If you’ve grown up and played basketball in northern Kentucky, you’ve more than likely played in the Blacktop League at Silver Lake Park in Erlanger.
More than 800 teams and thousands of future high school players from the area have played in the league over the last 29 years as the league enters its 30th season come August.
The Blacktop League is an opportunity for younger hoopers to continue to polish their skills as the upcoming grade school basketball season approaches.
Not to mention the safety the league exudes.
“Doing this for that many years, not once have we had to call security or police,” Kevin Bundy said, the pioneer of the league.
When the league begins in August they’ll hit a “special” milestone, as Bundy notes. Play has always been at Silver Lake, where Bundy and his friends grew up playing as well.
But as the years have gone on and other opportunities have come with AAU and more sports out there, participation in the league has dwindled. Outdoor leagues are rare nowadays. With Griffin Elite, Town and Country and other facilities, not as many kids are playing outdoors anymore.
“Their used to be 50-60 teams. The most we’ve had in the last few years is 11 teams. There’s just a lot of other things going on now,” Scott Eaton said, who helps run the league with Bundy.
Bundy pioneered the league to give kids the opportunity to play outdoors before AAU got big. Bundy’s goal was to get local youngsters a chance to improve their game before the season started.
“It’s been a labor of love for me,” Bundy said. “Enjoyed every minute of it. Even through the four days a week in 90 degree weather at times. But what offsets that is running in to people and saying it was their favorite league and now they want their kids to be a part of it.”
Local coaches rave about the league.
“We have had teams play in the Blacktop league for almost a decade. It is a great place for players to hone their skills in game situations. My own sons have enjoyed the competition, comradery, and atmosphere unique to playing outdoors in the Blacktop League,” said Kevin Listerman, head coach at Highlands High School.
Adding to the appeal of the league is the resurfacing of the courts and renovation out at Silver Lake. The league offers a stress free environment with structure.
“The goal is to keep the kids involved in basketball and their love for growing basketball as long as possible. We want them to walk away a better player and student of the game. Parents can pull up a lawn chair and enjoy the outside. We just want to create a fun environment,” Bundy said.
The 10-game season begin on August 14 and runs through October 12. Games are played on Monday through Thursday in the evening. Boys and girls in grades three through eight are eligible to play. Registration information can be found at https://www.blacktopleague.com/.
“We just want to try to appreciate the grassroots of the game a little bit,” Eaton said. “So many adults now that have grown up playing want their kids playing to get the experience.”
