ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
ROOKIES
- Boys and girls in kindergarten or 1st grade school year 2024-25
- Separate Boys & Girls teams
- 8-week session meets every Sunday for 30-min practice/30-min game
- Special smaller basket & smaller basketball provided for easy learning
- Professional skills training lead by Mercadel Basketball week 1
- High-quality, reversible jerseys
- Rookies are able to request friends and coaches
- Games played in Rancho Santa Margarita
DIVISIONAL
- Boys and girls grades 2nd through 8th
- Separate boys & girls teams
- 10-game season typically on Sundays (possible Saturdays based on gym availability) with playoffs and certified referees.
- Players are divided into divisions by grade level
- Teams formed based on an evaluation & draft process for fair and balanced teams.
- Coaches determine practice time and location, but practices will not exceed 2 practices per week and will not exceed 3 hrs of total practice time per week.
- Games are refereed by certified referees, many of who referee at the High School and Collegiate level.
- Games have a certified scorekeeper and standings are kept.
- High-quality, reversible jerseys
- Games played Tesoro High School
- Season concludes with playoffs, trophies/awards, and the possibility of being named to an All-Star Team for additional play.
ABOUT NJB
National Junior Basketball is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1984 by Dennis Murphy, Jr. As a coach at Garden Grove High School in Orange County, California, Murphy had the vision of creating a youth basketball league based on sportsmanship and player development.
NJB has blossomed into a national youth league with participants in 4 states: California, Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada. For those in K-1st grade a Rookie League is provided that stresses the fundamentals of the game and provides tools for personal growth. The core of the organization is centered on the Divisional Play Program that is open for all boys and girls who wish to participate and are in 2nd through 8th grade. For individuals with an advanced skill set, the All-Net and BYT Programs acts as a supplement to the Divisional Program. The program provides additional training to prepare them for high school basketball in the future. Over 1,000,000 participants have gone through these programs.
The High School League offers competition and skill training for players in grades 9-12 who did not make their high school team or looking for off-season play.