Dear Middle School Basketball Families, Welcome to the 2014-2015 season for middle school boys basketball! Your
coaches will be Mr. Ed Knupp and Mr. Curtis Fee. Coach Knupp began coaching
basketball in 1983 and has previously coached both varsity and middle school
teams here at Rivermont. Coach Fee has been a valuable assistant coach at
Rivermont for a number of years. Philosophy Basketball is a team sport that requires players to work together in order to perform to the best of
our collective abilities and compete in the games we play. Individual skill is important and the
coaches will work with players to develop those skills. More importantly, teamwork will be
developed in practices as players learn their roles and responsibilities on offense, defense, and in
transition. Our team will include boys in 5th through 8th grades so size, strength, experience, and skill levels
will vary. Our hope is that all of the players benefit regardless of where they are in their own
personal development. Schedules Our game and practice schedules are attached to this email and was handed out to players this
afternoon. We expect that our players will attend all practices and games. If there is an
unavoidable scheduling conflict, please let Coach Knupp ([email protected]) know as early as
possible. If a player is ill, we do expect him to stay home. We get an attendance roster, so there
is no need to contact the coach when a player is ill. There will be a preseason clinic October 23-25 for middle school players. The times are listed
on the practice schedule calendar. There is no cost to attend and the focus will be on basketball
fundamentals. At the end of the semester, there are two, short optional practices on the
schedule. You will also find open gyms scheduled during the break in late
December. Attendance is not required on those dates. A Parent Meeting will be held at 5:15 p.m. following our first practice on Monday, October
27. Please try to attend. All players will ride the bus to away games and the bus will return to the school after for those
that need. Parents are welcome to take their sons home after the game—you will just need to
sign out with the coach. An end-of-season team party will be held following our final game on Thursday, January
15. We will be staying for the varsity basketball game vs. Scattergood at 6:30 p.m. and the MS
team will be recognized at halftime. Injuries Basketball is a contact sport and players do run, jump, and compete for the ball. Injuries do
occur and while the coaches will be aware of most injuries, players should let a coach know if
they are hurt in any way. The coaches will work closely with the parents and, if necessary,
medical professionals, to be sure players get treatment and are cleared to return. Injured players
should attend practice and games in support of their teammates and may participate within any
limitations placed upon them (for example, dribbling or shooting on the side, light jogging,
walking through plays, etc.) Equipment Players should wear their black PE shorts (Mr. Carman will issue shorts to 5th graders), a t-shirt,
and socks to practice. The school will provide a reversible practice jersey as well as game
uniforms (jersey and shorts.) A red t-shirt may be worn under the game jersey. Basketball shoes are an important piece of equipment. A good court shoe will allow a player to
start, stop, and cut without slipping. Mid- or high-tops will provide additional ankle support. Players that wear glasses may want to consider sport glasses (non-breakable) or contacts. At the
very least, a strap to hold the glasses in place will keep the player’s hands free. A player’s hair should not be a distraction. If a player is using his hand to move his hair or
swinging his head to gain better vision, he may want to consider some kind of soft hair tie to
secure it. Questions If you have questions, please let me know. We are looking forward to a fun and rewarding season. Coach Knupp ([email protected]) Coach Fee ([email protected])