Oregon has a long history of great high school players and coaches along with excellent college basketball teams. With that said, high school coaches too often have felt that their voices were not heard, and we were losing control of the direction of interscholastic basketball. High school coaches were seemingly becoming “irrelevant” in the guidance and development of high school basketball players.
From this belief the Oregon Basketball Coaches Association was formed. The Oregon Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA) heads into its 3rd year of existence, and we continue to provide an organized and unified voice regarding the issues and directions of basketball in our great state. As members of our association continue to attend the NHSBCA Convention each summer, we have learned a great deal from several state associations – those that have strong and highly organized basketball coaches associations and are doing great work to advance the game of basketball in their state. One of our goals is to grow as a grass roots organization and become more effective in creating positive changes in Oregon high school basketball.
The OBCA continues to listen to what our coaches believe will advance basketball in Oregon by surveying the coaches and working through the legislative vehicles that create the changes coaches desire. When the OBCA was organized 3 years ago there was a frustration throughout the state that high school basketball coaches were fragmented as a collective group and not an active or effective participant in positive changes for our great game.
This past October we hosted our 11th annual NIKE/OACA/OBCA basketball coach’s clinic with 3 nation ally recognized speakers and several local high school coaches presenting on a variety of topics. We had approximately 350 coaches in attendance and several vendors presenting their products.
Observing competing coaches collaborating, visiting, sharing, and presenting with each other is a great “Point of Pride” for the OBCA. We will continue to be a partner in organizing this clinic in the future.
The OBCA recognizes the long road ahead in bringing the shot clock to Oregon and will continue to determine which classifications are best suited for this “experiment.” We will persistently provide an organized and unified voice to the governing bodies that are required for approval of the adoption of a shot clock in Oregon.
Coaches in Oregon are becoming more organized and united in the direction of high school basketball and the OBCA will continue to do the leg work for effective and desired changes. Lastly, we are excited to see the NHSBCA summer Convention back in the Northwest and plan to send a larger contingent to Seattle next July!
