• Basketball is one of the most popular sports in schools and by participating at the community club level you develop the skills to help you succeed within the school setting.

• The equipment and participation costs for basketball are very affordable compared to many other sports. 

• Cheering on your child as they participate with their teammates in a climate controlled gymnasium is a wonderful experience to share with friends and family. 

   

  With all these benefits it is not surprising that basketball is the fastest growing youth team sport in Canada (with more participants than soccer and hockey in the 12-17 age range). Come out and give it a try for yourself (and bring along some friends)!!

The Southdale basketball program is part of the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association (WMBA) and is open to boys and girls ages 5-18 for the Fall/Winter season. Age is based on birth year (not age at time of registration) so a child born in 2002 would be considered age 17. With the WMBA fair/equal play policy, all children are given an equal opportunity to learn, play and develop. The only equipment required is non-marking sneakers, shorts (without pockets) and a non-spilling water bottle (knee pads and mouth guards are optional but recommended). 

Players age 5-7 will participate in the Jr. NBA program which takes place in 10-12 week sessions and is designed to maximize the learning and fun for the younger players. Please check the WMBA site at wmba.ca for additional details on the Jr. NBA program.

Southdale teams for players age 7-18 are entered into the WMBA Community Club League and play against teams from other community centres across the city. Games are played once per week (Saturdays for children 7-12 and Sundays for children 13+). Some weekends require double header games to be scheduled to make up for missed games due to long weekends and other schedule conflicts. Teams typically practice once per week in a school gym located in our community. Practice times and days will be determined after teams have been formed once registration has closed. Players may be placed on a team anywhere within the district based on the number of registrations and the need to balance teams (placement requests can be included in your comments when you register and we will try to accommodate if possible).

The Fall/Winter Community Club League season runs from October to March with 16 regular season games and two playoff games. The game schedule is published at the beginning of each half of the season to help everyone plan their schedules accordingly. Program costs will be listed on the WMBA site at wmba.ca when registration starts in August.

Parents are encouraged to volunteer as coaches on their child’s team. Coaches are always needed and without a coach a team will not be able to play. Coaching takes very little time (the role can be shared with other parents) and is extremely rewarding. Please indicate your willingness to coach when you register for the program so the children will have a chance to play. Non-parent coach volunteers are also greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions about the program please contact Glen Cottick at southdalebasketball@gmail.com or visit the WMBA website at wmba.ca.

 Updated as of July 22, 2019