Most of Arizona's high school basketball teams immediately began practicing again after news broke Tuesday that the AIA had voted to continue with the winter sports season.
The kids in the Phoenix Union High School District, though, still have not heard whether they will step on the court in 2021. PXU terminated the fall sports season in 2020 due to COVID-19 metrics, and the district's schools sports teams remain unsure of their status for the winter season, even as the majority of Arizona's schools tip off next week.
That is where John Ortega hopes he can step in.
The managing director of the PHHacility, a 31,000 square foot private basketball facility in Phoenix, has expressed interest in hosting teams from PXU in a makeshift club league.
"I know how much basketball means to these kids in the Phoenix Union schools," Ortega said. "So I want to be a part of helping them have a season."
Ortega said, following Tuesday's decision to reinstate winter sports, that he had begun contacting coaches in PXU, to try to get them on his court. If PXU does not allow for its schools, the goal would be for the teams interested in playing to participate as clubs outside of PXU or AIA domain. They would each play one-another twice, making for a 16 or 18-game regular season if he can get most of the teams to play.
He has also promised to provide free court time for two or three nights per week and pay for referees.
While he said other local businesses have tried to make a profit off of kids' willingness to play basketball, AIA-sponsored or not, he would actually lose money from the deal. But, as a PXU graduate and coach of several area teams before opening the PHHacility, Ortega believes the benefit for the kids and their communities outweighs the financial risk.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without Phoenix Union. I wouldn't have had the opportunities I did and gotten to own a facility like this if not for the connections I made and the lessons I learned, so I want to give those kids the same opportunity," Ortega said.
The proposed league, still just an idea, would allow the kids from Phoenix-area schools a chance to get recruiting film as well as experience the team camaraderie. While many club teams had played all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ortega noted that some of the athletes potentially being held back from a season were the same kids whose families could not afford to have them play club ball in the offseason.
"A lot of the kids can't even play summer basketball or AAU, so this is their chance," Ortega said.
As of reporting, Ortega had not yet received any official responses from his inquiries to PXU coaches. But he hopes that many will express their interest and not be barred from participating for any reason.
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