The leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping, and Yom Tov preparations are on everyone’s mind. All of the above are signs that the summer is over and autumn is upon us. In Bergen County we are blessed to have an additional indicator of the fall season: MGBL Girls Basketball at Yeshivat Ben Porat Yosef.

The exhibition games, on Sunday (September 21st), mark the start of the fourth season of MGBL Girls basketball. The league created to perpetuate the memory of Mitch Gross, a’h, has seen tremendous growth. Last year over a thousand children played in the Girls, Boys, and High School Boys leagues and, bli ayin hora, it looks like enrollment will surpass those numbers this coming year.

The girl’s league has three divisions and will have almost 400 participants in grades 2 through 8. Skill level and past basketball experience varies, but all come to learn, play, and have fun. Each session consists of part instructional and part competitive league games with certified officials. The league enables girls from different schools to play together, keep a competitive balance, and, more importantly, to plant the seeds of new friendships.

The league owes most of its success to a crew of devoted volunteer coaches/parents, who give so generously of their time and expertise to teach the players basketball skills and the value of sportsmanship.

Registration for the boy’s league which starts in December is now open on the leagues website https://www.mgbl.org/. Spots are given on a first-come/first-serve basis and divisions do close out, so register today. Also, if you would like to be added to the list of locals who support MGBL, you can sign up to be a team, division or league sponsor on the same site.

MGBL is a 501(c)3, and sponsorship donations are tax exempt. Please patronize the vendors listed on the site as a way of showing our thanks to them for their support.