MGBR Principles & Best Practices For Teams & Events
PRINCIPLES
- The health, safety and welfare of young athletes are always of top priority
- A high priority is placed upon the quality of the competitive
experience for the young athlete with an on-going focus on player
improvement, not just exposure for the player.
- Teaching the necessary skills for athletic improvement is essential
but so is always reinforcing the importance of academic attainment.
- Youth basketball should be a means through which valuable life lessons and social skills are learned.
- Because of the significant responsibility associated with coaching pre-collegiate athletes, coaches will commit to a program of on-going education and development.
BEST PRACTICES FOR TEAMS
- Athletes will not participate in club team events until after the conclusion of their scholastic basketball season.
- A period of time will be devoted to practices, training, skill development and team organization prior to participating in games and tournaments.
- Teams will maintain a weekly schedule that strives to achieve a reasonable balance between practice time and competition opportunities.
- Club teams should limit travel associated with competition opportunities including skills camps, clinics and tournaments during the academic year so that students do not miss class time.
- Teams should not play in events that start prior to 8am and or after 10pm local time. If starting an event on a Friday during the academic year, games should not start prior to 5pm.
- No team should play more than three games in one day and no more than five over a two-day period. There must be a minimum of one game rest between games.
- Teams should keep on file, prior to an athlete's first practice, a pre-participation medical examination form that states the athlete is cleared to participate by a physician; and a waiver release form that outlines the inherent risk of participation, how medical payments will be handled in the event of an injury, and notes acknowledgement from the student-athlete and parent.
- Players should play on a team with their respective class grade unless they are playing up and may only participate in one age division per event.
- Coaches and club team administration should make reasonable efforts
to verify academic progress for each player on their team prior to the
start of the club team season. Coaches should promote to their teams
the value of education.
- Coaches will emphasize the importance of sportsmanship and enforce standards of conduct for all team members.
- Teams will provide accurate and complete roster information including name, height, address, graduation year, high school and phone number for all tournaments when necessary.
- Club or team operators should strive to insure that individuals working with teams should be appropriately screened, making sure that no one working closely with the student-athlete has been previously charged with a felony.
BEST PRACTICES FOR MGBR EVENTS
- Venues are all air conditioned during the summer
- Each court has an individually operated electronic timing system
- Certified athletic trainers are on duty at all NCAA Certified events
- Medical insurance coverage for injuries at all NCAA Certified events
- Admission fees charged to all event participants and spectators are uniform for all teams
- No games will start before 8am or after 10pm local time. If an event starts on a Friday, no games will start before 5pm local time.
- Handouts will be provided to each team at check-in and via E-mail prior to each event.
- Team bench areas are clearly defined and contain at least 10 seats per team.
- No more than three games will be scheduled per day/team or more than five during a 2 day period.
- All event staff in appropriately screened, making sure no one working the event has been previously charged with a felony.
- All venues have large schedules available to spectators, players and coaches.
- All events provide a college coach packet with the teams roster, head coach contact info, contact info unique to each player and each players jersey number.
- All events provide college coaches with a hospitality room
