Zillah Intermediate School- Mighty Leopards


Mr. Bob Burke,
Coach

Zillah Intermediate School

Mighty Leopards

Basketball Skills Program

Basketball for Everyone Biggest Little Team Meet the Mighty Leopards

Parent Letter Performance Schedule Practice Schedule

Quotes Uniform Order Form Contact Us


Mrs. Liz Delp,
Assistant Coach

THE MIGHTY LEOPARDS

The Mighty Leopards basketball skills program is open to all students in good standing and enrolled in the 5th grade at Zillah Intermediate School.

The Mighty Leopards program is a fun and healthy way for student to spend time developing fitness and coordinating skills, learning to work together with others, and building self esteem. The theme of hard work yields good results is demonstrated when after weeks of practice, the team performs several basketball handling exhibitions throughout the Yakima Valley.

The Mighty Leopards are a basketball ball handling exhibition team that performs a choreographed routine of ball handling drills, dribbling and acrobatics to the sound of music and the applause of entertained audiences. They perform before four to six thousand people each season. Each performer is equipped with a pair of shorts, a t-shirt with any number of their choice and a nickname on the back. Each person gets their own basketball checked out to them for the season. They have the option to buy the ball or turn it in at seasons end. Very few are returned.

Their performance venues have seen a variety of audiences. They travel to other elementary schools and perform audience participation assemblies. Each of the Leopards goes into the audience and brings one of the local students to the floor. He or she teaches his or her counterpart a few new skills, and they perform together. This is an invaluable interaction between students from different communities.

These assemblies have had a tremendous impact on the overall behavior and academic wellness of our school. Detentions are at a record low and respect among students has highly increased over the years.

The Mighty Leopards also perform at halftime of their local high school games and the community responds with large crowds and loud cheers. Building self-esteem, family and community pride. They also perform at community college games, four year schools like Central Washington University, an NCAA Division II University, and professional level games. These venues provide and opportunity for the participants to see all levels of play and the atmosphere that each brings with it.

In February of 2009, The Mighty Leopards spent the day at Central Washington University. The group of 80 spent one hour with a class of college P.E. majors. The college students gained hands on experience with actual students, as the students themselves enjoyed the activities and leadership of the young future teachers from CWU.

They received tours of the music facility, the Recreation Center, ate a buffet style dinner on the campus, performed an assembly for a local elementary school and finished the evening with a halftime performance before a large, appreciative CWU crowd. Over 1500 students have participated in the program.

The Biggest Little Team in Basketball

The question is… What are the benefits a basketball ball handling exhibition team can bring to your students, school and community?
The answer is… A LOT !!!

In Zillah, Washington, a community of about 2500 people, a group of 5^th graders, known as the Mighty Leopards, (formally known as the Mighty Mustangs), are the home of ‘The Biggest Little Team in Basketball’.

The program was started for ZSD 5^th graders in 1991 and still continues today. The first group included 35 participants. The past 15 years have had an average 80 participants on the team. There are close to one hundred 5^th graders in the district each year. The fifth grade is the middle grade of a three year intermediate school that houses 52% Caucasian, 41% Hispanic and 5% American Indian.

The program was started when the fifth graders were housed at a K-5 elementary building. The purpose of starting the program at that time was to develop pride within our school and help develop the fifth graders as leaders and someone for the younger students to look up to as role models. It was decided that every fifth grader was eligible for the team.

The idea is to get as many kids involved regardless of athletic ability, economic status, activities already involved in, physical fitness status and emotional and physical disabilities. Parameters were set to be conducive so each of the objectives could be met. The Parent Teacher Association formed a scholarship fund for students who could not buy the shorts and jersey. Students already involved in other activities were excused from practice and are welcome back the next day. There are only sixteen practices they start on the week of Thanksgiving break and end the week of winter break. That’s four weeks of one hour practices Monday thru Thursday. Oversized students, and those with special needs are encouraged to turn out with concessions made to where they will take part in portions of the performance to where they can be successful and comfortable. If a student does not have the physical capability of being an ‘on floor’ participant, they are invited to be a ‘team manager.’

Basketball for Everyone

This program helps children at any skill level develop coordination, body movement and timing. It fosters self-esteem and team building in a fun and rewarding environment.

The program stresses teaching/learning by demonstrating positive relationships between participants and coaches in addition to developing positive relationships between peers. Regardless of age, skill level, language barriers or other special needs ‘Basketball for Everyone’ is a powerful tool to use in creating a positive learning environment in your school or community. Especially when working with children with discipline problems, learning disabilities and children who may not normally be involved in team sports.

A teaching video/DVD that demonstrates how you can implement this program in your school can be found at www.intermedia-inc.com “Basketball for Everyone” click on physical education or self-esteem.

Dear Parents of Mighty Leopards,

The Mighty Leopards are basketball ball-handling exhibition team for fifth graders in the Zillah School District. This year will be year nineteen (19) of the program. There will be a parent meeting explaining the details of the program, uniform costs, practice times, performance schedule, coaches and parent expectations as well as an opportunity to see a video tape of past teams. Parents will also be able to see uniforms to determine which size would be appropriate for their Mighty Leopard. The first practice is scheduled for Monday, November 16th, from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. at Zillah Intermediate School.
The meeting will be Tuesday, November 10, at 6:00 p.m. in the Zillah Intermediate Commons. The meeting will last 30 to 45 minutes. This is a Zillah School District approved organization. Hope to see you there.

Mighty Leopards Coaches

Mr. Bob Burke and Mrs. Liz Delp

“Some Quotes”

Teachers:

“It doesn’t matter if they can’t read or can’t write, or are hyperactive or don’t understand, they can still be a part of this team.”

“When people think of this school they think of this team.”

“The kids are staying active in the winter and it helps in the classroom.”

Parents:

“They get to do a lot of things other kids don’t get to do.”

“It’s a tradition, kids in the first grade are already making up their nicknames and practicing the moves.”

“It helped my kid to learn to play with something other than his video game.”

Former Participants:

“That experience put the ball in my hands more than it normally would have. It really helped me with my hand eye coordination.”

“It was my first team. It taught me responsibility.”

Leopards Practice Schedule 2009-10:

Practice begins at 2:45

Practice ends at 3:45

Pick Mighty Leopards up NO LATER than 4:00

If you can’t pick your Mighty Leopard up by 4:00 then please make arrangements to have them ride home with someone else or walk to a friend or relatives home.

PRACTICE DATES

Monday, November 16- 1^st Practice

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, November 17, 18, & 19

Monday, November 23

Tuesday, November 24 NO PRACTICE (day before thanksgiving break)

Monday, November 30 NO PRACTICE (no school)

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, December 1, 2, & 3

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, December 7, 8, 9, & 10

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, December 14, 15, 16

Performance Schedule 2009-10:

Meet the Mighty Leopards: