knowledge from the coaches. We had a lot of skilled players at the clinic, especially the girls.”
The coaches in the co-ed youth basketball league will consist of all volunteers, including basketball coaches with previous experience as well as parents of children.
“Our league is unique because the boys and girls compete on the same team,” he said. “We have evaluations and are able to assess the skill level of the kids to help make the teams.”
The Mandel JCC in Boynton Beach will also host a basketball fundamentals class for preschoolers ages 4-5 on Sunday mornings from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. They will also hold a multi-sports program for children from kindergarten through second grade on Thursday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. The program will feature a variety of sports, including soccer, kickball, tennis, baseball and football.
The center also provides additional opportunities for adults to participate in leagues and programs. Adult basketball open play is available for age 18 and up on Sunday mornings from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m. The first session will start on Oct. 1. The monthly cost is $10. The adult basketball league is open for age 30 and up on Wednesday evenings from Oct. 11 through Dec. 13.
They will also host indoor pickleball open play on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. The monthly cost is $20.
Prenatal yoga classes are available on Monday mornings from 9 to 10 a.m. and postnatal classes will run from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
The Mandel JCC in Boynton Beach is also known for childhood education, family activities and summer camps.
“We are excited about all our programs at the JCC,” Mighdoll said. “We are focused on growing our leagues and programs in our community.”
Registration for youth sports is available at jcconline.com/bbleague.
The Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches has locations in Boynton Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. Visit bb.jcconline.com and pbg.jcconline.com.