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The Lancaster Liberty will be part of the newly formed Global Professional Basketball League (GPBL) when it begins play in January 2010.
The team, which will play its home games at Lancaster Christian School, will be for men 18 and older who are looking to improve their game and progress to the next level in Europe.
"We want this league to be fun for fans and the players. We need to create an event rather than just a team," said Andrew Haines, principal owner of the Liberty and a Lampeter-Strasburg graduate.
Haines and his mother Vicki have long-time ties to the Lancaster area. Vicki is employed at Darrenkamp's and has served on various boards in the community. She previously served as general manager of the Pittsburgh RiverRats indoor football team.
Haines formerly worked as Director of Concessions for the Lancaster Lightning as well as owning different teams. He decided there was a need for a user-friendly sport played in a laid-back atmosphere.
"Football and hockey were too expensive. The basketball facilities were already in place and it has a low cost to start up," said Haines. "The budget is very low, with a maximum budget for any team of $150,000."
The team is still in the early stages of designing a logo, finding a coach and acquiring players, but as of now, the Liberty are one of six teams in what Director of Basketball Operations Chris Munson said he hopes will be a full two-divisions of teams in the South and Northeast.
"We want our teams to fill the seats and want the players to move on to places with more perks and better pay."
In addition to Lancaster, there are teams in place in Canton, Ohio, where the league headquarters are located, Barberton, Ohio, North Jersey, Pittsburgh and Baton Rouge, La. There is significant interest in York, Augusta, Ga. and Orlando. Wilmington, N.C. already has a team, but is without a league, and is looking to join the GPBL soon. It is unknown at this time how many total teams will part of the league.
Haines, who now lives in Ohio, said the Liberty was chosen as a name to represent the long history in Lancaster. The team is currently searching for a coach and is starting to contact players to attend tryouts in August.
"We want local players who people will recognize, but we also hope to bring in players from across the country and from overseas to play in our league," said Haines. "We will have a two-day tryout and then a draft in Canton in August. We already are getting players to register from across the country."
Players will make between $75 and $400 per week plus housing and food.
"The hope is the games will be fan friendly and affordable. Tickets will cost no more than $10 each. We want the fans to talk to the players and get their autographs for free," said Munson. Our by-laws guarantee you will not see teams folding or the league shutting down. Fun is the most important factor here."
The Liberty will keep the crowd interested with wacky promotions and a high-speed level of play. Teams will play by FIBA rules, the international style of play that is much more fast-paced than the NBA.
"We are toying with the idea of having a 22-second shot clock during the season," said Munson. "It speeds up the game. We hope the rules we have in place will better prepare these players to move on to international play in the future."
One person who will ensure the teams in the league will have fun while playing is Commissioner James "Twiggy" Sanders, a member of the Harlem Globetrotters from the 1970's until the 1990's.
The season will run from early January to April with playoffs in late April. The deadline for new teams to register is Aug. 14, with the schedule set by early September.
Anyone interested in trying out for the Liberty or who wants more information may call the team at 717-283-4296.
