Mt. Laurel Knights of Columbus sponsor an annual youth free throw contest testing basketball shooting skills of children ages 10 to 14.
On Jan. 26, from 12 to 4 p.m. students will gather at Lenape Regional High School for the tournament.
According to the Knights’s website, the contest started in 1972 and was set up as a free throw competition for boys and girls.
Chairman of the tournament, Ed Meglis said age divides the groups. Everyone has a fair chance to move on to the next round, he said.
“They are very competitive,” Meglis said, adding the children are excited to participate in a competition where they can move up to different levels.
Meglis has been chairman of the tournament for the past four years. Since he started, he said the participation rate has remained “fairly steady.”
According to the Knights’s website, the free throw tournament begins at the local level. Those winners move to the district, regional and state competitions. Some even make it to the international level, the website said.
Ten winners from Mt. Laurel will get the chance to move forward in the competition, Meglis said.
During the 2011–2012 free throw championship, no one from New Jersey made it to the international level.
Meglis said each age group is different. Normally, the foul line is 15 feet away from the basket. The 12- to 14-year-old competitors shoot from 15 feet while the younger group shoots closer to the hoop, he said.
The 10– and 11-year-old competitors would use a woman’s basketball, which is smaller than the standard size ball, Meglis said.
“We give them every opportunity to be successful,” he said.
According to Meglis, the organization teams up with the Mt. Laurel Recreation Commission to make sure the tournament runs smoothly.
According to Meglis, most of the children who participate in the tournament partake in Mt. Laurel Recreation Commission activities.
Every participant will receive a certificate even if they don’t move on to the next round, Meglis said.
Even though competitors are actively involved in activities at the recreation commission, Meglis said he “hopes [the tournament] would get them excited to participate in basketball or some other sport of choice.”
Participants can register at the door and must provide proof of age and written parental consent. There is no registration fee. Entry forms will be available at the event. For more information, or to fill out an entry form ahead of time, visit Mt. Laurel School District’s community page at www.mtlaurelschools.org, and from the “Community” tab, click on “Links & Events” at the bottom. The form can be downloaded by clicking on “Knights of Columbus Free Throw Competition — Jan. 26.”
