Socorro youth basketball program building fundamentals

The City of Socorro youth basketball program has been running strong three days a week at the Finley Gym. 

These games have been organized by the City of Socorro Recreation Director, Michael Padilla. Padilla has been in this position for two years now, going into his third year. He is a Socorro local who has seen the ups and downs of sports programs here over the years and hopes to help build up the basketball and other sports programs from the bottom with the basics.

“Fundamentals, my main key. I feel like we lack fundamentals in certain ages right now, we're a little far behind, so we got to build that back up,” Padilla said.

Mondays and Wednesdays the Mighty Mites played their games on half-sized courts with 6-foot baskets from about 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The Mighty Mites were the youngest group of players and had the most participants. Those teams got 10 games each and their season just wrapped up this past Wednesday, Jan. 21.

“That's my biggest one, my four to six year old [group]. We have about 110 kids, so jumped up quite a bit from the year before,” Padilla said.

On Saturday mornings the next age group plays from 9 a.m. to about noon. These kids are in the seven to nine year old group and use 8-foot hoops on a nearly-full court. Padilla calls them the Sophomores. The third age group is the 10 to 12 year olds. They play on Saturdays as well, but in the afternoon from noon until the last game at four. They are preparing for middle school ball with full court play and 10-foot hoops. The regular season for the older players will go through Jan. 31. 

“Then my Sophomores, we have eight teams in there, so about 80 kids in that one. And then, Little League, we have four teams from Socorro. So we have about 45 kids in that and then we actually have a team from Alamo that comes down and plays,” Padilla said.

The Sophomores and the Little League will get to finish up with a tournament tentatively scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 14 and potentially into the following weekend.

Padilla puts the total number of kids in the youth basketball program in the 220 to 230 range, off the top of his head. These young Socorro athletes are learning those fundamentals that will strengthen future basketball teams for years to come. Plus, the program provides these youths with opportunities to exercise, play and develop their teamwork skills.

Upcoming volleyball camp

As the youth basketball season is nearing its end, preparations for the upcoming programs are well underway. Next up is a youth volleyball camp. Padilla is working with SHS volleyball Head Coach Carmen Marquez to get that set up. Times and days are not set yet, but they are looking into a four-week camp starting soon after basketball wraps up.

“The SHS Lady Warrior Volleyball team is excited to bring volleyball back to youth sports in Socorro with the city’s support. I had an idea to rebuild a youth volleyball presence, and working with Michael Padilla helped bring that idea to life. His support and enthusiasm have made this a true community effort,” Marquez said. “This camp offers kids the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game, develop movement skills, and build confidence in a fun, supportive environment.” 

Marquez completed her third year of coaching and first year as head coach for volleyball this past fall. She is helping to guide the Socorro Lady Warriors through a rebuilding process (doubling their number of wins from the previous year) and is taking the long view of volleyball in Socorro.

“I believe it’s important for coaches to be involved at the youth level if the goal is to build a strong program long-term, and Socorro deserves that opportunity. With the support of my assistant coaches and involvement from our high school athletes, this camp helps lay a strong foundation for the future of volleyball in Socorro,” Marquez said.

These programs provide fun, activities and learning opportunities for the young athletes. The city and Finley Gym get volunteers from the high school and community, as well as paid staff from the high school. Several high schoolers are reffing games and keeping the gym operating.

“That's kind of how programs are built. In my mind, you have these high school kids come and work with the youngsters and encourage them to get out there too. They look at the older kids as role models, pretty much, in my eyes. And so it's going to be something really good, something positive for the community. And I think it'd be really awesome for them,” Padilla said.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Head Coach Carmen Marquez at coach.marquez@socorroschools.org.