Seriously, ask the commissionar, maybe they have time limits on the courts or something, but it would be better to split into more teams and shrink the game times than to have them play...that would mean kids would be playing less than half the game. And there is no way 13 kids can learn much sitting on the bench, that is just far too many. DD
If you are in Austin don't do the I9 program. The coach is crazy, the guy is on his phone posting on Internet forums the whole practice
I've been exchanging emails with the commish this afternoon. I am less than happy on some stuff I am finding out. Turns out instead of being in the 6-7 year old "junior" league, per the rules (my son is not even 7 1/2), he will be playing in the 8-9 year old league. I am guessing he will be playing w/ a 28.5'' inch ball and an 8' goal. I feel like an idiot now because I've had my son practicing on a 7.5' goal w/ a 28.5'' ball (per the rules) since Friday. ugh
You are in Woodlands right? I am pretty sure the commissioner is the owner of the franchise and he owns the one in Katy also, which is the one my son is in. We have done soccer and are now doing flag football and have had nothing but positive experiences with the i9 league. Just curious why you can't sign your son up for the 6-7 year old game?
8ft goals in the peewee leagues too...for 6 and 7 year olds....which is where your son should be. 9ft goals in the junior division which is 8 and 9 year olds.... DD
I would have had some words with that coach after the first practice....and probably pulled my son out right after to find a better league. Spent several years working in the sports dept at the Y, and I'll say that the basketball and soccer leagues are very good. Their age appropriate, the teams are small, and the emphasis is on fun. There is absolutely no reason for a 30-1 teacher to student ratio, and no reason that kids of so many different ages should have been playing together. Definitely no reason for punishing kids for their mistakes...that's not productive. You have to give them positive feedback. And another thing that struck me, besides the fact that two different age groups were allowed to play against each other in a game, was that the other team was allowed to double and triple team the person with the ball. I can tell you in the Y league, for the younger ages at least (I reffed 4/5 and 6/7), it was man-to-man and you couldn't double team. Everyone was given wrist bands and they had to guard the same color wrist band on the other team. I mean seriously, why would that crap continue to be allowed if the younger ones were clearly having trouble advancing the ball?!
what a great poster, parent, and coach... thanks for sharing and taking the time to teach the youngens it's such a fine line, coaching, and you can't just throw anybody into the mix. from the sound of it, and I only read the first page, OP is far more fit to coach a youth league than the guy running this shady new Mickey Mouse operation of a basketball team.
He wouldn't say. He just said the grouping is 5-6 (with a few 4s), 7-9 1/2 and then 9 1/2 up. He offered to put my son in the "pee wee" league (the 4-6), which I said not to as that would not be fair to the younger ones, given that my son is a bit tall for his age.
But the rules on the website state: http://www.i9sports.com/upload/77/782FE52CE2F04106A5E87274C1405CD1.pdf I just wish their was some sort of note stating they don't (or are not able to) follow the posted rules. I feel like an ass as I've had him practicing on 7.5' since Friday and now I have to bump it up to 8.5' (really, this isn't too much of an issue as he has been on 8.5' since he has started playing). I'm more concerned about the size of the teams and the age grouping.
Hope this works out for you and your son. Here's a nice story by Joe Posnanksi on his daughter's experience in a youth basketball league.
