Youth basketball entering a new era

Outlaw Basketball (OBB), founded by former longtime Sisters High School Varsity Coach Rand Runco, and operated under Sisters Parks & Recreation District (SPRD), is now out on its own. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit is led by Justin Durham, president, and Ryan Moffat, chairman, with Coach Runco and Varsity Head Basketball Coach Chad Rush on board.

"The four of us founded this new, formalized Outlaw Basketball as its own entity," said Durham. "We're excited to work with kids in the community, help give them a space to gain skills, and not just develop talent in sports but also develop as people."

Photo by Matt Van Slyke

A group of Sisters parents and coaches have formed Outlaw Basketball as an independent nonprofit organization.

The organization coaches fifth- through eighth-graders in the fundamentals of basketball and provides a competitive experience "without the club mentality."

"We're not a club. We're open to the kid shooting hoops down at the park, to the family that just moved here that doesn't know anybody, we want to welcome them and give them a place to be," said Durham, known outside of basketball as CEO of Sisters Coffee Company.

"Anyone's invited to come. It's just that, when you decide to come, you're coming to a big ask. It's a three-month season. You're going to have two to three practices a week. You're going to need to invest. It's going to cost you something, and that's what gives it meaning. It's going to be hard, but it's going to be worth it," Moffat said. "It's a high level of commitment and coaching."

On Saturday, the coaching staff spent three hours training in the offensive and defensive systems used by the Sisters High Outlaws.

"We have a unique opportunity for everybody to be on the same page, doing the same thing in seventh grade as they're doing in high school," said Runco. "That way, maybe they might also be in baseball or in football, but they come back to something that has consistency in multiple years. I just think you can't go wrong doing that."

Rooted in local legacy are OBB's philosophy and vision of camaraderie above self-interest.

"There's this individualism that is really pervasive in youth sports culture today. We're the anti version of that. We're into a collective approach. We're into doing things holistically," Moffat said. "We want to thank SPRD and, specifically, Executive Director Jennifer Holland for the way she's worked with us. We really appreciate where we came from and how we've been supported."

The season begins in early December with a parent-and-player night. The first tournament is set for December 21-22 in Redmond. OBB will host the annual Sisters Shootout tournament in February. Every team will play at least 24 games - in Sisters, Redmond, and a few in Seaside.

For more information, visit http://www.outlawbasketball.org. The deadline to register is November 30.