It’s time for Orange-area youngsters ages 9-14 to sharpen their basketball free-throw shooting skills. The Holy Infant Council of the Knights of Columbus #12523 is conducting its fifteenth annual Free Throw Contest on Saturday, January 19, at the Holy Infant School gymnasium, 460 Racebrook Road from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
All Orange-area residents ages 9 through 14 as of January 1, 2019, are invited to participate. The contest is not limited to Roman Catholic participants; ALL area youths are invited!. Entrants may arrive at any time during the period the contest is in progress to take their free throws.
The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, regional and state competitions. Boy and girl winners are recognized for each age group. In recent years, more than two dozen winners of the Holy Infant competition have gone on to the state Regional contests, and there have been four state champions and twelve state finalists who came from the Orange contest.
All contestants on January 19 will be recognized with a handsome certificate of participation. Contestants are requested to furnish written proof of their age, but it
is not mandatory to submit this proof on January 19. Any category winners will be required to furnish proof of age (copy of a birth certificate is best) before the winner can participate at the district championship. Previous years’ participants need not provide proof of age again.
Each contest participant will be given three warm-up free throws. The contestant will then take fifteen consecutive free throw attempts. Nine through eleven year- old contestants may shoot from 12 feet, instead of the “regulation” 15 feet. Participants aged 12-14 will shoot from the standard 15 feet. Girls will use basketballs sized for women and girls. Otherwise, normal rules of basketball regarding free throws apply for all levels of competition. For example, violations include stepping on or over the free throw line prior to the ball reaching the rim.
The Knights of Columbus Holy Infant Council was established in Orange in 1999. With more than 70 members, they sponsor projects to benefit their church, community,
families and youth.