Hello MHR families! My name is Kerry Petrie and I have organized the Most Holy Rosary Parochial League basketball program for the past 10 years. We are very excited to finally bring MHR basketball back this school year! I know many of you may not be familiar with the Parochial League so I will give you some information on the program and how it’s been such an important part of many lives for decades.
The Parochial League is made up of students from the 8 Catholic Elementary schools in the Syracuse area. MHR children in grades 3-6, compete against other students from their respective schools within their age group. Teams will be formed for the boys and girls based on grade. For years we have combined grades so that we have the appropriate number of kids on each team. For example we have had a 3rd/4th grade girls’ team or 5th/6th grade boys’ team when necessary. There have also been years where we had enough boys or girls in a particular grade to create their own team without combining grades. The games are played beginning in January through late February/early March, usually on Sunday afternoons but there m ay be occasional Saturday games. Teams also may have the chance to play in special tournaments hosted by other the schools outside of the regular season games. The games are a lot of fun, combined with some healthy competition for the kids. They are real games with a score and referees. The kids will learn the fundamentals of basketball through practice as well as the importance of teamwork and trust in their teammates. Usually teams practice once per week either after school or in the early evening based on each team’s coaches’ schedules.
Practices will begin in December. Each child will be provided a uniform and there is no cost to play. Anyone that is interested in coaching a team, please do not hesitate to reach out. We need 2 coaches per team and your Virtus training certification must be up to date. Without coaches there are no teams so please consider it! Attached is an article published in Pillars Magazine on the Parochial League in 2015. This will give you a little more information on the history of the league and how special it truly is for the children. Thank you and please feel free to contact me with any questions at 315-430-0334 or kpetrie72@gmail.com.
