Local 3-on-3 League Nurtures Young Basketball Talent
Local youth organization, Rising Stars Basketball, held the first annual youth 3-on-3 basketball league at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School. The league ran from March 26, 2024 to April 18, 2024. The league was designed for young athletes in grades 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Boys are girls were welcome to join, and the invitation extended to all area schools, including Mellen, Winter, Birchwood, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Hayward.
Each session included 45 minutes of skill development drills. The athletes were tasked with ball handling drills, scoring drills, and then a shooting challenge.
The final 45 minutes included 3-on-3 play. Teams were sorted out based on skill level and size to even out teams as much as possible.
Benefits of Youth 3-on-3 Leagues
One of the primary benefits of local youth 3-on-3 leagues is the individualized attention each athlete receives through the skill drills. Every athlete is allowed an opportunity to develop their ability to pass, dribble, shoot and score through a series of skill drills and competitive challenges.
The secondary benefit is that with 3 players on the floor, touches are maximized, much more so than playing in a 5-on-5 setting. Studies have indicated that athletes develop quicker when playing 3-on-3 as it improves touches, increases involvement, improves decision making, and increases floor spacing for players to explore their abilities.
Developing Skills
The primary mission of Rising Stars Basketball is to help develop talent in northern Wisconsin. As such, Rising Stars Basketball, founded in 2020, was created to introduce northern athletes to skills training and developmental programming. Rising Stars Basketball uses a membership model and works with close to 100 athletes each year through individual training sessions, 3-on-3 leagues, skills camps, and the summer basketball circuit.
A special thanks goes out to the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School for allowing us to use their facilities to host the youth 3-on-3 league, and the parents for allowing their athletes to participate in the program.
