Love the game… played the game… want your child to have more great experiences in the game, too?  Then come join us and make more Hoops Happen in Piedmont!

6th Girls hoist a trophy

Piedmont Basketball Foundation’s MVP teams have been providing challenging and expanding hoops experiences for our kids for many years.  Whether the young players go on to AAU and high school stardom or simply enjoy discovering basketball beyond the East Bay Hills, our MVP program has proven to be a fun experience for players and parents alike.

The MVP leagues are very well-organized and run leagues for teams throughout the East Bay.  The league season is 8 games from March 20 – May 16, with typically one but sometimes two games per weekend.  All games are at one of 4 gyms within 30 minutes of Piedmont in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Martinez.  (See the Gyms page for maps and directions.)

The top 4 teams in each division qualify for a single elimination playoff on the weekend  of May 22-23.  Therefore a successful team could have up to 10 games.

Teams range from upper level CYO teams through school teams to some of the best AAU teams in the region, including the MVP Flight Elite teams.  To accomodate the various levels of play, there are up to 3 divisions in each grade: Competitive, Power and Flight in increasing levels.  Piedmont teams typically compete in the Competitive divisions, although several have been in the Power division and won championships there.  PBBF can help coaches determine the appropriate level for their team.

The referees in MVP are all high school qualified refs, and generally the quality of the officiating is of high quality.

MVP has a few modifications to normal basketball rules to keep the game moving and complete all games in only one hour.  To reduce the game administrative burden, personal fouls are not tracked, leaving referees the discretion to disqualify egregious hackers.  Interestingly enough, there are not many of these.

PBBF MVP teams typically have two practices a week in late afternoon or evening for an hour-and-a-half each.  Gym time for practices is hard to get in Piedmont in February and early March, so practice times vary in the early season.  In April and May, regular weekly practice times are available, making it much easier on the players and parents.

Coaches are most often volunteer parents or Piedmont community members, including high school players.  If no qualified parent volunteer coaches are available, PBBF can assist in finding a qualified coach, in which case the coach will be paid by an additional cost.

Key dates for Spring MVP 2010 are:

• Online Player Registration on this website Jan 15-Feb 15
• Coaches and Team Managers Meeting, early February
• Tryouts in February (watch for schedule on this website)
• Practices begin late February
• Rosters due to MVP by February 28
• First league games March 20th

Let us know what questions you have by e-mailing info@piedmont-hoops.net, or by clicking on the title of this Post then adding a Comment below.

PBBF tries to provide every player with a great basketball experience. We value your opinions and would greatly appreciate your evaluation of the most recent MVP season. We believe that it is important for our coaches and administrators to hear directly from you about how we can improve the program. Please complete the survey by following the link below – it should only take about 5-7 minutes.

The survey results are complied independently, and all responses are anonymous.  Take this Survey

Fellow Hoopnuts, and all those dedicated to giving their kids the experience of a lifetime on the court:

We are working together again at our regularly scheduled 2nd Monday of every month at 7:30pm:

Monday, January 12th from 7:30-9:00pm to work on a select few highly rewarding basketball things.  Here’s the Agenda.

Among others, we will start organizing Piedmont’s 3rd through 8th grade boys’ and girls’ teams in the Spring 2009 MVP Leagues.  (See the next post below)

All are welcome – and encouraged – to join us at 225 Hillside Avenue.

Please let us know what is important to you, and that you are coming, by adding your Comment below.

Welcome to your source for All Things Hoops in Piedmont and nearby communities.  From how to find a league or team to play in, to community basketball happenings, to the latest on Middle School and High School Basketball…  Scroll down this page to see what’s going on, click on the “About” page to find Contacts and Coaches for more information about what you actually care about.

Click Here to see what’s on this month or point to an event in the Hoops Calendar to the right to see more details.

