The Holy Infant Council of the Knights of Columbus #12523 is conducting its fifteenth annual Free Throw Contest on Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Holy Infant School gymnasium, located at 460 Racebrook Rd. in Orange, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. All Orange-area residents, including those from Milford, ages 9 through 14 as of Jan. 1 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, over two dozen winners of the Holy Infant competition have gone on to the state regional contests, and there have been four state champions and 12 state finalists who came from the Orange contest.
All contestants on Jan. 19 will be recognized with a certificate of participation. Contestants are requested to furnish written proof of their age, but it is not mandatory to submit this proof on Jan. 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 participant will be given three warm-up free throws. The contestant will then take 15 consecutive free throw attempts. Nine through 11-year-old contestants may shoot from 12 feet, instead of the regulation 15 feet. Participants aged 12 to 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.