‘It’s been a ride.’ Belnap League Basketball coming to an end after 39 years

IDAHO FALLS — A popular local basketball league is coming to an end after decades of teaching youth in the community.

Evan and LoAnn Belnap started Belnap League Basketball in 1985. The Belnaps said over the 39 years, they figure they’ve had 4,700 games and around 17,000 kids that have played in their league. The decision to no longer continue the league wasn’t an easy choice to make but one they felt needed to be done at this time.

“My husband has to get a new knee in March and he can’t referee anymore, so that’s been a big hindrance,” LoAnn told EastIdahoNews.com. “Our second son whose reffed with us, he’s a NCAA Division 1 ref, so he’s (been) gone. (Another son) got two new knees so he can’t ref, so we just have our youngest son and … it’s difficult to get refs.”

Evan and LoAnn created Belnap League Basketball after seeing how the city rec league games were handled. At that time, she said she was coaching one of their son’s in the city rec league, which was all that was available.

“When we’d go to games on Saturdays, they had high school kids that would stand in the middle of the floor with their ball caps on backwards and just holding their whistles in their hands. They wouldn’t call anything,” she recalls. “It was very frustrating. … The kids weren’t being taught the right way to play basketball — what was right and what was wrong.”

Evan and LoAnn were at the grocery store when they ran into Mike Jorgensen, who was the Bonneville High School boys basketball coach and athletic director, and they talked to him about starting their own league.

The Belnaps said Jorgensen was “very instrumental” in helping get the league up and running. He went before the school board to find out if starting the league would be okay, and the school board gave them the green light.

The league was originally catered towards sixth, seventh and eighth-grade boys. In 1995, they added seventh and eighth grade girls into the mix. The age group ended up changing to only seventh and eighth grade boys and girls.

“That’s the group we had because we wanted to teach them the right way and correct way of how basketball is to be administered from the referee point and teach them and help them,” LoAnn explained. “So then, when they started school ball, they already knew because we had helped them through that.”

LoAnn said what made their league unique and helped “maintain its integrity” was getting referees that cared about helping the athletes. They became the only local league with full uniformed high school certified officials and only local league to have three qualified referees at every game.

The Belnaps and their four sons helped referee the games and some of the other referees had experience officiating in the WNBA, NBA D-League and D-1 collegiate basketball.

“We’ve had great referees that have helped us over the years,” LoAnn mentioned.

Referees Evan Belnap, Tracy Brown, James Bolen, Derek Belnap and Jake Keck. | Courtesy Belnap family

She explained that schools across eastern Idaho have participated in their league as well. The organization has played a part in local athletes moving on to play high school and college ball.

“We go and watch them in state tournaments and then we see them in college ball and it warms your heart,” LoAnn said.

The couple is thankful for the support they’ve had over the years from District 93, who allowed them to use their facilities, as well as parents, coaches and referees.

“I know we have dozens of three generations that (participated in the league) … (someone) was coaching their kid, (then that kid) got married and they had kids,” Evan mentioned. “Our impact, we really don’t know how far we go but we’ve been told many times.”

Evan and LoAnn said they couldn’t have done the league without their family’s help and that they’ve enjoyed what they’ve been able to do.

“It’s been a ride,” LoAnn said. “I get teary-eyed thinking that it’s going to end but I know that we’ve done the best that we could do. We really, really tried because we cared about the kids.”

The league’s final game will take place Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. at Black Canyon Middle School. Community members, including past players and coaches, are invited to attend the last game to celebrate and show their appreciation for Evan and LoAnn.

If you cannot attend but would like to send a letter to Evan and LoAnn, email Mike Belnap at [email protected].

(Left to right) Rob, Steve, Mike and Derek Belnap are Evan and LoAnn’s kids that helped ref games for Belnap League Basketball. | Courtesy Belnap family A past team that participated in Belnap League Basketball. | Courtesy Belnap family