By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Darting Basketball Academy wrapped up its fifth 3 on 3 Summer League this week at Shawnee Heights, drawing the biggest numbers in the history of the event and culminating with the crowning of Most Valuable Players in seven divisions.
On Monday night Owen Pearson received the MVP award in the 8-9-year-old boys division, while Beau Moser was the 10-11 boys winner and Hudson Heim took home MVP honors in the 12-13 boys division.
Morgan Ranson was the 9-11 girls MVP and Aniyah Perkins received the MVP award in the girls 12-13 division.
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 12-13-year-old girls most valuable player Aniyah Perkins (left), 9-11 girls MVP Morgan Ranson (second from left) and 8-9 boys MVP Owen Pearson (right) pose with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving their awards Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hudson Heim (left), the 12-13-year-old boys DBA 3 on 3 Summer League MVP, and 10-11 MVP Beau Moser (right) pose for a picture with Kerry Darting after receiving their awards Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The high school division finished up on Wednesday, with KK Emmot repeating as the girls most valuable player and Jai'Marion Cook receiving the boys MVP award.
Boys high school division MVP Jai'Marion Cook (left) and girls MVP KK Emmot (right) pose for a picture with Kerry Darting Wednesday night after the conclusion of the DBA 3 on 3 Summer League. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Kerry Darting said that the 3 on 3 league continues to be one of DBA's most successul programs, drawing 225 participants for this summer's program.
"We just continue to add kids from year to year and this is the most we've had to date,'' Darting said.
The DBA six-week 3 on 3 league has a unique format, with players rotating from team to team each game to give athletes an opportunity to team up with players of varying talent levels.
Players accumulate points with each win, leading to the crowning of MVPs in each age division at the end of the six-week program.
"I don't know of anybody that's doing it the way we're doing it as far as the scoring system and kids playing on different teams and with and against everybody in the league,'' Darting said. "I think the kids have the most fun with this.
"It's work but they get to come in and put the work to use and have fun with it and it's fun to watch.''
