Let’s get the basics right: Portland needs a central online meeting place for basketball information, resources, culture and community. Hoops News Portland wants to be that place. My goal is to help you navigate the local scene so that you can: find where you fit in, get inspired to participate, or just get right to the information you need.

As a Portland parent, fan of the game, and an up-and-coming coach, I’ve had a lot of questions about basketball in the Rose City. Where can my kid play? Are there any open gyms in my neighborhood? Which AAU clubs can I trust? I hope to grow this site into something that can answer those questions and be a useful resource for others. In addition to the basic who/what/when/where/whys, Hoops News will feature profiles of interesting people, places, and businesses who make Portland’s basketball scene so special.

Why me? I’ve loved the game since grade school when I’d stay late on the playground to work on my shot. That loved turned into a passion as I got into middle school and all I wanted to do was hoop. But knee injuries changed my path. After my sophomore season, I tore both ACLs in successive years while playing varsity. I never got my shot and it took me many years to get over that loss. Luckily I found other healthy pursuits and buried basketball for a long time. 35 years later, my son started playing. Coaching his Goldenball rec teams helped me rediscover my love for the game.

Another reason I’m giving this a shot is because I’ve done it before. I spent 21 years building BikePortland.org into a highly-respected news outlet and community resource.

I’m also about to embark on a new job as an assistant coach for the Warner Pacific University Womens Basketball team (go Knights!) and figured it would be fun to have a place to publish a column about my experiences.

So thanks for being part of my journey. Stick around while I add more to the site, be sure to follow @hoopsnewsportland on IG and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.