This Sunday the New Canaan Basketball Association finished its 2023-2024 season with a bang.
8th grade girls team. L-R: (standing) Sabrina Bourlatskii, Coach Alexa Kellner, Lulu Valente, Lucy Detmer, Victoria Gorzkowicz, Kate Ulrich, Katie Cicia, MaryEllen Dolan, Coach Onyx Valez. L-R (sitting) Kenzi Carriero, Julia Digiacomo, Charlotte Huetter, Maeve Driscoll. Photo courtesy of Jim Huetter
The girls 7th grade team, led by coaches Camry Evans and Cayla Joseph, won a thrilling overtime championship game against Pomperaug at Middlesex Middle School 41-39. The previous day the 8th grade boys Black team also won a league title by handling Danbury 62-41 after an even first quarter. Coach Terrance Ditimi will be with the boys again next year as the JV coach at NCHS.
A third title was won by the 8th grade girls Black team on Thursday, March 7. Due to a scheduling anomaly the girls game was played in the afternoon, at Saxe, in front of a lively cheering section. The stands were packed with students, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Coaches Alexa Kellner and Onyx Valez had the girls playing their best basketball at the right time of the season as they beat Westport 41-25, avenging a loss earlier in the season. Coach Alexa gets a win in her first season with the NCBA and will coach many of the girls again in HS as the JV coach.
8th grade boys team. L-R: (standing) Coach Terrance Ditimi, Leo Baroni, Colt Inman, Sam Peake, Dallas George, Andrew Hojnacki, Charlie Sullivan, Coach Cameron Dickey. L-R (kneeling) Braxton Niedermeier, Dean Vinca, Nick Lee, Christian Ivanov. Photo courtesy of Jim Huetter
The league wins are a great reward but only tell part of the NCBA story. This season the organization entered 14 teams into the Fairfield County Basketball League. In all, 148 players in 5th through 8th grade played in over 250 games and spent more than 45 hours practicing as a team from November through early March. Along with basketball fundamentals the players learned to work together, to support their teammates, to lead when necessary, and to be good sports throughout.
The NCBA programming also includes a pre-travel component for players in 2nd through 4th grade. Over 105 boys and girls practiced twice a week and played in modified games on the weekend building up to 5v5 games. This program has structured practice plans to emphasize fundamentals which eventually transfer to game play. This program owes its success to Coach Mike Evans who organizes, oversees, and coaches nearly all sessions.
7th grade girls team. L-R: Sienna Murray, Brooke Murphy, Victoria Hricik, Mia Ciavarelli, Abby Griffiths, Lily Jetnil (poster), Amaya Ahuja, Coach Camry Evans, Lauren Myer, Coach Wilner Joseph, Emma Oliveira, Lauren Murphy, Coach Cayla Joseph. Photo courtesy of Jim Huetter
The NCBA is fortunate for the support of many people but a few in particular deserve mention. NCHS varsity coaches Danny Melzer and Kim Palmer act as coaching coordinators. They help to build a consistent curriculum and culture, attend pre-season workouts and tryouts to set our rosters, and staff our coaching ranks. The administrations of the New Canaan Public Schools, New Canaan Country School, St. Luke’s School, and St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk are partners in providing places for our players to play.
A big general thanks is also due to all of the parents who spent time and energy getting players to the gym. We are grateful for the adults and siblings who volunteer to be team managers, schedulers, scorekeepers, clock operators, videographers, and cheerleaders.
For more information about the NCBA please visit our website. If you have a question not answered there please email NCBAHoops.org@gmail.com. The NCBA looks fondly at this season and is excited for what is to come.