In the sport-scape that surrounds the humble little burg you call home, the Wilton Basketball Association is proof of that.

Wilton, after all, is football country. Wilton is a lacrosse town. Wilton is a place where soccer can thrive.

But basketball? Putting a competitively planned youth basketball program would be akin to planting a cactus in a rain forest. It's like matching up Jim Carrey and Meryl Streep to headline a movie. It's like Stephen King writing a Harlequin Romance.

On the surface, it just didn't seem right.

It has become a place where the girls program seems to lose more non-graduating players each year than it takes in, forcing it this past winter to shut down a JV program to keep a group of very green freshmen players to learn the ropes of high school hoops.

Tim Tallcouch and Derek Vargas, the sitting head coaches of the Warriors current boys and girls programs, both say they want to change that.

And, as stated previously, change does not happen overnight.

Help, though, is on the way.

Four years ago, a group of can-do parents got together and formed the Wilton Basketball Association, whose mission statement flatly states, "The intent is for the Youth Travel Basketball program to be an effective feeder program for the Wilton High School Basketball Teams."

This winter, with 90 players, from fifth grade through eighth, dotting the roster of its eight teams, the WBA has put together one of its most successful seasons yet.

Two of its teams — the fifth and sixth grade boys — went undefeated in Fairfield County Basketball League play with a combined overall record of 36-5-2.

"I'm very happy with where we are at, especially this year," said Mike Wilbur, president of the WBA. "We're having a lot of success on both the boys and the girls side. More importantly, we just don't see kids leaving the program. That's most rewarding. Hopefully, they're having fun and having some success, too."

In this day and age, a feeder program is vital to the success of any high school program. A successful feeder program, though, makes all the difference in the world.

There are many different reasons why Wilton hasn't been successful at the high school level.

If success breeds success, then not being successful can irreparably harm future success. Kids don't want to be a part of a losing team so they'd rather not even play.

However, a group of fifth graders that are successful should also be successful as sixth graders and seventh graders, too. They'll continue to grow and, hopefully, in the right environments get better while still having fun.

By the time they walk into the Zeoli Fieldhouse they should expect basketball to be fun and to have success that will make any Warrior proud.

Kenny Watkins, Kurt Marut, Jackson Wilbur and Ryan Crane were all a part of the WBA when it was started during the winter of 2004-05.

They are currently part of the Wilton High boys program with plenty of more WBA alums undoubtedly joining the team in the future.

One thing is certain.

Youth basketball in Wilton is alive and well and functioning on all cylinders.

In addition to the WBA, Jim Lewicki, program director for the Wilton Recreation Department, reports his youth basketball numbers are as high as ever with 700 kids playing for 70 teams through the program.

Basketball will never surpass football or lacrosse as the unofficial "Offical Sport of Wilton."

But change is coming, it seems, and help is on the way.

John Nash is the Wilton Villager sports editor. He can be reached at 354-1051, or by e-mail at johnnash@wiltonvillager.com.