Important Information:
Practices: Time and locations of practices are at the discretion of the coaches. Practices are conducted on weekday evenings or on Saturdays and will begin in December. Practices are held at Killingworth Elementary School, Burr Elementary School, and HK old and new Middle School Gyms.
Games: Games are played at the gyms listed above on weekday evenings and some Saturdays from January 10th – February 25th.
Equipment: Each player receives a team uniform top. Players provide shorts and sneakers.
Skyhawks Basketball Clinics (Gr. K-1) and 2nd Grade Basketball: Please look for information in the Winter brochure.
Please review these policies regarding participation in the HK Youth Basketball Program (sponsored by HK Recreation Dept).
- 1. There will be no refunds issued once registration is completed (after October 28th). Exceptions will be made if a player is ill or injured (doctor’s note required), or if the player moves out of town. Refunds will be pro-rated.
- 2. It is understood that players are expected to be at their team’s practices and games. If a player will be late or unable to attend, the coach should be notified beforehand. Non-playing siblings will be supervised by their parents at practices and games.
- 3. We will try to honor your carpool request (1 player), but we cannot guarantee this. Balanced teams are our first priority. Requests must be for carpooling purposes only (i.e. someone from your neighborhood).
- 4. You may pick one (1) day of the week that you do not want your child to practice. We will try to honor your request, but we cannot guarantee this.
- 5. Parents are expected to act in a sportsmanlike manner when watching games. Abusive language and behavior directed towards players, coaches, and referees will not be tolerated.
- 6. Once teams are selected, players cannot be moved to other teams.
- 7. I understand that my child is not allowed to wear any type of jewelry to games and practices. This includes cloth/plastic bracelets and most importantly any PIERCED EARRINGS.
HK Youth Basketball League Frequently Asked Questions:
- 1) Why are games at 7 pm on a weeknights, not earlier in the evening
Answer: We have practices from 5 – 6:45 pm.
- 2) Why not have all the games on Saturdays instead of just a few?
Answer: The Recreation Dept. must pay time and ½ in custodial charges on weekends. There are no charges on weeknights. This is a savings of several thousands of dollars when we limit the number of weekend games.
- 3) Why wasn’t my carpooling request honored?
Answer: Although we try very hard to honor carpooling requests, we are not always able to do so. Teams are put together based on a number of factors. We take “day of the week your child can’t practice” first. Then we look at their skill rating (as rated by last year’s coach and at In-Person Registration), height, & carpooling requests. Our goal is to make fair and balanced teams. Putting all the “best players” in a division on the same team due to carpooling requests is not fair to other teams.
- 4) Why can’t the players wear earrings or put tape or a Band-Aid over them?
Answer: a) For the safety of the players, earrings are not allowed. If a child gets hit in the head with the ball, it can result in a very serious injury. b) We follow HS Basketball rules which strictly forbid jewelry. Thus, the legal ramifications to all concerned are very serious.
- 5) Why is the score not kept in the Training Division?
Answer: This is an instructional league – the focus of this division is to teach the children how to play basketball – not on winning or losing. When we previously kept score in this division, we found that a few good players dominated the scoring, scores were very lopsided, and having a 40-8 game with one player scoring 36 points is disheartening to the players, coaches & parents.
- 6) Why are there games that have no referee?
Answer: Our referees are parent volunteers. We need more parents to help out. Our referees are taken from a very short list. With 30 teams, there are 15 games per week that need to be covered. This is a monumental task when fewer and fewer parents offer to referee each year. Only 3 parent referees attended our Referee Training Clinic!
- 7) How do we know if a game is canceled due to the weather?
Answer: If there is no school or an early dismissal due to snow, there are no games. For weekend cancellations or last minute weather issues – check Ch. 3, 4, or 8. We will try and send out e-mail notifications.
Directions to Out-of-Town Games:
PORTLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL (PMS) – Take Arrigoni Bridge (Route 66) across the CT River to Portland; Bear right on Route 66 heading East (toward East Hampton); Go approximately ½ mile and take a left on High Street (Cumberland Farms at the corner); Go up the hill on High Street; approximately ¾ mile on your right is the HS/MS complex.
EAST HADDAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (EHES) – 45 Joe Williams Rd., Moodus, CT
Rt. 81 to Route 9 South; At Exit 7 merge onto Rt. 82 toward East Haddam/Moodus; Turn Left onto Saybrook Rd. (Rt. 154); Turn Right onto Bridge Rd and continue to follow Rt. 81; Keep Left at the fork to go on Rt. 82 (Norwich Rd); Turn Left onto Town St. (Rt. 151); Turn Right onto Joe Williams Rd. #45 is on the Left.
CROMWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL (CMS) – Go North on Route 9; Take Exit 18 (Route 99 North);Merge on to Main Street; Go 3 miles and turn left on Geer Street; Go 100 yards and take right on to Raymond Place; Slight left at Capt. James Mann Drive.
JOHN WINTHROP MIDDLE SCHOOL (JW MS) – Rt. 80., Deep River, CT
Take exit 5 off of Rt. 9. At end of exit, take a right. At end of road (Rt. 80) JW will be straight ahead.
Youth Basketball Parent/Spectator Code of Conduct
During the Basketball season, my family and I (including any guest we may have in attendance) agree to follow the rules of the facilities as well as the following rules of conduct-
- We will make sure that our child is having fun playing basketball and that he/she is participating because they want too.
- We will remember that the game is for the children, not for the adults.
- We will respect the coaches’ decisions and try not to shout personal instructions from the stands during games or practices forcing my child to choose between listening to his/her coach or myself.
- We will not use or tolerate foul language and will not get into arguments with the opposing team’s parents, coaches or players.
- We will not come onto the Court for any reason during a game, unless invited by the referee.
- We will not criticize the referee openly or directly during or after the games. Any criticism shall be done in writing to the HK Recreation Department.
- We will only give positive feedback to players on both teams.
- We understand that improper behavior (cursing, fighting, use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs, showing extreme lack of sportsmanship, etc.) at a game or practice may result in that person being asked to leave the gym by the referee, coach, or HK Rec staff. We also realize that any such behavior by us may result in our coach being ejected from the game.
- We understand that HK Rec. can suspend an individual’s privileges to attend games should we behave in a manner that is rude or otherwise offensive.
- We will attempt to learn the rules of the game including local league policies. We will help the coach to encourage our child to learn and follow the rules of game and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence.
- We will read and follow the rules posted rules for the facilities we will be using this season and will remember that all school campuses and Youth Sports events are drug, alcohol and tobacco FREE locations and events.
- We will praise our child for competing fairly and trying hard. We will help our child by pointing out the strong points of their game.
- We agree to try and have as much fun watching our kids participate as they have playing Basketball!!!
Thank you for being a good fan, supportive parent, and a positive role model.
