Our Programs

GRADES 1 & 2

This will be many kids' introduction to the game of basketball. Depending on the numbers registered, they will either work together as one big group, or split into 2 groups if it is too crowded. They meet once a week on Saturday mornings in the BFA High School gym, from 8:30-9:30 AM. They will form into teams and play each other throughout the season. There is usually a strong emphasis on stations to develop basic skills, but plenty of time scrimmaging as well, so they get the feel for the competition! Each player will get a T-shirt in their team's color with FFYB on the front.

Children should make sure to have clean shoes, and to please not wear them onto the court from outside. Especially as the weather gets more wintry, this is VERY important!

We encourage all players and parents to come watch BFA (or any local HS or college) play when the season begins! It great for young players see how the game can be played, and have context for what they are working on.

Over the course of the year, we will cover the following skills:

· Dribbling

· Ball handling

· Lay-ups (strong hand only)

· Shooting (set shot)

· Pivoting (front and reverse)

· Passing

· Defense (man-to-man principles)

As the year progresses, the teams will begin to scrimmage each other. There will be frequent stoppages to instruct in the flow of the action. Emphasis, as always, will be on strong fundamentals, basic rules, and positioning on the court.

Youth balls -26" will be used and baskets will be set at 7’.

GRADES 3 & 4

At this age, the players will be separated by gender, unlike the 1st and 2nd grade age groups. Their practices will be in the evenings on weekdays either in the BFA Elementary Gym or at the Fletcher School. Games will be on either Saturdays, generally before 1, and on weekday evenings, as well. They will be playing other schools from surrounding towns in Franklin and Lamoille Counties.

Practices at this level will be less focused on stations than at 1st and 2nd grades, and be starting to work on skills as a team and in more game-time situations. There will continue to be a strong emphasis on developing fundamental skills so as to have a strong foundation as the competition gets tougher.

Players should expect to learn about how to play both offense and defense as an individual and as a team.

GRADES 5 & 6

Girls and boys will be formed into hopefully reasonably-sized teams possibly after a short assessment period. Our goal is to form balanced teams, while also maintaining some continuity from previous seasons. Boys and girls will be wearing full basketball uniforms, so attending a registration session may be helpful as the uniform sizing can be different from normal clothing.

Teams play in the Franklin Co. League, including teams from St. Albans Town and City, Swanton, Georgia, Fairfield, Grand Isle and others. Additional games with other towns will also be scheduled as the calendar permits.

Practices will be 2 evening weekday sessions in either the BFA Elementary Gym or the Fletcher School. All games (besides out-of-league add-ons) are held on Saturdays with one school hosting all the day's games. Games are generally held between 8AM and 2PM, depending on number of teams. Both boys and girls will be hosting on a Saturday in the BFA HS gym. The two dates are 1/16, and 1/30. We have yet to determine which will be boy's or girl's.

At this stage of a player's development, many of them will have some confidence in their basic skills, and maybe have a couple seasons of game experience as well. As such, practices will focus strongly on developing those skills further in a team-oriented atmosphere. Drills will be more sophisticated, it will be harder work, and expectations will be higher. One of our missions is to help prepare these players to be successful at the next level should they continue to play.

However, since we have had, and hope to have more players who are new to the game at this level, the strong emphasis on basic skill development still exists. The more experienced players serve as leaders and mentors to their friends who are just picking it up.