POULSBO — A locally managed select basketball organization has just received national recognition, the likes of which haven’t been seen on the Kitsap Peninsula ever before.

West Side Hoops, a highly competitive teen select basketball club based in Poulsbo, recently branched out to affiliate with “Winning Ways Northwest,” an organization that will host tournaments and camps starting this summer at the Kitsap Pavilion in Silverdale.

Sponsors of “Winning Ways” will include Gatorade, Baden and Reebok and each company donates its products toward each event the organization hosts. The sponsors bring much in the way of support and attention to each event as well.

“This is a huge deal for us,” said West Side Hoops President Jeremy Landis. “There are no other Reebok clubs (in particular) on the peninsula. It brings in new credibility to our organization.”

Landis was quick to mention, however, that “Winning Ways,” in no way replaces West Side Hoops.

“All of our teams will stay West Side Hoops,” he said. “There will effectively be two organizations.”

West Side has had two boys teams playing throughout the spring. The eighth grade squad has been busy traveling, playing the Houston, Texas Kingwood Classic, two tournaments in Spokane, a tourney in Yakima and is currently playing in the “Sports and Beyond” league out of Bremerton. The squad is 5-1 in the standings for the Bremerton league, and has played about 80 games this year, Landis speculated.

The varsity high school-level boys have been busy, too, having played the Kingwood Classic, an Ore. prep tournament, as well as competitions in Vancouver and Spokane. The team is also currently 5-1 in the local “Sports and Beyond” league and have about 30 games under its belt, Landis commented.

The squads will embark on many more tournaments across Washington and the West Coast this summer and fall. For some of the varsity players, it is a chance to play for college scouts earlier than their junior-to-senior year.

“This whole year has been a dry run for them,” Landis said. “That will make next year a lot easier.”

One might think that so much tournament play would get expensive — and it often does, Landis said, though not due to coaches’ fees. Adults volunteer to coach the teams.

That makes for thousands of hours coaching, not to mention the two-times-a-week practice and two days of strength agility training a week as well.

So, why put in all of those hours?

“I want these kids to have an opportunity to play basketball at the high school, competitive level,” Landis said. “They’ll be able to carry this for the rest of their lives.”

One such player is JR Gordon, currently a Central Kitsap High School hoopster, who has been watched by scouts from Western Washington University and Montana State in part because of playing for West Side. Landis said he hopes Gordon is the group’s first player to sign with a college.

“I think that really accomplishes one of our first main goals,” he said. “The credit is his because he’s an outstanding basketball player. But we’ll allow kids to have that opportunity.”

In the fall, Landis hopes to work with boys and girls teams, from the fifth grade level to high school.

Winning Ways currently has a local camp starting from 9 a.m. to noon July 8-10 for kids ages eight to 13 at Kitsap Pavilion.

The cost is $89. The bodylink company, based in Poulsbo, will also be on hand for training purposes. The organization will also be holding a shooting clinic with Barry Mestel, NBA and CBA scout and professional shooting instructor, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 6 for boys and girls ages 11 and older, at the Pavilion.

Other events will include the “Set it off,” tournament Sept. 18-19 for boys and girls teams 11-and-under through 17-and-under and the Reebok Classic, for kids of the same ages, Nov. 12-13. Both tournaments will be played at Kitsap Pavilion.

For more events, log onto www.wshoops.org.