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New Canaan YMCA

Youth Basketball League

Youth Basketball League

Youth Basketball League (Grades K-8)

y ball k 8 section

WHERE OUR COMMUNITY’S KIDS LEARN TEAMWORK AND SPORTSMANSHIP

The New Canaan YMCA’s Youth Basketball (Y-Ball) league provides kids with the opportunity to develop skills and a love for the game of basketball.  Y-Ball runs from November through March for kids in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade.  The program is led by volunteer coaches and provides a fun and engaging opportunity for kids to develop skills, teamwork, and knowledge of the game in both a practice and game environment.  Practices are held during the week and games are held on Saturdays.  Everybody plays in Y-Ball and everybody has fun!

The league is open to boys and girls in grades K-8 and is broken out into the following structure:

Boys’ League: K & 1st grades, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, and 7th & 8th grades.

Girls’ League: K & 1st grades, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, and 7th & 8th grades.

*Some grade levels may be combined based on registration numbers.

2023-2024 Registration & League Dates

Registration Begins: Monday, October 2
Registration Ends: Friday, November 17*
K-8 Practice Begins: Monday, November 27
K-8 Season: Saturday, December 2-March 30

*Any participant in grades K-8 not registered by Friday, November 17, will be placed on a waiting list and will not be guaranteed a spot in the program

*Please Note: League schedule follows the NCPS school calendar. Games and practices will not be held on the following dates: 12/25/23-12/31/23, 2/19/24-2/24/24

Weekly Practice Schedule

Teams in grades K-8 practice one hour, one evening a week (Monday – Thursday). Practice days, times, and locations are determined based on gym availability as well as coaches’ availability. Players will have an opportunity to indicate a day of the week they are UNABLE to attend a practice. Efforts will be made to honor unavailable days selected but are NOT guaranteed.  Teams will have one game per week on Saturday. Games are 60 minutes long and will be posted on the Y’s League website.

Mandatory Evaluation

NEW THIS YEAR! Player evaluations will be broken up into smaller groups this season. Each grade will be evaluated individually, starting with kindergarteners, and ending with the 8th graders. The evaluation will consist of more game-like competition and fewer skill drills to get a more accurate reading of their basketball ability in a game. Player evaluation will take place from November 4 through November 11. Participants will receive an email by November 20 with their team, coach, and practice information. Practices begin the week of November 27. Once rosters are posted, player transfers/changes will only be approved by the Sports Director in extenuating circumstances.

**Please understand that due to the size of this program, we cannot honor any special requests for team placement with individual coaches or other players.**

The goal of the Y-Ball program is to develop the whole basketball player; providing each participant with an opportunity to improve basketball skills, develop gameplay, and build friendships, all while having fun and fostering a love for the game.

High School Basketball League (Grades 9-12)

y ball high school section

The high school league is designed for high school students to enjoy playing the game with friends in a fun, non-competitive environment.  Teams are led by volunteer high school captains.  The registration deadline and season start date for this league are later to accommodate the high school team tryouts.  Please note, according to CIAC rules, high school team members are not eligible to play Y-Ball.

Following the registration deadline, team captains will host a draft to select teams.  Teams in this league do not have formal practices.  Games (with officials) take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Saturdays throughout the season.  If you would like to be a captain please send an email to Sports Director, Lenwood Latta, at [email protected] for additional information.

 

2023-2024 Registration & League Dates

Registration Begins: Monday, December 4
Registration Ends: Sunday, December 17
Season Begins: Saturday, January 13
Season Ends: Saturday, February 10

*Please Note: League schedule follows the NCPS school calendar. Games will not be held on the following dates: 12/25/23-12/31/23, 2/19/24-2/24/24

Volunteer Coaches

Interested in becoming a volunteer coach? Please reach out to the Y’s Sports Director, Lenwood Latta at [email protected]. Please indicate which grade level and gender you prefer to coach. Coaches’ responsibilities include attending practice during the week and coaching a team during games on Saturdays throughout the season.

NEW THIS SEASON! Y-Ball Coaching Clinic:

Take your coaching to the next level! Gain the valuable tools, knowledge, inspiration, and confidence you need to transform your coaching and get the results you want as a coach for free. Join us on Thursday, October 26th, and Monday, October 30th at 6:00 PM in the Y’s gymnasium.

RSVP by October 23rd by email to Lenwood Latta at [email protected] or by phone at 203-920-1634.

*Coaches must complete the New Canaan YMCA volunteer registration for the New Canaan YMCA HR Department before the first team practice. Click the button below to sign in or create an account to fill out volunteer coach registration.

Registration Information

2023-2024 Registration

Registration is required for all players and may be completed through the Y’s membership portal online. Required forms must also be completed and submitted by Friday, November 17 in order to participate in the Youth Y-Ball league (grades K-8) and by Sunday, December 17 to participate in the High School Y-Ball League (grades 9-12).

Fees

  • New Canaan YMCA Member:* $325
  • Non-Member: $525

*New Canaan YMCA membership must be valid throughout the duration of Y-Ball season, which ends on Saturday, March 30, 2023.  If the membership expires during basketball season, it must be renewed, or the non-member fee will be charged.

Refunds & Credits

Visit www.newcanaanymca.org/membership to access our Refund Request form.

Contact

For additional information about Y-Ball, contact Lenwood Latta, Sports Director, at 203-920-1634 or by email.

Online Registration & Program Brochures