Copa Hoopsters Club Team 2015 - (First row, from left) Coach Ryan Riecks and Coach Ian Watts; (Second Row, from left) Coach DJ Williams, Kylie G, Patrick W, Kobe W, Ashland J, Coach Dustin Perkins; (Third Row, from left) Luke S, Kannon R, Kamani W, Nadia C , Kaitlyn B; (Fourth Row, from left) Coach Maggie Leppert, Andre L, Musashi H, Coach Jon Leppert; (Fifth Row, from left) Jacob L, Hunter P, Isabella W, Celeste W, Cam W; (under hoop) Korbyn R.

Basketball season is around the corner, and a preseason clinic is being offered for 9-15 year olds who want to hone their basketball skills.

The newly formed Copa Hoopsters basketball organization will be offering a preseason basketball clinic Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Maricopa Wells Middle School. The basketball clinic will focus on helping players improve their skills with form shooting, rebounding techniques, defensive aggressiveness, plyometrics, position specific moves, game strategy/scrimmage, among many more.

The Copa Hoopsters organization was created last year at the request of local parents to form a club basketball team for kids interested in elevating their skills on the court. The strong coaching staff of six is led by head coaches Jon and Maggie Leppert, who have combined coaching experience of almost 25 years.

Both Jon and Maggie played basketball through school and into college. Maggie then went on to coach various sports in the Kyrene school district, and was later joined by Jon as they coached basketball at the high school level in the Tempe Unified School District. They are assisted by four other coaches, who together bring a total of 28 years’ coaching experience to the organization: Ryan Riecks; Ian Watts, DJ Williams and Dustin Perkins.

“My husband and I have a love for basketball and a passion for coaching. Maricopa is a growing city with a lot of talented athletes, and we’re excited to help them develop their skills,” said Maggie Leppert. “There is nothing better than watching a young player improve day by day. We are very excited to bring a competitive level of basketball to the city of Maricopa. Our clinic’s timing is perfect with many schools beginning tryouts right around the corner.”

Though the Hoopsters are newly formed, their 17 founding players achieved tremendous success in their first season: first place in the 5th and 6th grade rec league, second place in the 5th and 6th grade competitive league, and first place in the 7th and 8th grade competitive league. Local practices and strong parent involvement helped foster a supportive environment where players focused on skill development, team cohesiveness, positive attitude, strong work ethic, and basketball IQ.

Coach Riecks added, “Being a Maricopa resident and business owner for 10 years, I really believe it’s important to invest in our community. I’ve coached over 60 teams in Maricopa over the last six years, and more and more families have asked about how their kids can improve their basketball skills and become more competitive. The Copa Hoopsters’ clinic offers a great solution.”

The four-hour clinic is $30 for preregistration at the CopaHoopsters.com website, or parents can pay $40 at the door. Every registered participant will receive a t-shirt, and sibling discounts are available.

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