1Q What is PYBL?
1A. Poway Youth Basketball League is a non-profit, volunteer based, tax-exempt recreational youth basketball organization serving Poway and its surrounding communities. PYBL is for boys and girls in grades 3 through 12 as well as a division for disabled children. We emphasize good sportsmanship, the development of individual skills and the importance of teamwork.
2Q. When do signups begin?
2A. Registration begins in September.
3Q. How do I register my son/daughter to play in PYBL?
3A. Go to www.pybl.com and click on Registration Form. Print and complete the form and mail it to the Postal Annex address along with your check.
4Q. How much does it cost to register my child?
4A. Early registration fees are $90 for the first child and $85 for each additional child.
Late registration is $100.
5Q. Is financial aid available?
5A. Yes. PYBL offers scholarships for household income eligible players and Poway area residents. Please print and complete a Scholarship Request form from www.pybl.com and submit it along with your child’s registration form.
6Q. My second grade child is a good athlete for his/her age. Are second graders allowed to play in PYBL?
6A. No. PYBL rules state that the League is intended for grades 3 through 12.
7Q. My 4th grader is tall, a good athlete and would like to play up with the 5th and 6th graders. Can he/she do this?
7A. No. League rules state that the players are assigned to a team according to their grade level.
8Q. How are the teams formed?
8A. We compile information from the registration form (height, grade, etc), data from the coaches’ evaluation forms from the previous season and previous basketball playing experience as well as the Commissioners' observations. For the entry divisions, the information from the registration form is the primary criteria.
9Q. How are the teams organized?
9A. Teams are organized into Boys and Girls divisions by grade level for grades 3 through 12. The Divisions are: Boys 3, Boys 4, Boys 5, Boys 6, Boys 7, Boys 8, Boys 9 & 10, Boys 11 & 12; Girls 3 & 4, Girls 5 & 6, Girls 7 & 8, and HS Girls.
10Q. Does the League use a draft system?
10A. PYBL provides an alternative to competitive clubs and travel teams. Our objective is to keep the league recreational and an impartial board who creates the teams can ensure this more easily than if we have a draft system. There is an underlying suggestion of competitiveness surrounding tryouts and a draft system. Some of the more timid, less confident and developing players would be reluctant to attend tryouts. We believe that PYBL gives the best opportunity for the kids of various skill levels a chance to play and learn the game of basketball.
11Q. When does the season begin and end?
11A. Practices begin in December. Games begin on the first weekend in January. Our season usually consists of 10 games season is ends in late March or early April.
12Q. When are the games played?
12A. Games are played on Saturdays between 8 AM to 5 PM or on Sunday afternoons Noon to 5 PM. Usually a team plays only one game a weekend. On occasional, however, game scheduling may require a team to play on both a Saturday and Sunday. There are no PYBL games scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday.
13Q. Where are the games played?
13A. All games will be played at either the Twin Peaks Middle School Gym (14640 Tierra Bonita Rd. in Poway) or at the Meadowbrook Middle School Gym (12320 Meadowbrook Ln. in Poway)
14Q. When and where do the teams practice?
14A. Practices may begin anytime after December 1st. The times, frequency and location of the practices are determined by the team’s coaches. Usually they are 1 to 1 ½ hours long, conducted once or twice a week and held at a local school, park or the coach’s house.
15Q. I am interested in coaching my son’s/daughter’s team. How do I sign up for this?
15A. Simply specify your interest on the registration form and a league Commissioner will contact you.
16Q. Is prior coaching experience required to coach a team?
16A. No. While experience helps, PYBL offers a coaching clinic, links to helpful web sites, a training clinic for Boys and a separate clinic for Girls and a mentoring program available to all coaches.
17Q. What is the time commitment involved with being a coach?
17A. The time commitment consists of usually one game (less than 1 hour) per weekend. There may be an occasion when your team will play a game on both Saturday and Sunday. There are usually a total of 10 games. Length (usually 1 to 1½ hours) and frequency (once or twice a week) of practices as well as practice sites are determined by the coach.
