Hundreds of children and parents flocked to Lake Central’s gym on Wednesday Aug. 28, all to sign up for Lake Central Youth Basketball, which has been gaining more athletes since the association began 30 years ago.

“We got around 1,200 kids last year, ranging from first grades through 12th grade. There are usually 100 teams and 150 coaches,” Roger Wells, president and coach of the organization said.

The season runs from November through March and the kids play at least 12 games against each other.

“I love to see the kids learn and develop through the course of the year, it’s one of the reasons I first decided to coach,” Wells said.

And as the program gets older with each passing year, new faces continue to walk through the gym doors to sign up for the new season.

“This is my first year trying out Youth Basketball,” Daniel Sadural (10) said. “A lot of my friends are in it and have persuaded me to register. I look forward to a good season ahead with them.”