Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Chelmsford Youth Basketball League (CYBL)

The CYBL FAQ is divided into several different sections to make specific questions/answers easier to find.

GENERAL INFORMATION
PLAYER INFORMATION
TRAVEL TEAM INFORMATION
COACH INFORMATION

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GENERAL INFORMATION:

What do the letters "CYBL" stand for?

Chelmsford Youth Basketball League.

When was CYBL formed?

CYBL is over 20 years old. CYBL has its roots in the Chelmsford Town Church League Basketball Program that was begun in the 1950's.

CYBL is a non-profit organization and is not affiliated with any religious organization.

How large is CYBL?

The 2006-07 season had over 1,300 players participating in Intramural and Travel Team Divisions. Please click on this link to learn more.

Who is eligible to play in CYBL?

In general, the CYBL winter basketball program is offered to all boys and girls who are in grades 3-12 and are residents of Chelmsford and/or are attending Chelmsford schools. Please click on this link to review specific eligibility requirements.

How is CYBL organized?

CYBL is an all-volunteer organization. There is a 25-plus person Board of Directors that meets monthly from September thru May. A President elected by the Board oversees all league activities. He/she is assisted by a Vice President, Treasuer and Secretary.

Included on the Board are all of the Division Directors. Major Division Director activities include overseeing their division's coaching activities, player evaluations, assignment of players to individual teams to ensure fair distribution of talent within the division, division game scheduling and team play at their venue(s).

Other major Board activities/positions include player registration, referee oversight, equipment procurement and maintenance, fund raising, player/coach development, special activities, refreshments, and information.

CYBL is governed by a detailed, written Constitution and By-Laws (PDF file).

Critically important non-board CYBL volunteer positions include all of the Team Coaches (over 100 Head Coaches and over 100 Assistant Coaches are needed each year).

The Chelmsford High School Boy's and Girl's Varsity Basketball Coaches are ex officio members of the Board.

CYBL Referees are paid positions.

How do I contact a CYBL Officer, Board Member, and/or Division Director?

The FASTEST, EASIEST method to identify who these people are and talk to one of them is to look on the CYBL Board of Directors Web page on this Web site. ALL of these CYBL officials are listed on this page by Board position. ALL Board member phone numbers are also listed on this page. We urge you to call the Board member to whom you wish to speak.

How long is the season?

The Cadet, Junior and High School Intramural Divisions (Boys and Girls) typically play 10 regular season games from early-December thru mid-February. There is a post-season tournament (The Brotherhood Postseason Tournament) for Cadet, Junior and High School Boys and Girls.

Travel Teams have significantly more regular season games, additional practice sessions, and several of the teams participate in postseason tournaments.

When is registration?

Registration runs from mid-August to late September. ALL players must register each year, whether they played in CYBL the previous year or not. Please click on this link to learn more.

What does it cost?

Cost varies by division and number of players per family. Please click on this link to get specific details.

Is there a CYBL Season Calendar?

Yes. See the CYBL Calendar Web page for details.

What does CYBL do to raise money to help reduce yearly fees?

There are several major fund raising efforts throughout the registration period, player evaluation period and regular season. All of these efforts help defray the considerable costs CYBL incurs each year. These costs include facilities rental (gyms at Chelmsford High School, McCarthy Middle School, Parker Middle School, Harrington Elementary School), paying on-site janitorial staff, paying referees at all division levels, equipment procurement/maintenance, year-end awards/trophies, production of the annual CYBL Yearbook, etc.

How do I find out if a game is cancelled due to inclement weather?

See the CYBL Cancellation/Rescheduled Games Web page for details.

Are there league rules/bylaws?

CYBL has a comprehensive set of bylaws. These are available for review by contacting one of the CYBL Board Officers (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary).

Does CYBL have a Web site?

Yes. The CYBL Home Page address is: www.cybl.net

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PLAYER INFORMATION:

How do players register?

There is a registration period from mid-August to late September each year. ALL players must re-register each year to participate. Please click on this link to learn more.