18Q. Where can we practice?
18A. Some coaches practice in local parks or on school playgrounds. Others use their driveways or backyards. Please see our “Places to Practice” on www.pybl.com
19Q. Is indoor gym time available?
19A. Yes. PYBL will provide a limited amount of weekday evening indoor gym time. The schedule for your division will be provided to you by your Commissioner.
20Q. What equipment will my child need.
20A. The League will provide a jersey for each player. However, each child must provide his/her own pair of solid black shorts. Players should wear non-marring basketball or running shoes. If your child wears dental braces, we recommend that they wear a mouth guard during the game for their protection. Players with glasses should wear an eyeglass strap to prevent them from falling or being knocked off.
21Q. Does PYBL have a summer league or offer any camps, workshops or seminars over the summer?
21A. Our League does not offer a summer league or provide any camps, workshops or seminars over the summer. However, PYBL works closely with Coach Brooks Barnhard, a Professional Instructor who conducts training clinics every season for our kids. Coach Barnhard also conducts his own training sessions. For details, visit his website at www.play-bc.com or email him at coachbrooks@play-bc.com
22Q. Are competitive or club players allowed to play in PYBL?
22A. PYBL is a recreational league and is not intended for competitive or club players.
23Q. How high are the baskets for the younger grades?
23A. The rim is at 10 feet for all grades levels, including grades 3 & 4.
24Q. How long is the court?
24A. For grades 3 through 8, the court is about 65 feet long. High school boys and girls play regulation full court.
25Q.Can we have makeup games on our bye week if the involved coaches are in
agreement?
25A. Once the schedule has been created and finalized, PYBL does not create
additional games because the gym time will not be available. However, if you and
the opposing coach want to have a scrimmage game with your teams at an offsite
location, you may do so. No referee will be provided and this game will not count in the standings.
26Q. Are there playoffs?
26A. Playoffs are held for grades 5 through 12. There are no playoffs for the 3rd and 4th grade divisions. Playoff games are single elimination and are held at the end of league play.
27Q. How are ties in the standings resolved to determine playoffs seeding?
27A. The following criteria are used in this order: (1.) Head-to-head competition; (2.) Strength of teams beaten; (3.) Strength of teams lost to and (4.) Coin toss.
28Q. What is the PYBL Sponsor Program?
28A. We need Sponsors to help offset the rising costs of program operation. A Sponsor may be an individual or a business. Your donations are tax deductible. Your family or company name will be posted on our web site and will appear in our program book. To become a Sponsor, simply complete the online PYBL Sponsorship form found under the “Sponsors” button in our web site and mail it, along with your check to the address provided.
29Q. My son/daughter is disabled. Are there any opportunities for him/her to play basketball?
29A. Yes. PYBL offers a challenged division.
30Q. Why does PYBL no longer list the teams and players on their web site?
30A. PYBL respects the privacy of its players and their families and only shares relevant team information with players within their division.
31Q. Our team cannot make a game. Is there anyway we can reschedule this game?
31A. Unfortunately, since our gym time is very limited and our gym schedule is booked solid, we are unable to reschedule any games. This game will be recorded as a forfeit.
32Q. My child would like to be on a team with his/her best friend or a coach we know. Can you accommodate these types of requests?
32A. Because coaches, parents and the league want fair and balanced teams, we cannot accommodate requests to satisfy carpooling, neighbor, friendship, coaching or other similar requests.
33Q. I have already been fingerprinted for other local sports leagues. Why do I need to be fingerprinted again as a coach for PYBL?
33A. This is a US Department of Justice regulation. Our coaches are fingerprinted for clearance for PYBL, the DOJ sends the clearance to our league and we become owners of that clearance. We cannot share it with any other league or organization that also is requesting clearance. It does not matter which company does the actual fingerprinting; the clearance is still owned by the requesting agency.
34Q. I am interested in becoming a referee. Who do I contact?
34A. Email our referee liaison regarding your interest and qualifications. You will be contacted regarding the qualifications and training requirements to be a PYBL referee.