2015 / 2016 BASKETBALL PLAYING SITES
Kindergarten Boys & Girls
- Wesley United Methodist Church
3700 Indian Hills Dr
Sioux City IA 51104
1st Grade Boys & Girls
- Irving Elementary
901 Floyd Blvd
Sioux City
2nd Grade Boys & Girls
- Girls, Inc
500 Main St. (Corner of 6th St. and Main at Cook Park)
Sioux City, IA
3rd Grade Boys & Girls
- Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA
601 Riverview Drive
South Sioux City, NE 68776
4th Grade Boys & Girls
- South Sioux City Middle SchoolNorth Middle School
3625 G Street2101 Outer Drive North
South Sioux City NE 68776Sioux City, IA 51104
5th & 6th Grade Boys & Girls
- South Sioux City Middle SchoolNorth Middle School
3625 G Street2101 Outer Drive North
South Sioux City NE 68776Sioux City, IA 51104
YMCA
SPIRIT LEAGUE
BASKETBALL COACH – JOB DESCRIPTION
It is our belief that to make this program successful we need to have every coach do the best that they possibly can. If every coach adheres to the rules and regulations, the program will be a success. Your ideas on sportsmanship, teamwork, and skill development are to be parallel with those of the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA Basketball League.
*We would like to thank you for volunteering your time! You will get personal satisfaction making this the best experience possible for your team.
Responsibilities
- Your number one responsibility is dedication to your players by promoting Y goals of sportsmanship, teamwork, skill development, and the promotion of fair play.
- It is your responsibility to make sure that all children get an equal amount of playing time in each scrimmage game. Include them in warm ups, skill development and all games.
- You must be at all practice sessions and games unless you arrange in advance to have an assistant coach present when you can’t be there.
- Have fun and communicate suggestions for program improvement to the Y.
- Attend any coaches meetings. We feel coaches meetings are important to relate experiences, solve problems, and discuss the program.
- Maintain a proper coaching manner at all times during games and use yourself as a model of sportsmanship and fair play.
Your leadership is the single most important factor in YMCA Youth basketball. Its success, as well as the personal experiences of each participant, rests in your hands. You have the power to make this league fun for yourself, the Y, and most importantly, your players.
Y Coaching Philosophy
Have you ever thought about your philosophy of coaching? Many coaches do not recognize the importance of their approach to coaching and their coaching style upon the young athletes on their team. Y Basketball coaches are encouraged to think about their philosophy before they meet with their team. One basic decision you must make is to first decide your coaching objectives.
Coaches usually agree that development and fun should be the most important coaching objectives. But during games, some of these coaches scream at their players who make mistakes and keep their less skilled players on the bench. In doing this, these coaches obviously believe that winning is the most important objective.
Coaches in Y basketball need to support the philosophy that attempts to put winning in its proper perspective. This philosophy is simple to remember:
ATHLETES FIRST, WINNING SECOND
Supporting this decision means that every decision you make is based on (a) what you think is best for the athletes, and (b) what may improve the athlete’s or the teams’ chance to have fun, learn new skills, and participate. Score will not be kept in the spirit league. The focus needs to be on skill development, teamwork, and knowledge of the game for the athletes.
As you begin to think about your approach to coaching remember this philosophy and use it in practice and games.
- Help every player in the program. Give all players attention and help regardless of their skill level. Allow everyone to practice and play. It is impossible to predict a child’s potential when that child is given a lot of encouragement and assistance.
- Help develop Spirit, Mind and Body. Remember that young people in the program are not just bodies to be trained, but they have minds and spirits. Physical fitness and skills are important, but so are mental attitudes and spiritual growth. The goal of the Y is to bring these components together in one experience.
A Letter From a Referee
Dear Parent of Players:
I am a referee. I don’t do it for living, but only on Saturdays for fun. I’ve played the game, coached it, and watched it. But somehow nothing takes the place of refereeing. Maybe it’s because I feel that deep down I’m providing a fair chance for all the kids to play the game without disagreements and arguments.