What happens if a player in Grades 9-12 registers for the CYBL High School Division in August-September, then tries out for and makes one of the High School basketball teams later in the year?

The player should register for CYBL in August-September and then tryout for the High School program. If the player makes one of the High School basketball teams, then the player will get a refund. The player can only participate in one program, either CYBL or High School.

What's the difference between Intramural Teams and Travel Teams?

There are essentially 2 levels of competition for 5th thru 8th grades Boys and Girls, Intramural and Travel. Travel Team tryouts are held in early October. Based on these tryouts, players are selected to play on Travel Teams by the Coaching staff and Travel Team Division Directors.

Travel Team Tryouts are OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED PLAYERS in Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8.

The practice session/game time commitment is significantly greater than for the Intramural Divisions. Also, if your son or daughter is chosen to participate on a travel team, there are additional registration costs, as well as additional charges for tournaments in which travel teams participate. See detailed Registration Information for a summary of additional registration charges.

Those players who are not selected to play for a Travel team are still eligible to participate in the Intramural Division for their age group.

Cadet (5th-6th grade) and Junior (7th-8th grade) Intramural Divisions typically have 10-16 teams per division. Each Division has 10 regular season games and a double elimination postseason tournament. Each team has 1 practice session during the week (approximately 1 hour, Monday-Friday, between 5:30-9:30 p.m.) and 1 game on either Saturday or Sunday.

How are players selected for Intramural teams?

Players registered to play in the Intramural Divisions are assigned to teams by the Division Director and Coaching staff during October and early November. Pre-season skills Evaluation Sessions in the form of scrimmages are then held for ALL Intramural Divisions except High School Girls (Cadets, Juniors in early, mid-November; High School Boys in early December). Based on those scrimmages, players may be re-assigned to other teams in an effort to create balanced teams within a division. Ideally, each team in a division has a chance to defeat every other team in its division, and vice versa. No player is eliminated from playing based on the results of his/her evaluation.

How many teams are in each division?

The number of teams in a division is a function of the number of players that register to play in that age group and the number of players on each team. Ideally, the number of players on each team is 10 players or less, but this number may increase to 11 or 12 players depending on the number of players registering to play in that division.

Does every player get to play in every game?

In the Intramural Divisions (Mites, Cadets, Juniors, High School), there is a mandatory minimum amount of playing time that each player must receive in each game. The only variable in this rule is the number of players a coach has to participate in a given game at game time. CYBL goes to great lengths to assure this rule is followed by all coaches.

Please click on this link to review CYBL Intramural Playing Time Guidelines.

Travel Team playing time is assigned at the discretion of each team coach. One of the major objectives in Travel Team play is to win games, and playing time will be assigned accordingly.

Are there any basic CYBL playing guidelines that I can review before I decide to play in CYBL?

Yes. Please click on this link to review CYBL Playing Guidelines.

What is the "Mites" Division and how is it structured?

The Mites Division is for 3rd and 4th grade boys and girls. The main goals of this division are to introduce players to the game of basketball and to develop the basic basketball skills of the participants. There are no pre-season tryout/skills evaluation sessions. Each team in a Mites division has one combined skills/practice session per week on either a Saturday or Sunday. There are no practices thru the week. There may or may not be scrimmages between teams, at the Divsion Director's discretion, in consultation with that divsion's Coaches.

What is "playing up" and what are the options to play up in CYBL?

Since the Town of Chelmsford summer basketball program has provided an opportunity for 2nd graders to play, and in light of the fact that the CYBL program starts in the 3rd grade, please be advised that CYBL provides the opportunity for 4th graders who have played at least (1) year in our Mites (3rd & 4th grades) clinic program to request to play in our Cadet program (5th & 6th grades). It is usually in the best interest of the participants to stay in the clinic program thru the 4th grade, however we do recognize the need to provide this option (see related question on the registration form). Despite the request, and in light of the limitation of available gym time on Saturdays, please be advised that the CYBL reserves the right to limit the number of players moving from the Mites (3rd & 4th) to the Cadet (5th & 6th) program. We will attempt to do this on a first signup with payment basis. Because the Cadet and Junior programs provide Traveling Teams for those who wish to partake in a more competitive atmosphere, there will be no other divisions allowed to request to play up.

