BREWER – There have been changes in Police Athletic League basketball over the past 27 years, but one stands out to coach Bill Russell.

“The biggest thing is – it’s grown so much,” he said.

Russell was a Brewer police officer in 1974, when the current PAL program began. Brewer police officers ran the program and Russell began coaching that year – even before daughter Amy, who played as an 8-year-old in 1984 – was born.

Russell said in 1974 there were four teams with roughly 32 kids playing. The teams were all boys. Cheerleaders were added to the program around 1978, and several years ago the league became coed.

Last year four girls teams were started “to allow for more playing and more time for handling the ball” said Mark Farley, commissioner for the league.

The concept has been a success. This year there were eight girls teams and 11 boys teams.

Through this year girls were given the choice of being on an all-girls team or playing with the boys. Some girls did opt to stay with the boys, Farley said, but next season will see a change.

“As of next year it will definitely be split,” Russell said.

Farley said that about 40 girls played in PAL before the option of switching to girls teams last year. This year about 80 girls are participating.

“It has encouraged more girls to go out for basketball,” Farley said of having girls-only teams.

Cheering squads have dwindled as a result, Farley said. Still, about 30 girls currently cheer. Including the cheering squads, some 220 children participated in the program this year, he said.

Russell spoke of the support parents and others have provided for the league.

“You wouldn’t believe the crowds that we have,” he said.

There are about 90 volunteers in the program, including concessions, refereeing and coaching. For the most part coaches are parents, who tend to come and go as their children are involved.

Some parents, like Russell, are involved for longer periods of time. Some coaches, like Russell’s assistant, Bob DeRoche, have never had children involved with the league. DeRoche has worked with Russell for about 25 years.

“All they really care about is that the kids get to play and have a good time,” Farley said of the coaching staff.

Farley has been with PAL League for about seven years, the last five as commissioner.

“I think Mark has done a real good job,” Russell said.

Farley’s wife, Susan, is also an active force in the program.

“It can’t be done alone,” Farley said. “Typically we’re both at the games at the same time.”

Farley stated that it really takes three people to run the program. The third person, Skip Estes, schedules all the referees.

Estes has been a referee for PAL basketball games for six years. Of the scheduling, he said, “It’s hard.”

Estes makes 20-25 calls for weekend referees over a two- to three-day period. He said he’s lucky to get eight referees for the weekends. Typically, there are six games on Fridays, eight on Saturdays, and four on Mondays. During tournament week the number can increase to as many as 10 games, he said.

Estes said that he is shorthanded, but “I have a lot of great volunteers.” He said one friend who had moved away and then returned to the area has helped him four or five times.

Estes and Russell both said that Farley was instrumental in separating girls from boys into their own teams.

“I thought that was real important,” Estes said. “A lot of [girls] are afraid of boys.”

Each of the 11 boys and eight girls teams plays 12 games. Then they participate in a double-elimination playoff. At the end of the playoff, a champion is crowned, Farley said. Members of the winning team and the runner-up receive a PAL Championship trophy – a gold ball with the team’s name.

PAL is for children in grades three-five from towns that send students to Brewer High School. When participants play their final game in fifth grade, Farley said, they are considered “graduated” and receive a gym bag.

“Kids really look forward to that gym bag,” Farley said.

The gym bag is an orange canvas bag bearing the Brewer Witches logo. Farley said that some young people have been seen using the bags in high school.

For information on Brewer PAL basketball, call Mark Farley at 989-3646.