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 League History |
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Friday, August 31
A Stroll Down Memory Lane
The Freedom Area Basketball League (FABL)was founded in 1998. Well, it wasn't actually 'founded', it was re-named. Originally we were called St. Joseph's Athletic Association or SJAA for short. Our inaugural season was 1979 under the disguise of a CYO Church affiliated organization. We spent many a long day playing on the quiet confines of the hardwood at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Eldersburg.
As time went on and the league began to grow, we found refuge in the local schools of the South Carroll area who kindly allowed us to use their facility for a contracted amount of time during the season for a nominal donation at seasons end.
In the early nineties, the concept of securing gym time 'on our own' was eliminated as the Carroll County Department of Rec & Parks, at the request of the Carroll County Board of Education, created the position of community coordinator to act as the liaison between the schools and the various recreational programs.
After the 1997-1998 season, it became evident that SJAA was growing too large for it's 'nest' at St. Joseph's. The league had grown to over 800 players by that time, and it seemed that gym time at the church was dwindling faster than we were growing. It was then that we decided to spread our wings and fly on our own.
We absolved St. Joseph's Church of all liability and accountability, although we still house our Sr. Boys there occasionally, for a small token of appreciation after the season.
It is now 2007, and the league is stronger than ever, with over 1,200 participants. It has been exciting to see the league grow over the last many years, and only time will tell what exciting new changes can take place.
We hope you will continue to be a part of our history through your participation in our program. Please let us know if you have any questions or want more information.
(Update)
Total registration for the 2006-2007 season was over 1,200.
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