State Hoop Shoot Director
Mark Inman
(Bangor Elks Lodge #244)
Each year, the Elks across the United States sponsor a National "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest, that gives youngsters an opportunity for spirited competition, fine relationships with their peers, and travel across the State, Region, and Nation, at minimal expense to their parents. The parents of competitors at the State, Regional, and National levels attend as guests of the Elks.
The "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Program is open to all boys and girls, ages 8 through 13. All public and private schools within the jurisdiction of a local Elk Lodge are invited to participate in this program.
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The participants first compete at the local level, which is run by 22 Elk Lodges throughout the State of Maine. Following that contest, the six Lodge Champions, one boy and one girl in each age-group, advance to a District contest. Here in Maine, there are 3 districts, Coastal, Central, and Northern Districts. Each district contest may have from 7 to 8 Lodge entries in each category and age-group. |
From that point, the six finalists in each District
contest will advance to the State finals. The State Champions then compete at a
Regional contest to determine the contestants that will compete at the National
Finals, which are held in Springfield, Massachusetts,
Home of the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
The "Hoop Shoot" contest is arranged in two divisions, one for boys and one for girls, in age categories 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13. Contestant age-groups are determined by their ages as of April 1.
The "Hoop Shoot" contest is conducted in five tiers to qualify for the National Finals: the School contest, the Lodge contest, the District contest, the State contest, and the Regional contest.
In the 8-9 boys age division, the 28.5 basketball will be used in all levels of competition.
In the 10-11 and 12-13 age divisions, a regulation-size official basketball with 7-9 lbs. of air and channels and/or seams not exceeding 1/4 inch in width. A leather ball will be used in all state, regional and national contests.
All girls age-groups will use the girls regulation size basketball for girls with 7-9 Ibs of air with channels and/or seams not to exceed 1/4 inch in width.
Boys and girls in the 8-9 age category may shoot from a line four feet in front of the regulation foul line.
A leather ball will be used at the state, regional and national contests.
The program director in each school has the flexibility to conduct the school contest within the constraints for time and facilities. However, the contestants will shoot for the best of 25 baskets at the Lodge contest and beyond. Ties will be broken by a five-basket shoot-off.
Certificates may be awarded to all participants in the School contest. Contestants may receive certificates at each tier of the contest. Trophies are awarded to the 1st- and 2nd-place winners in each boy and girl age-group at the District contest. 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd place trophies will be awarded in all age-groups at the State, Regional and National Contests. National winners also have their names inscribed on a permanent "Hoop Shoot" plaque at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Two special awards are presented to the top scoring boy and girl at the Maine Elks State Hoop Shoot Contest. These awards are the Amos McCallum Outstanding Shooter Award and the Allan W. Richard Outstanding Shooter Award.