ABOUT SUDBURY YOUTH BASKETBALL

Sudbury Youth Basketball (SYB) is a youth sports program available to all boys and girls in grades K-8 in the town of Sudbury.  The program runs from November to early March and includes both an In-Town league that is similar to an intramural league and a Travel Team league (for 4th through 8th graders) that competes against teams outside of Sudbury.  

Due to gym constraints and the tremendous growth in the program, the number of teams in each division is limited each season.  Slots are filled on a first come first serve basis using registration dates/postmarks.  Avoid disappointment and register early for the winter season.  Be sure to save your registration email confirmation for your records.

Click here to see our most Frequently Asked Questions or to find out more about the Registration Process. 

See below for a description of our league structure and the different programs we offer.

IN-TOWN LEAGUE

The SYB In-Town league is a program in which all players participate and compete with other Sudbury youth.  The divisions are based on grade level (not age):

Assessments:  There are no tryouts, but rather one Assessment Night per division. The goal is to evaluate each player so that we can form balanced teams. The dates and times of the assessments can be found under Intown Assessment Dates.

Practice/Game Info:  

Kindergarten boys will play on Sundays for 1 hour beginning on Dec 4th and ending on March 5th.

Kindergarten girls will play on Sundays for 1 hour beginning on Dec 4th and ending on March 5th.

1st grade boys will play on Sundays for 1 hour 20 min beginning on Dec 4th and ending on March 5th.

1st grade girls will play on Sundays for 1 hour 20 min beginning on Dec 4th and ending on March 5th.

2nd grade boys will play on Sundays for 1 hour 20 min beginning on Dec 4th and ending on March 5th.

2nd grade girls will play on Sundays for 1 hour 20 min beginning on Dec 4th and ending on March 5th.

Boys and Girls Mite, Bantam and Cadet will have one practice (Mon-Thurs night) and one game (Mon, Wed or Fri night) during the week.

PLEASE NOTE: Mites, Bantams and Cadet practices will begin the week of November 28.

Post Season Playoffs:  Mite, Bantam and Cadet teams participate in a single-elimination tournament often referred to as "March Madness” after Feb break. 

Minimum Playing Time: There is a 50% minimum and 75% maximum playing time rule for all In-Town games. 

Registration Fees:  The fee for In-Town League participation is $200 per player for Kindergarten boys and girls, $250 per player for 1st grade boys and girls and 2nd grade boys and girls;  $275 per player for 3rd-6th grade (Mites and Bantams): $325 for 7th-8th grade (Cadets) payable at the time of registration.  

Jerseys: Reversible Sudbury Youth Basketball pinneys will be worn throughout the season. If you have the reversible pinney from a prior season, you can use it again in the current season. If you need a new one, Brines Sporting Goods in Concord has them available for purchase.

Coaches Needed:  In-Town teams are always looking for coaches, particularly at the Cadet and Bantam levels.  If you have any interest, please consider volunteering your time with your son or daughter.  If interested, please indicate your interest by checking the appropriate area when registering your child and filling out the coach’s application found at the top of the home page.

TRAVEL TEAMS

SYB travel teams are a potential option for those seeking a higher level of competition against teams from other towns.  The level of commitment for a travel team is greater and is not an option for everyone.  Players who make a travel team are expected to make basketball their primary winter sport (see below bullets for explanation of time commitment).  To ensure fairness for all players wishing to play on SYB travel teams, players who miss an SYB travel team practice/game to participate with another basketball team or sporting activity may be subject to being benched for an equal number of events.  For repeated occurrences, further action may be taken by the SYB board.

Unfortunately, there may be more players trying out for travel teams than we can accommodate, so please be aware there is a possibility your child may not make a travel team.  Try-outs are held for each grade level and not all players trying out will be selected for a travel team. Please note that if your child does not make a travel team, he/she will be placed on an in-town team and should attend in-town assessments. Please consider your child's basketball ability and family commitment prior to registering to prevent possible disappointment.

Teams and Leagues:  The travel teams for boys and girls in each of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades will compete in the Metrowest League (www.metrowestbball.com).  Please note that the number of teams in each grade and each year can vary based on a number of factors including competitiveness/skill level of the players trying out, the number of players trying out, balance with the in-town program, and availability of qualified coaching candidates.  

