April 12, 2014 - Enid has a new national champ! Local hoop shooter phenom Taye Sullivan was crowned the Elks National Hoop Shoot Champion for boys, 10-11, today in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Sullivan represented Lodge No. 2104 out of Enid, Oklahoma. Sullivan made the national competition by winning the Regional Free-Throw Shooting Championships in March. He made 23/25 free throws.
In today's Nationals, Sullivan tied with 3 other boys in his age division with making 22/25 free throws. The finalists had to have an intense shoot-off to see who would take 1st place. Sullivan was the only boy to make 5/5 and won the competition.
Sullivan is now the Elks National Hoop Shoot Champion and will forever have his name inscribed in the Basketball Hall Of Fame! A huge accomplishment for a 10 yr old boy from Enid, Oklahoma!
The Elks Hoop Shoot is a national free throw contest that provides youth ages 8 to 13 an opportunity to compete, connect and succeed through hard work and healthy competition. Six winners from each of the 12 Regions competed at the Hoop Shoot National Finals held on April 12, 2014, in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball.
The Elks "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest is the largest and most visible of the many youth activities sponsored by Elks Lodges. More than three million boys and girls, ages 8-13, participated this year.
The competition to become a champion is tough. At each level contestants take a total of 25 free throws. National finalists average around 90 percent.
Families participate with contestants throughout the competition. The parents of finalists on the state, regional and national levels attend the competitions as guests of the Elks.
The Elks Hoop Shoot has been effective not only in developing champions, but character as well. Educators and parents have endorsed the program. One parent wrote, "It teaches a person how to win in good grace and how to accept the moment of defeat without bitterness."
The "Hoop Shoot" program provides a constructive, character-building experience for young people who participate. The program allows competition with peers, free from outside influence of parents, coaches, or teammates. It teaches young people the importance of developing individual skills. In addition to the mental and physical benefits provided by competing in the "Hoop Shoot" program, all contestants at every level of competition receive certificates of participation and achievement. Winners receive trophies and plaques. The names of national champions are displayed at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Elks Hoop Shoot is fully-funded by the Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA.
