CCYBA opens with pre-season tourneys at City’s three gyms

TOP PHOTO: They’re off and playing in the CCYBA around La Follette.

By David Graham

LAFOLLETTE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF) – It was a great Saturday of basketball across La Follette as the Campbell County Youth Basketball Association’s (CCYBA) pre-season tournament was played at all three of the city’s facilities, East, Rec Center (under the library) and West.

Chris Smith with La Follette Parks and Recreation is the President of the CCYBA and tells us that there are 51 teams in this years league and the ages range from Pre-K all the way up to the 8th grade.

The CCYBA is designed for youngsters who don’t play school ball, and they can join a CCYBA team and play. It’s a wonderful program started many years ago by La Follette Parks & Recreation Director Johnny Byrge and Smith.

There’s a few high school players playing now because of this league which gave them the encouragement to compete. Who knows, without the CCYBA some of these boys and girls would never have the confidence to play at the high school level. They will start up for real this Friday at the old rec center (under the library), and then it’s on to east and west the next Saturday.

Get our and support these little guys, I know you’ll enjoy it. They compete so hard and put so much into the game that you’ll have to appreciate their efforts. I know I do. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/05/2022-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID GRAHAM AND CHRIS SMITH)