Tryouts:  Tryouts for each grade level will be held in October.  Players must try out for their respective grade's team. In cases where a player cannot try out because of a documented injury (and is expected back in time for the season), we use prior year data and do our best to make the appropriate placement. However, in cases where it is a very close call on placement between an injured player (not able to try out) and players trying out, we will place the injured player below the similarly rated non-injured players. Players are required to attend both days of tryouts if there are multiple days offered. In special cases where a player cannot attend try-outs due to a family or related special circumstance, upon prior notice and request to SYB, we will use our best efforts to have that player evaluated during try-outs for the next higher grade level in order to obtain the independent evaluator assessment.

Practices and games:  Once selected for a travel team, players will practice twice a week beginning in early November.  Practices for travel teams consist of 1 weeknight practice (could be on any night between Monday-Friday).  All travel teams will also practice or have games on Saturdays.  Games are generally held every Sunday from the first week of December through early March.  There may be games scheduled on the first weekend of December break and both weekends of February vacation.  Please consider the increased time commitment for practice and games when deciding whether your child will try out for a travel team. 

Tournaments and additional games:  Boys and girls' travel teams usually participate in a tournament the weekend before Thanksgiving.  All teams play in Metrowest's post-season playoffs that begin in early March.  In addition, depending on each individual coach, additional tournaments and games may be scheduled during the season (i.e. during December break or February vacation)

Playing Time Minimum:  As this is a competitive program, the minimum playing time for each player on a travel team is 25% of a game (generally 10 minutes per game).  FOR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE TEAMS, THE MINIMUM PLAYING TIME IS 40% OF A GAME.  Sudbury is one of the few towns, if not the only one, in the Metrowest travel league that has a minimum playing time rule.  It is very important that parents and players alike are ready to accept that they may only get into 25% of the game. (40% FOR 5TH GRADERS) NOTE THAT THESE ARE MINIMUM GUIDELINES, AND WE ENCOURAGE COACHES TO PROVIDE AS BALANCED PLAYING TIME AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.  EXACT PLAYING TIME MAY VARY FROM GAME TO GAME AND IF A PLAYER MISSES PRACTICES/GAMES, THAT MAY NEGATIVELY IMPACT PLAYING TIME.

Travel Team Registration Fee and uniform:  The cost to play on a travel team is $650. When you register to play travel, you pay the in-town registration fee for your child's grade.  If your child makes a travel team, you will be charged the balance of the fee for travel team participation.  In addition to the travel fee, each player will need to purchase a uniform (more information to follow) if they do not have one from the previous season.  The uniform can be worn in future seasons if your child continues to play travel.

Player Assessment and Team Selection Process:  Each year, to create the SYB travel teams, we start fresh and evaluate all players with a fully independent, blank slate and impartial assessment process. To properly and fully assess each player, we may conduct 2 nights (3 focused hours) of tryouts with skill drills and game situations. We use fully independent "expert" evaluators that have no child in the grade they evaluate.  All evaluators have been involved in youth basketball for many years with playing, coaching and/or officiating experience at all levels, including SYB travel, AAU, high school and college. The independent evaluators create the team rosters based on detailed live player assessments across multiple skill/impact areas, extensive evaluator group review and debate of each player, relevant prior year coaches' comments on the players, and ensuring a good mix of positions/speed/size on each team. Players are evaluated in key skill areas including (but not limited to) ball handling, scoring, rebounding, defense, and game sense. During the player assessment and team selection process, the player names are not given to the evaluators and are not on the evaluator sheets – the evaluator sheets only have the players’ pinnie numbers (not names). See example travel player assessment form under the documents tab.  Note: players all develop and grow at different speeds and year to year, we often do have players moving from in-town to travel and vice versa, as well as moving up or down travel team levels.

Twins/Sibling Placement:  Twins/siblings in the same grade will be evaluated and placed independently per the above process.  Prior to the evaluations, parents can request that twins/siblings be placed on the same team, in which case both players will be placed on the lower of the teams the players were placed on - for example if one player is placed on the A team and the brother/sister player is placed on the B Team, then, if the parents requested the same team, both players would be placed onto the B Team.

Travel Coach Selection: After the teams are created by the independent evaluation process, we identify and select the coach candidates amongst that team. Coach selections are then based on the candidate's expertise and experience in basketball, coaching, and other youth-related leadership activities, as well as overall credentials, approach, and if applicable, prior year parent feedback. We recognize that having consistency in coaches year to year is valuable, and it can also be very positive for the kids to experience different coaches as part of their SYB careers and development.

Uniforms

Uniforms for travel team players will be available for purchase following team placement. If you have the reversible jersey and shorts from a prior season and it still fits, you can use it in the current season.