MACCABI VICTORIA BASKETBALL CLUB

Players Must Play Their Correct Age Group 

Age groups are set by the Mckinnon Basketball Association (MBA) and the Waverly Basketball Association (WBA) who administer the competition in which the Maccabi Basketball Victoria compete in, the MBA and the WBA follow the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) age group rules. In line with the above associations requirements, it is the opinion and directive of Maccabi Basketball Victoria that all players will register and play in the ge group dictated by MBA and WBA which will known as “the correct age group”.

There are a number reasons that support why a player should remain in the correct age group.

Your child may have skills that some may perceive to be higher than what the competition offers but what they may be missing is court awareness and good decision-making ability to apply their skills effectively. The way to achieve this is through playing in their own age group and not moving up early. By remaining in their age group they will learn more than the basic dribble, pass and shoot. They learn to lead others, share the game with potentially less skilled players and develop the knowledge to get their team the best shot and not necessarily just themselves.

There are exceptions to this that can be assessed by the coordinators, committee, and coaches. And it is up to the discretion of the coaching staff if this will occur.

In the past we have allowed players to move as they deemed best for themselves but this process has left some age groups very underdeveloped and our mission is to rectify this situation for the club as we move forward.

Opportunities will exist for players to play additional games in higher divisions or age groups throughout the year as injury, illness and other concerns come into play. They will have the opportunity to join our 'Fill-In' database and be called upon in the event a Team requires an additional player.

If you have an extenuating circumstance that requires us to consider placing your child up early then please get in touch with the club via email info@maccabibasketball.com.au

 

More about age groups 

Players will generally play two years (four seasons) in each age group once, two seasons as a bottom age player and two seasons as a top age player. With the spread of age groups it is common for younger aged players to be in lower grades in their first year in an age group, and a higher grade in their second year. This is not a reflection of a child’s ability, more so matching them against players of similar age and standard.

Each Summer Season is what is referred to as an age change season where the older year of birth children from the Winter age group, age up into the next age bracket. 

It is the Club's preference that players play in the correct age groups according to their years of birth and not up in higher age groups, particularly in the boys space where the physicality, skills and strength difference becomes more noticeable in the U14-U18 age groups.

Please refer to registration handbook for specific age group cut offs.

Why does my child have to go up from Under 10 to Under 12 when they are currently only eight and about to turn nine?

You may be a bit concerned and thinking…my child has only just turned eight and you are expecting them to play in U12's? Potentially against other children who are almost eleven? The reality is, the age groups all contain children with the same year of birth or a year of birth one year older/younger. The age group of a player is determined by the year the child is born. The rule exists to simplify the organisation of grades and teams for the Associations (and the clubs) so that there is only one point in the year when children are changing age groups.

 

Can my child play in the same team as their friends?

Ensuring Jewish kids forge new connections is a central goal of our club. While we strive to place friends together in teams whenever possible, this cannot be guaranteed. Priority is given to friendships, provided there is availability in a team and the children share similar skill levels. However, newcomers to basketball will typically be accommodated in lower graded teams to facilitate learning and skill development in a less pressured environment, regardless of their existing friendships. Through this approach, we aim to offer a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience for new players, fostering the formation of new friendships within their teams.