Ahwatukee/Tempe - Basketball - League

DESCRIPTION:  BASKETBALL LEAGUE

i9 Sports Greater Phoenix is preparing to launch another incredibly fun and organized Basketball League for boys and girls, ages 4-14. Register your child today and invite a friend too!

*THIS IS AN OUTDOOR PROGRAM*

PROGRAM DETAILS:  The i9 Sports Basketball League is a fun based, recreational program that provides equal playing time to all athletes.  The program is not highly competitive, rather our focus is on fundamentals, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Each week, your child will be led by an experienced Staff Instructor who will oversee and assist our VOLUNTEER Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches as they conduct weekly practices. Ideally, each team will have at least one Volunteer Head Coach and one Volunteer Assistant Coach (usually parents, but other family members are welcome as well!).  In the case where we do not have a Volunteer Head Coach, the Staff Instructor will serve as the Head Coach.

If you would like to volunteer, you DO NOT need any prior coaching experience.  We provide detailed practice plans and weekly step-by-step instructions to lead your child’s team and the Staff Instructor will always be on site as a resource to help whenever needed.  You may fill out the Volunteer application here: https://www.i9sports.com/VolunteerSteps/VolunteerApplication/

PROGRAM FORMAT:  EVERYONE PLAYS EQUAL TIME AND MULTIPLE POSITIONS!

Most teams will have 6-10 players.  We assign players to teams 2-4 weeks prior to opening day and will communicate your schedule approximately 2 weeks prior to opening day.  Players from the same school are placed on the same team where possible while keeping teams in balance for size/age/experience. Buddy requests will be honored whenever possible.

The number of players registered and the number of parent volunteers we have in each age group will determine how many teams we have each season.  If we have more volunteers, we can make more teams! Team count determines game format:

Instructional Format (2 Teams) - Each week, players will have practice followed by a game but standings will not be kept.

League (4 or more Teams) -  Each week, players will have practice followed by a game. Standings will be kept for our Junior and Senior divisions, and teams will play a new team most weeks.  For League play, a minimum of ONE Volunteer Coach on each team is required (TWO is preferred). Our Junior and Senior divisions my occasionally travel to nearby venues to enable more varied competition.  

DIVISIONS AND TEAMS:  Players are assigned to teams according to their age/school/size/experience. Your child may play UP in a more advanced age division upon parent request. Simply make a note in the “Special Requests” section of the registration form and we will accommodate when possible.  We do NOT put players in a lower age division, to ensure the safety of the younger players. Exceptions may be made on a very limited basis in the case where a child is extremely small for his or her age.

BUDDY REQUESTS:  We will accommodate buddy requests whenever possible.  Simply note any friends you’d like on the same team at the time of registration. Players will be placed in the age division of the OLDEST player of the group.  For example, if you have 4 players, ages 9, 9, 10, and 11, they will play in the (10-12) age group. For the safety of our players, we do not play older players in younger divisions.
 

If  you have a group of 5 or more players, we require at least one volunteer assistant coach from your group to guarantee that they’ll play together.  If your group size is too large compared to the other teams in your division, we reserve the right to divide into multiple teams. Other players may be placed on your team until it reaches the maximum number of players for your sport.  

If buddy requests cause a drastic imbalance in the skill level of one team, the instructor may balance teams to improve overall gameplay. The Instructor may either adjust playing time or request that players switch teams to ensure a great experience for everyone.

*These divisions may be adjusted or combined, depending on enrollment numbers. For smaller teams, times may be shortened since players have less rest time.

HOOP SIZE:   

PeeWee Division - Hoops set between 6.5 - 8 feet (depending on location)

Junior/Senior Division - Hoops will be set to regulation height, 10 feet

TIMES:  Detailed schedules will be emailed and available to you online 7-10 days before opening day. In general, our programs begin at the earliest time listed for the program with our youngest players starting first and our older players starting towards the end of the range. For example, if the program you are interested in is listed with a start time between 9am and 3pm, the schedule may look like the following:

Any schedule changes will be communicated via email, please ensure that you have subscribed to our emails and that your SPAM filters are not filtering important information.   

CANCELLATIONS:  Mother Nature will occasionally require us to cancel a day either due to poor weather conditions or poor field conditions (wet fields can be unsafe, even if rain has stopped).  Whenever possible, weather related cancellations will result in the addition of a make-up day at end of the season. If a make-up is not possible, we will issue a one time $15 credit on your account to be used for a future season.  If additional cancellations are required during the season, we will try to make-up games, but it may not be possible. In such a case, we will offer a discount towards a future season, but no refunds will be issued.

AWARDS: Each week, at least one child from each team will be awarded an i9 Sports Sportsmanship Medal for demonstrating the value for that week. In addition, all children will receive an i9 Sports Participation Medal at the end of the season.

EQUIPMENT:

INSTRUCTORS: All instructors are i9 Sports Certified and undergo a background check to ensure your child’s safety.  Instructors are i9 Sports Employees who oversee each sport. Instructors serve as a point of contact for Volunteer Coaches and are available to fill-in for teams where a volunteer is unavailable.  Instructors also serve as officials during gameplay.

HEAD COACHES:  These are VOLUNTEERS (usually parents) who have agreed to participate with our program. They will lead weekly practices and administer weekly sportsmanship medals. All coaches undergo a background check to ensure your child’s safety.

ASSISTANT COACHES: These are VOLUNTEERS (usually parents) who have agreed to participate with our program. They will assist the head coach and/or instructor with weekly practices and administer weekly sportsmanship medals. All coaches undergo a background check to ensure your child’s safety.

SEATING:  A chair and sunshade are recommended for all outdoor programs, as seating may not be available.  Many of our indoor programs have bleacher seating available.

NOT READY TO REGISTER?- Click here to become a free member and receive our member promotion emails, free movie screening tickets, discounted tickets from our sports partners, and other relevant information.

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER HOURS?  Become an i9 Sports Coach and help kids succeed in life through Sports! Click here for more information and to complete our Volunteer Application form.