The inaugural Rugrats Youth Basketball League held its first game of the season last Sunday at Cross Christian Academy in Seaford. League Director Danny Lamb was happy with the approximately 200 parents, fans, and other family members who showed up to cheer on the toddlers. 

“It’s exciting to see the support we’ve received from the community and the excitement the children have brought during the season,” he said.

The three games featured age groups, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8. The league is co-ed, and each team is required to register and pay a fee of $125 to participate. The games consist of two 14-minute halves. The RYBL staff serves as on-court coaches, which provides consistency and ensures that the focus remains on teaching, encouraging, and helping the children develop. In addition, the staff works directly with the players during the contest to help them learn the game, build confidence, and most importantly, have fun. The game format gives the young players an opportunity to get on the court and experience organized basketball while keeping the games fun and appropriate for their age group. 

The basket height is different for each age group: four feet for 3-4, six feet for 5-6, and 10 feet for 7-8. There are two teams in each age category, and they will conduct three practices and play six regular-season contests during a 10-week period with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11. All games are played on Sunday, with each category playing at the same time each week: 3-4 at noon, 5-6 at 1 p.m., and 7-8 at 2 p.m.

Team Pink won the first game over Team Green, 24-20. Kali Kane and Jordi Holland scored eight points apiece for their team, respectively. Additional scores from the day included: in the second game, Team Red beat Team Orange, 16-10, and in the third game, Team Yellow outscored Team Purple, 22-8.

According to Lamb, the RYBL will introduce the youngsters to the sport of basketball. “Through my experience as a basketball player, coach, and working with young people, I wanted to create something specifically designed for our youngest athletes to experience organized basketball in a structured, fun, and positive environment. The goal is to have our young people fall in love with the game of basketball at this early age. Of course, we’re teaching them fundamentals, team work, sportsmanship, and confidence, but we want them to enjoy being on the court and be excited to come back each week.” 

Lamb likes the co-ed concept and believes both girls and boys will have a great opportunity to learn and enjoy the game together. He believes, at this age, the focus should be on development, inclusion, and fun. He added, “At this age, winning is not the most important thing. We want every child to feel comfortable, included, and excited about playing basketball. All children are welcome, we believe every child should have an opportunity to participate in sports and experience being part of a team.”

For familiarity, the Rugrats was an original 1991 American animated TV series created for children by Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain of Klasky Csupo Inc. for Nickelodeon, that ran for nine seasons. The series focused on a group of toddlers, most prominently, Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and twins Phil and Lil DeVille, whose day-to-day experiences become much greater adventures in their imaginations. Lamb commented on why he named the league the Rugrats, “Just like the characters in Rugrats, our young athletes are at the beginning of their journey learning, exploring, having fun, and experiencing new things. I wanted the name of our league to reflect the age, personality, and excitement of the children participating.”

For further information contact Lamb at 443-359-0851 and find Rugrats Basketball on Facebook. Lamb currently serves as head girls’ basketball coach at Seaford High School.