Osakis 10-year-old Isaac Maddock already had the experience of competing at an Elks Hoop Shoot regional meet in 2014. Now he’s taking it a step further.
Maddock, the son of Ryan and Sarah Maddock, finished first at the North Central Regional semifinals this year to secure his spot at the national finals in Springfield, Massachusetts. He did so by sinking 22-of-25 free throws after advancing through local, district and state levels of competition to get to regionals.
“Isaac is a pretty low-key kid, but the smile on his face when he knew he had won was priceless,” Ryan Maddock said. “He is very excited about the opportunity to travel to Springfield and compete at the National Competition.”
Maddock came close to qualifying last year before finishing third at the regional shoot with a score of 22 out of 25 in the 8-9-year-old division. That same score won him the 10-11-year-old division this year. Boys in his age group shoot from the free throw line with a men’s basketball.
“[Last year’s] experience certainly helped him prepare for this year,” Ryan said. “He was able to approach this level of competition with more confidence.”
In qualifying for the national competition, Maddock will be one of just 72 kids ages 8-13 shooting for six championships. A boy and a girl in each of the three age groups will take home a title and have their names permanently inscribed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Elks Hoop Shoot National Finals will take place on April 18. Maddock shoots through Alexandria Lodge #1685, and each contestant at nationals will try one more time to sink the most of 25 free throws attempted.
Those interested can track how Maddock does on April 18 or send him an e-greeting before the competition to show support through
www.elks.org/hoopshoot
.
“The Elks Hoop Shoot program is amazing,” Ryan said.
“Beginning with the local Alexandria Lodge all the way through the district, state and regional competitions, we have been so impressed by the level of class shown to the competitors and fam-ilies. Each level of competition gets better, and we are very excited to have the opportunity to experience the national level.”
The hoop shoot is funded by the Elks National Foundation. Each year, the Elks provide kids the opportunity to compete and gain some other valuable experience through the process.
“It’s about so much more than shooting free throws,” Ryan said. “It’s about the importance of preparation and hard work, poise under pressure, sportsmanship, losing with class and winning with grace. Having the opportunity to learn these lessons in a fun setting at a young age is a gift from the Elks Hoop Shoot Program.”
