Eighteen seasons of neighbors coaching neighbors — and a promise that hasn't changed.
Hermiston Youth Basketball began when two fathers couldn't find an affordable league for their kids and decided to just start one. The first season had 40 kids, one gym on loan from the middle school, and a lot of borrowed folding chairs.
Eighteen years later we serve over 450 kids a season across rec and travel — but the promise hasn't changed. Everybody plays. Nobody gets priced out. And the whole thing still runs on volunteers who love this town and love the game.
We've never had a paid employee, and we've never turned a kid away for money. Those two facts are the whole reason the gym stays full on Saturday mornings.
Club Director · Volunteer
Ran the concession stand for six years before anyone let her run the club. Knows every family by name.
Travel Program Lead
Played here as a kid, came back to coach. Builds teams that compete hard and shake hands harder.
Rec League Coordinator
Schedules 200 kids across 18 teams every fall and somehow makes it look easy. Do not lose her spreadsheet.
Head of Officiating
Reffed valley ball for 25 years. Trains every volunteer whistle and settles every parent on the baseline.
Gear Closet & Logistics
Keeps shoes, jerseys, and balls flowing so no kid ever shows up without what they need. Runs the best lost-and-found in the county.
We've never once turned a kid away because a family couldn't pay. Not once in eighteen years. That's the whole point.
The gym on a Saturday morning is the best sound in this town — squeaky shoes and 200 kids who can't wait to play.
I've reffed here 25 years. It's the one place where the scoreboard matters less than whether the kids come back next season.