Scott Pepperman’s 3 decades of service to CVYBA

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — In academic circles, “The 10,000 Hour Rule” describes the time required to achieve a level of mastery. In local sports circles, it describes volunteers like Cumberland Valley Youth Basketball’s Scott Pepperman. Pepperman and others like him have spent tens of thousands of hours in gymnasiums and on playgrounds to bring extracurricular opportunities to Cumberland Valley students.

A Life of Service

Scott has dedicated his life to service. He joined the Air Force out of high school at the end of the Vietnam War. While living in Mechanicsburg and working for the state, he become not only a fixture with CVYBA, but also with other organizations. He has long served as an officer at the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church where he helps with services, personnel, and teaching Sunday school. He is also the Chairman of the Silver Spring Parks and Recreation Council.

He and his wife Melanie raise guide dogs for the visually impaired for the Seeing Eye Foundation. They are currently raising their 24th dog, a puppy named Pepper that Scott got Melanie for their 35th anniversary.

“Melanie and I do most of our activities together. I would never be able to do it without her,” says Scott. In fact, when Scott served as the President of CVYBA for 10 years, Melanie was the Secretary of the Board. She was also by his side when he coached their daughters.

Looking Back and Paying Forward

Scott dedicates more than a dozen hours every week as a CVYBA board member, coordinator, and coach. He literally does it all.

“One of the challenges of running a youth organization is finding reliable volunteers. You are lucky when you get parents willing to help with their own kids. Scott has coached generations of other people’s children,” says league co-founder Steve Verber.

For Pepperman, coaching is a way to pay back those adults that helped him as a child.

“There were so many coaches, teachers, and Sunday school teachers that influenced me growing up. And I just did not say thank you enough at the time. This is a way to pay them back by paying it forward.”

Community Dividends

The three pillars of CVYBA are teaching basketball, sportsmanship, and community service.

“I think of all the people involved in CVYBA as a team and a family. We have had so many people help in ways big and small over the years. I am most proud to see people that were in the league as student players come back with their kids and help,” explains Pepperman.

Scott believes a big reason for the generational success is the CVYBA commitment to the community. The league has helped in efforts to raise over $250,000 for medical research, initiated drug awareness programs, and awarded tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships. Its referee training program is the largest employer of CV students in the area.

Girl Power

Scott currently enjoys coaching his granddaughter Lily, who has caught the basketball bug. However, there was a time when the girls basketball program at Cumberland Valley was almost an afterthought. There simply was not a lot opportunity for girls in publics schools to learn to play and appreciate basketball at a young age. This all changed with CVYBA.

Currently, nearly 40% of CVYBA participants are female, and this number is quickly raising. Since the inception of the youth league, the Cumberland Valley High School girls’ basketball team has won four PIAA state championships. Three have been under the current coach Bill Wolf.

Challenges Ahead and Lessons Learned

CVYBA and other youth organizations have their share of challenges ahead. Expectations remain high, and volunteers can be hard to find. The league has struggled to secure adequate gym time to accommodate over 1,000 players.

Under the leadership of President Greg Bentzel, CVYBA was able to adapt to offer a safe program through the pandemic. Scott Pepperman reflects on COVID with the perspective of his three decades of service.

“Life can continue, but you need to be flexible and prepared to make changes. When you are working with children you have to hold their safety in the highest regard. We had to change the way we provided security after school shootings were in the news. We have more awareness now on how to protect children from abuse. COVID was a new challenge, but we adapted,” says Pepperman. “But what you cannot do is stop. Kids need the activity.”

Over the holiday break, Scott and Melanie could be found in the kitchen of their church with a dozen CVYBA players. The kids were helping the Peppermans make soup and sandwiches for the Bethesda Mission. This is the kind of activity that Scott knows builds character.

If the “10,000 Hour Rule” holds true, Scott Pepperman is a master. However, it’s not about basketball. Basketball is just a tool he uses to teach the youth in our community. Scott has mastered the art of building community.

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