Hoops and Whoops Mark End of Optimist Club’s Inaugural Program

Hoops go with whoops, and there were plenty of those Tuesday, May 18 at Mackle Park, when about 90 youngsters enjoyed the season wrap of their basketball league. 

Organized and staged by the Optimist Club of Marco Island, the “Hoops League” had an approximate six-week run and was launched around the time Covid guidelines began to be relaxed somewhat. Next year, said co-organizer and coach Jamin Arvig, it’s hoped the league will expand to become as popular as the club’s other sports of flag football and soccer. 

“It’s been very exciting,” Arvig said of the short-but-successful opening season. “We also teach the kids the values of full effort, sportsmanship and positivity, and they already know that very well.” During this final seasonal get-together, a team of coaches (mostly parent volunteers) guided the kids through dribbling, passing, shooting and relay drills. 

The youthful whoops mentioned earlier came appropriately during relays, when the youngsters had to dribble, make a set number of baskets, and then dribble back to hand over to teammates. 

Parent Nick Popoff watched daughter Aubrey, seven, being put through her paces, and was full of praise for the program. “It’s nice to get them moving and hopefully learn some of the values as well as the fundamentals of the game,” Popoff said. 

Arvig said the program is also basically a clinic, and that it has already unearthed some potentially great talent within the ranks. 

For information on the club and various programs, visit mioptimistclub.org.