Foothill Youth Basketball Cleans up at All-Star Tournament

Several of Foothill Youth Basketball's all star teams won at recent all star tournament despite facing for-profit clubs.

A local youth basketball league won five trophies at an all-star tournament earlier this year.

Foothill Youth Basketball (FYB) fielded 12 teams for an all-star tournament back in March in Pismo Beach. FYB is made up of 300 kids from Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Santa Clara and Mountain View. The teams are composed of boys and girls from third to eighth grade.

FYB is a volunteer parent-driven organization that only charges for what it spends, as opposed to a for-profit club. The all-star tournament pitted FYB players against players from club teams that compete year-round.

Vijay Devarapalli sits on the FYB board and is responsible for all-star coordination. He said the organization is a good fit for parents who are unsure whether the rigor of year-round ball is a good fit for their kids. The league focuses on player development, he said.

“The measure of how good of a coach you are is a girl or boy that comes back next season … that is the measure of how good of a coach you are,” he said.

The third, fourth and seventh-grade boys captured first-place trophies. The division two and three girls’ teams also earned first-place.

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Because of the approach, Devarapalli said kids can develop skills in a low-pressure environment. Succeeding in competitive club teams is difficult, Devarapalli said, which makes the wins all the more impressive.

“I am hoping it is a trend,” Devarapalli said. “I am hoping this is starting something new.”

Santa Clara resident Gabi Gemetti’s son Carlo played on the seventh-grade team. He has been playing with the FYB since third grade.

Gemetti said she likes the league’s coaching style, which she described as an “old school” brand of “tough love.”

Playing for FYB has taught Carlo the value of hard work and resilience, Gametti said.

“Basketball has taught me how to be teammates with everybody and develop chemistry,” Carlo said.

A key moment, Carlo said, was when his team was up by a point at the end of the game. He knew that if the other team could inbound the ball and get off a shot, his team might lose. As someone who focuses on defensive play, Carlo said the moment his team managed to stop their opponent stuck out as meaningful.

Koji Yamada’s son Keita played on the boys’ sixth-grade team. This year was Keita’s second year in the league. He said he made the all-star team because of the skills he learned since his first year.

“I got better at dribbling and shooting, so I think that is why I got chosen,” Keita said. “I got better at driving to the basket in the game and [drew a] foul.”

Yamada said playing has increased Keita’s confidence, especially since Japanese is his native language. Basketball was a good way for Keita to bond with other kids without worrying about that language barrier.

“He is really kind, but shy. In Japan, that is fine,” Yamada said. “That kind of culture difference is hard … after one year … he learned, and he really got used to being proactive. It is not a mindset he would have acquired living in Japan.”

It also taught him grit, how to be more decisive and the value of teamwork.

“Working with others, collaborating with others, the basketball really helped him to have those skills,” Yamada said. “Doing on your own will not really achieve things.”

Yamada plans to enroll Keita in FYB basketball again next year. Early enrollment for the next session in October is now open.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com