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TRAVEL TEAM INFORMATION

What is a travel team?

A Travel Team is comprised of players whose skills have developed to the point where they would benefit from playing in an environment that is more competitive than the current Intramural Program offered by the CYBL. The travel teams will play games against players of the same age from other cities and towns in the area.

How are teams chosen?

Candidates for the travel team will be selected during the Travel Team tryout sessions. After the Travel evaluation session/tryout, approximately twelve players will be chosen for each team. Players not selected for the travel team are eligible to play on an intramural division team.

How many travel teams are there?

There will generally be eight travel teams. These will consist of four teams for boys and four teams for girls - a separate team for boys and girls from each grade involved (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th). The number of teams can increase given the interest level of players and the availability of coaches and assistant coaches.

What is the cost?

If your son or daughter is chosen to participate on a travel team, there are additional registration costs, as well as additional charges for tournaments in which travel teams participate. See detailed Registration Information for what those additional charges are in any given year.

What is the philosophy of the travel team program?

Our goal for the travel team program is to give players a playing atmosphere that is more competitive than the intramural program but one which still concentrates on the two key elements of the intramural program, “Fun and Fundamentals”. Since the teams will be playing in competitive leagues and tournaments, it is expected that coaches will utilize their players in an attempt to win. However, the coaches will attempt to achieve this goal within the context of giving all players the opportunity to develop their skills, a reasonable amount of playing time and an enjoyable basketball experience.

How much playing time will my Son/Daughter receive?

Playing time will be based on a number of factors, but the coaches will make the final decisions as to the actual amount of playing time each player will receive. Some of the factors coaches will take into consideration include:

• Ability
• Attitude
• Attendance at practices
• Score of the game

All Intramural and Travel Team Divisions have team Coaches and, in many cases, Assistant Coaches. The Intramural High School division teams are typically coached by High School Seniors who have participated in the Intramural High School division for at least 1 year.

How are Coaches selected?

As mentioned earlier, CYBL is an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization. As such, we depend on the goodwill of players' parents to assume the duties of Head Coach or Assistant Coach for their child's/children's team in all divisions except Intramural High School Boys and Girls. Please feel free to contact either the appropriate Division Director or the Development Director to discuss this option with on-site CYBL personnel. Click on this link for Director contact info.

Can Coaches have their child/children on their team?

Absolutely. That is one of the key initial criteria for forming a particular Coach's team.

Are there any league resources for first-time coaches?

Yes. CYBL recently created the board position of Development Director. A key focus for the Development Director is to provide resourses for CYBL volunteer Coaches, especially first-time Coaches. Please click on this link to learn more.

Are there any basic CYBL playing guidelines that I can review before I decide to become a Head Coach or Assistant Coach?

Yes. Please click on this link to review CYBL Playing Guidelines.

Who referees the games?

All Intramural Cadet and Junior division games, and Mites Boys games, are refereed by CYBL-paid and trained Chelmsford High School Boys and Girls. Intramural High School division games are refereed by CYBL-paid, professional (High School and/or College-level) Referees.

Intramural Mites, Cadet, Junior and High School games also have CYBL-paid and trained Official Scorers and Time Keepers.

Travel Team games are refereed by referees supplied by the regional league in which that Travel Team participates.

More Information on this subject can be found in the Officiating Section of the CYBL Web site.

How are the Student Referees selected and trained by CYBL?

Student Referees must apply for the job. Those candidates accepted must then attend the CYBL-run Referee Classes and Referee Clinic, and must pass a CYBL-administered written Referee Test.

Are the referees paid?

Yes. All Referees are paid by CYBL.