RPB Coaches, Parents, and Players

RPB is in danger of losing its right to use the gyms at Canyonside and Black Mountain. If we lose the gym privileges, then RPB will cease to exist or become an outdoor basketball league.

On Sunday, Jan 14th, the Canyonside Rec Center contacted RPB to report several acts of vandalism, which are being attributed to RPB players. Specifically, on two occasions (Friday night during RPB practice and Saturday during RPB games) the fire alarm was pulled. Also, on Saturday afternoon, during RPB games, the men's restroom at the gym was strewn with toilet paper. Even if the things complained of were not the acts of RPB players, we will be blamed if events like these occur during times we are using the gym.

Please help by keeping a watchful eye around the gyms and the surrounding areas for activities that may jeopardize our continued use of these facilities. It is your responsibility (all of you - parents, coaches, and players) to be proactive in providing a safe and enjoyable place to play basketball.

Please also be aware of the following RPB Rules and policies:

• No food or drinks. Please do not permit anyone (yourselves, players, parents, other spectators) to bring any food or beverage (even water) into the gyms at Black Mountain, Mesa Verde, and Canyonside. This is the policy of the gyms and we may lose our gym time if their rules are not followed.
• Please do not allow players to bounce balls off the walls of the playing facilities, inside our out. RPB has received complaints about this from gym attendants.
• Please do not bring (or allow players to bring) basketballs into our playing facilities on game days. RPB provides sufficient balls at each facility for each team to have a warm-up ball before the start of each game.
• Except on game days, please do not use the basketballs belonging to RPB which are stored at our playing facilities . These balls are for use in games and pre-game warm-ups only - they are not to be used for practices or other events.
• Though not related to our use of playing facilities, I also want to remind everyone of the following RPB policy from page 4 of the Coaches' Manual: "Coaches are not to encourage or allow their teams to "run up" the score against an opponent. A win by a greater margin than 12 points in the 3rd and 4th grade divisions, and 20 points in all other divisions is deemed excessive. Tactics such as player substitution, as permitted under the minimum/maximum playing time restrictions of the league, as well as rotation of ball handling responsibilities should be used to keep the score differences within the acceptable range. It may become necessary to instruct a player to pass instead of shoot, or to remove the best player from the game."
• Please read the entire Coaches' Manual so you will be familiar with the RPB rules, and give us your assistance in implementing and enforcing them. While all of the rules are important, now that games have started I am particularly concerned about some that relate to use of playing facilities.
• Please control the members of your team before and after your game time to avoid interfering with games or warm-ups then in progress. (This is especially a problem at Canyonside where the courtside area is very narrow. Weather permitting, please keep teams outside that facility until the end of the game preceding your scheduled game.)

Thanks to all of you for your commitment to making RPB the one of the best youth programs in the City. Have a great season.

--Thom Golden-Grant, RPB President (with additions by David Lingner for the RPB web site)

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