With all the fun I’ve had, there is still something that bothers me about my refereeing. Some folks don’t understand my purpose. Some of you seem to feel I’m out there to exert authority over your child. For that reason, you sometimes yell at me when I make a mistake, or you encourage your child to say things that hurt my feelings. How many of you really understand that I try to be perfect? I try not to make mistakes. I don’t want your child to feel he got a bad deal from a referee. Yet no matter how hard I try, I can’t be perfect. I counted the calls a referee made in a game one day. The total number of decisions was 146. I’m sure every referee tries to get all of the calls right, but some are missed. If you figure that referee’s percentage on paper, he could have missed 8 calls and still gotten 95% of the calls right. In most occupations, that percentage would be considered excellent. If you were in school, that grade would receive an A for sure.
But your demands are higher than that. Let me tell you more about my last game. There was a very close call that ended the game. As I was putting on my jacket I overhear one of the parent’s comments, “It’s too bad the kids have to lose games because of rotten referees.” Walking to my car I heard a couple of kids telling their friends, “Boy, the referees were lousy today. They lost the game for us.” I felt bad when I got home. Here was a group of kids who had made a lot of mistakes that had cost them numerous opportunities to win the game.
The purpose of this YMCA Youth Sports program is to teach skills to young children. When you give a team that does not play well in a game the opportunity to blame the loss on the referee, you are giving that team the chance to remove all responsibility for the loss from their shoulders. Parents or adult leaders who permit young players to blame their failures on a referee (regardless of the quality of that referee) are doing the youngsters an injustice. Rather than learning responsibility, they are learning to foster an improper outlook toward the ideals of the game. This shift of responsibility is bound to carry over to future years.
As I sit here writing this letter; I am no longer as upset as I was this afternoon. I wanted to quit refereeing, but, fortunately, my wife reminded me of another situation that occurred in an earlier game the same day. There was a player who pantomimed his displeasure at any call that was not in his team’s favor. You could sense that he wanted the crowd to realize that he was a fine talented player doing his best to win the game and that I was a black-hearted villain working against him. The player continued acting like this throughout the quarter. He was also yelling at his own teammates who dared to make a mistake. At the end of the quarter, the coach called the player aside. In a voice loud enough for me to overhear, the coach’s lecture went like this: “Listen, Son, it is time you made a decision. You can be a referee, an actor, or a player. But you can only be one at a time on this team. Right now it is your job to play. And you are basically doing a lousy job. Leave the acting to the actors, the refereeing to the referees, or you won’t be playing as well as you can. Now what is it going to be?”
When the game was over, the child walked over to me fighting his hardest to keep back the tears. He apologized for his behavior and thanked me for refereeing the game. He said he had learned a lesson he would never forget.
I can’t help wondering how many more fine young children are missing their chance to develop into outstanding players because their parents encourage them to spend time refereeing rather than working harder to play the game as it should be played
- A Referee
NO TOLERANCE SPECTATOR CODE
To help impact out philosophy with your kids, we ask “parents” cooperation with our YMCA SPECTATOR CODE:
1) Remember children play organized sports for their own fun.
They are not there to entertain you, and they are not miniature pro athletes.
2) Be on your best behavior. Don’t use profane language or
harass players, coaches or officials.
3) Applaud good plays by your own team and the visiting team.
4) Show respect for your team’s opponents. Without them, there
would be no games.
5) Never ridicule or scold a child for making a mistake during a
game or practice. They are still learning the game.
6) Condemn the use of violence in all forms.
7) Respect the officials’ decisions.
8) Encourage players to always play according to the rules.
9) THANK THE COACH FOR VOLUNTEERING THE TIME
TO BENEFIT YOUR CHILD.
ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
Zero Tolerance Policy - Due to an increasing tendency for coaches and parents to verbally harass game personnel and players, the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA has implemented a Zero Tolerance policy throughout our sports programs. Coaches are asked to encourage their players in a positive fashion and avoid yelling at game personnel. Our intent is as always to provide a fun learning environment for the youth in our programs and to provide positive role models for young people to mentor from.
** If a coach receives 2 technical fouls during the course of the season, that coach will be suspended from coaching the rest of the season which includes both practices and games. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE! If a player receives a technical foul, the player will sit out the remainder of the game. That child with their parent will meet with the Sports Director. If that player receives a 2nd technical foul during the season that player will no longer be able to play in the YMCA league for the remainder of the season.
****Any spectator using excessive language or abuse will be escorted off the premises. The kids from both teams will then be addressed on why that individual is being kicked out of the gym.
CONCUSSION POLICY
If you suspect that an athlete has a concussion, remove the athlete from play and seek medical attention. Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself. Keep the athlete out of play the day of the injury and that child will need to be evaluated by a health care professional before it is okay for them to return to play. The parents will need to show the coach a written note from the health care professional clearing them to play and the coach will notify the Sports and Rec department.
*Remember if in doubt sit them out.
SPIRIT LEAGUE RULES
1. Teams will play 5 v 5.
2. Players MUST wear the YMCA youth sports jersey. Home team willwear white, visitor will wear red.
3. All players must wear tennis shoes.
4. Kindergarten will have a 15 minute practice followed by a game with 4 (8) minute
quarters. They will not have an outside practice during the week. The first Saturday for K will be used as a full hour practice. 1st grade will have one practice per week and their game on Saturday.
5. Baskets will be at: 6 feet for the Kindergarten and 8 ft for the 1st grade.
6. Ball size: Junior 27.5
7. All players must play equal time. A player starting a quarter must end the quarter,
unless there is an injury.
8. The home team (white) will start with the ball in the first half. The visiting team (red) will start with the ball in the second half
9. 1st grade teams will play 4-10 minute quarters with a 3 minute half time/water break.
There are no overtime games due to a tie score, as score is not kept in this league.
10. The time clock will run continuously (will stop for any player injury & time outs).
11. Each team is allowed 3 time outs per game.
12. No press. Mantoman defense only.
13. No double-teaming.
14. No free throws will be allowed for the Kindergarten division. Teams will take the ball
out of bounds on the side. Free throws will be allowed in the First grade division.
15. Fouls will not be kept
a) The ball will be given out of bounds on the side. No free throws taken.
b) First grade division will be allowedto shoot free throws if fouled while shooting.
They will be awarded 2 free throws.
16. When a player is taking the ball out of bounds, the defender must be 3 feet away.
17. Double dribble violation: The referee will explain the violation to the player. The
same team will take the ball out of bounds on the side where the violation occurred.
18. Traveling violation: The referee will explain the violation to the player. The same
team will take the ball out of bounds on the side where the violation occurred.
19. Players will be allowed 5 seconds in the lane. If violation is called by the referee, he
will explain the 5 second ruling to the player and team that had possession will take the ball out of bounds on the side where ball was in play before violation was called.
20. Coaches are allowed on the court to set up players on offense and defense.
**Coaches in the K division will ref their own games. We recommend one of the coaches to have a whistle
21. Back court will be enforced. Once the offensive team has advanced beyond the half
court line, the over and back line will be enforced. The infraction will be explained and the team will retain possession.
22.There is no stealing on the dribble or while the offensive player is holding the
ball. Once the offensive player has picked up their dribble the defense cannot tie up
the ball for a jump ball or steal the ball. If a defender steals the ball while offense is
in control either with a dribble or while holding the ball the ball will be given back to
theoriginal player / team out of bounds.
SPORTS AND REC STAFF
Feel free to contact the Sports and Rec Staff with any question, concerns, or problems that you may have at (402) 404-8439,you may ask for Ryan Dunkel, Sports and Rec Director or Morgan Knuppel, Sports and Rec Coordinator. You can email us at or
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