Piedmont Basketball Foundation is a dedicated group of volunteers who:

• Represent community basketball interests in Piedmont city issues, such as preserving the Hampton Park courts, and incorporating excellent indoor and outdoor courts into the miraculous Havens School rebuild (thank you Mark Becker and Andy Ball!)
• Cooperate to improve kids recreational basketball experiences, including those provided by the Piedmont Recreation Department’s recreational leagues for grades 2 through 6
• Organize competitive teams in East Bay regional leagues, including the MVP Flight (Spring, Summer, Fall) and Oakland Citywide leagues (Winter)
• Support youth basketball beyond Piedmont, such as providing scholarship funding to the Oakland Parks and Recreation Department for players in its Oakland Citywide Leagues
• Support Piedmont school basketball programs with promotions and financial donations, such as funding for the new scoreboards in the high school gym and the new floor in the middle school gym.

We hope that you come back to this site often.  And more than anything, we hope that you Jump In To Make Hoops Happen!

(We made this website to help you find information on basketball in Piedmont and the East Bay.  We want to make it more useful to players, parents and fans, so please tell us what you need to know by clicking on Comment right below.)

We are all coming together again TONIGHT Monday, Nov 10th from 7:30-9:00pm at 225 Hillside Avenue to get some more things done.  In just the last month, we:

• Had a great time with the kids playing at the HoopFeast!
• Held tryouts for the 6th Boys Competitive Winter Team
• Held tryouts for the 6th Girls Competitive Winter Team
• Co-sponsored Coach Lavdiotis’ Coaching Clinic with the Rec Department, including rounding up the demonstration players for that clinic
• Provided evaluators for the 7th & 8th Grade Girls tryouts

That was a pretty good month.  So let’s have another one!

Here’s the agenda.  Please take a look at it and Comment below with additional items that you want us to work on.  And most of all, let us know that you are coming.  Thanks for jumping in to Make Hoops Happen!

Representatives of Piedmont Basketball Foundation presented a ceremonial check for $15,000 to the Piedmont Unified School District, representing 25% of the cost of the newly installed floor in the Middle School Patio Gym…. Written on the giant check’s memo line was a pretty clear message that read, ”Safe Patio Gym Floor.”  Read Piedmont Post Article

Just in time for the new school year, the Patio Gym floor installation is complete.  A contribution of $15,000 raised by The Piedmont Basketball Foundation (PBBF) and made to the project, the remaining funds coming from the City of Piedmont & Piedmont Unified School District .  PBBF Founder David Cooper and PBBF Secretary Don McBirney were instrumental in identifying the best flooring material and in developing the PUSD/City/PBBF partnership to make this long-sought improvement possible.

PBBF is proud to be a part of this major upgrade.  Happy Hoops to all that pass, shoot and dribble on the new floor.

Resolution 40-08

RESOLVED, that the City Council appropriates $15,000 from the General Fund Reserve as the City’s contribution toward the expense of a new gymnasium floor in the Piedmont Middle School Patio Gymnasium.

Staff Recommendation:
Piedmont Recreation Department (PRD) staff approves an appropriation from the general fund reserve in the amount of $15,000 as a contribution toward the expense of a new gymnasium floor in the Piedmont Middle School Patio Gymnasium.

Background:
For many, many years, the linoleum floor in the PMS Patio Gym has been a poor playing surface. It is extremely slippery and is not conducive for basketball or volleyball. Regardless of the cleaning program, it has remained a problem.

The Piedmont Basketball Program has taken the initiative to have this floor replaced. In coordination with PUSD and the Recreation Department, Mr. Cooper (letter attached) has done considerable research, organized field trips to see floors at other schools and made a recommendation for a new floor – the Robbins Co. synthetic type. PUSD Asst. Supt. Michael Brady concurs with Mr. Cooper’s recommendation as do I.

The cost estimate for the new floor is $60,000. PUSD has committed to funding one-half ($30,000) of the cost while the Basketball Foundation has pledged 25% or $15,000. The city is being asked to fund the other 25%, or $15.000.

This facility is used for city programs from September thru March for volleyball and basketball programs for grades 3 -8, although most basketball use is for the younger players. We also use this gym occasionally in the summer for camps. Mr. Redford has informed me that he would schedule more programs in this gym if a new floor were to be installed.

After visiting this type floor in a school in Foster City (13 years old) and a new installation in Burlingame, and based on use of the facility for city programs, I recommend City Council approval of this appropriation in the amount of $15,000.

Recreation Commission Recommendation:
The Recreation Commission has considered this matter and has unanimously recommended City Council approval of participation in the funding for this project.