Orgeon Youth Basketball Program Offerings

Oregon Youth Basketball (OYB) places boys and girls in a safe and educational environment which fits their skill and interest level. The policy of OYB is to place children on teams and in leagues where they are best suited to develop their basketball skills and understanding of the game. The placement options differ by grade and are as follows:

1st Grade-2nd Grade:
Our 1st and 2nd grade program is strictly an in-house program which focuses solely on building basic basketball fundamentals. Practices will be one night per week with games played on Saturdays. These half court games will be 3 vs. 3 in order to maximize player involvement and allow each player the best opportunity for basketball development. Equal playing time will be provided to each player. This program is considered part of our Oregon Youth Basketball League.

3rd Grade
This program is strictly an in-house program which focuses solely on building basic basketball fundamentals. Practices will be one night per week with games played on Saturdays. These games will be 5 vs. 5 full court games to develop a full scale understanding of basketball. Teams will be made up of 3rd graders and 4th graders who choose to play OYBL. Equal playing time will be provided to each player. The league will do its best to divide teams equally. This program is considered part of our Oregon Youth Basketball League.

4th Grade-6th Grade
Players in this program will have the option of playing in our Oregon Youth Basketball League or trying out for a traveling basketball team. Players who choose Traveling Basketball will go through an evaluation process. Following evaluations, players who have stronger fundamentals will be offered an opportunity to play on a Traveling Basketball team. When forming teams, evaluators will be looking for a 'natural break' between groups of players. The number of players on a Traveling Team and the number of Traveling Basketball Teams in each grade will vary from year to year and grade to grade. Players who are not extended an invitation to play Traveling Basketball will have the opportunity to play in the Oregon Youth Basketball League in order to strengthen their fundamental basketball skills.

7th Grade-8th Grade
Players in this grade have the option of trying out for a Traveling Basketball team or playing basketball for Oregon Middle School or BOTH. Players who choose to play Traveling Basketball will need to go through an evaluation process. Not all players that try out for Traveling Basketball will be placed on one of the traveling team(s). Following evaluations, players who have stronger fundamentals will be offered an opportunity to play on a Traveling Basketball team. When forming teams, evaluators will be looking for a 'natural break' between groups of players. The number of players on a Traveling Team and the number of Traveling Basketball Teams in each grade will vary from year to year and grade to grade. Players who are not extended an opportunity to play Traveling Basketball will be encouraged to play Oregon Middle School basketball in order to strengthen their fundamental basketball skills. ALL PLAYERS are recommended to play Oregon Middle School basketball.

Oregon Youth Basketball League (OYBL)
The main focus of OYBL is to introduce players to the sport of basketball and build the key fundamentals which will assist your child in becoming a better basketball player. If your child has not played organized basketball or is looking to build introductory basketball skills, this is the league for your child. This league is also a good option for families that are not looking to travel distances to other communities to play basketball games. All OYBL games will be played in the Oregon school district; however we reserve the right to potentially combine with a neighboring school district to provide the children opportunities to play a wider variety of opponents. OYBL is less of a time commitment than Traveling Basketball since players practice only one night per week and play games on Saturdays.

Middle School Basketball
Middle School basketball is not an entity within Oregon Youth Basketball. This is a program that is run by the Oregon School District and is an option for students/players who either are not on an Oregon Youth Basketball Traveling Team or choose not to play on an Oregon Youth Basketball team. Oregon Youth Basketball and high school coaches highly recommend that all kids who play on a Traveling Team also play Middle School basketball as well. Middle School basketball provides an opportunity to play the game of basketball 4-5 times per week.

Traveling Basketball
Traveling Basketball is an option for players who have played organized basketball in the past and have developed the basic fundamentals. Traveling Basketball is also a greater time commitment than OYBL. Players practice a minimum of twice per week and play multiple games on the weekends. Traveling Basketball teams can be placed in a variety of leagues or tournaments. Some of the potential placement options for teams are Southwest Basketball League (SWBL), Tri-County Basketball League, and/or Tournaments. Teams that play Tri-County may also play in tournaments if there is interest from the players, parents and coach. League or tournament placement will depend on several factors including but not limited to team strength and league strength. The respective varsity basketball staff will make a recommendation for league placement to the Oregon Youth Basketball board and the board will vote whether or not to approve that recommendation. If your child plays traveling basketball and participates in a tournament hosted by Oregon Youth Basketball, the expectation is that parents will volunteer a minimum of two hours during the tournament weekend.

Player Evaluations
Player evaluations are conducted by the respective varsity basketball coaches and evaluators of their choice. Evaluations will be conducted in one two-hour time period at a school to be determined. Parents are not allowed in the gym during these tryouts. Parents are not allowed to see any of the player scores for the players that tryout. If a parent is interested in what their child can work on to improve their childs basketball skills following tryouts, that feedback will be provided. Evaluations must be attended by all players; make up tryouts will only be accommodated under specific circumstances such as illness, funerals, etc. A player may request an alternate tryout but it will need to be approved by the Oregon Youth Basketball board.

Coaches
To ensure a safe environment for the players, all coaches will be required to submit background information which will be used by Oregon Youth Basketball to approve the coaches. Coaches will also be required to complete the Positive Coaching Alliance certification program provided by the Oregon School District. In addition, coaches will be required to attend a coaches clinic provided by the varsity basketball coaches prior to their respective season. Coaches for traveling teams will only be selected following tryouts. Traveling Team coaches will not determine the players on their teams; this will be determined solely by player evaluations. The respective varsity basketball coaches will review all Traveling Teams coaches applications and submit their recommendations which will then be voted on by the Oregon Youth Basketball board for approval. The director of OYBL will submit their coaches recommendation which also be voted on by the Oregon Youth Basketball board. Any concerns with coaches during the basketball season should be discussed first with the respective coach and then brought to the Oregon Youth Basketball board if necessary. Common sense and appropriate consideration should be used to determine the best time to approach a coach. Please remember that most coaches are volunteering their time and have the best interests for the program.