Returning players, mark your calendars for May 15, 2024. Keep an eye on your inbox for important instructions.
New to SLAM? Your opportunity to join starts on June 1, 2024, at midnight.
To register, visit our website's main page for a seamless process.
Stay tuned for details on costs and tryout dates - updates coming soon!
Registration is determined on a first come first serve basis. If a division is full when a player registers, players will be placed on a waiting list.
Participants born in 2018 and 2019 fall into this category, tailored for players seeking instruction within a more nurturing and less competitive atmosphere. This mixed-gender program aims to lay the foundational skills at the most elementary level, smoothing the pathway towards competitive play. To accommodate the developmental stages of our young athletes, a smaller and lighter ball is utilized, enhancing confidence in passing and catching abilities. Recognizing that many participants are still mastering the skill of achieving the basket's height under pressure, this adjustment ensures a supportive learning environment. Sessions are conveniently scheduled for Saturdays, making it easier for families to participate in this developmental journey.
Fee: TBD + $15 Alberta Basketball Membership
Young athletes born in 2016 and 2017 are perfectly suited for our Under-9 (U9) program, a coeducational initiative designed to nurture budding talent. Each week, players convene in St. Albert for a vibrant, 60-minute session dedicated to skill enhancement. The highlight of our program is the end of season tournament, offering our teams the opportunity to showcase their growth against peers from across Edmonton.
Our approach emphasizes the dual goals of skill advancement and enjoyment, incorporating both practice drills and small-scale games tailored to engage and inspire. At the season's start, each player is provided with a jersey and a ball—which they get to keep. To accommodate busy family schedules, these sessions are conveniently scheduled for Saturdays.
Fee: TBD + $15 Alberta Basketball Membership
The U11 category is for players born between 2014 and 2015. These young athletes engage in weekly games on Saturdays and also have a practice session once a week in a gym located in St. Albert. The games have been tailored to suit their age group, featuring four-on-four matchups on baskets that are 8.5 feet tall. The structure of U11 games include two halves, each lasting 21 minutes with a running clock, and a 3-minute half time intermission. However, there's a unique rule for the game's final three minutes, where the head coach has the discretion to choose any four eligible players from the roster to participate in this final shift, which operates on stop time. During this period, players can be substituted at any pause in the game.
Games are typically played in the Saville Community Sports Centre or at a school gym in and/or around the City of Edmonton.
Fee: TBD + $20 Alberta Basketball Membership
For the U13 division, which includes players born in 2012 and 2013, the schedule includes games on Saturdays and practice sessions once a week in a St. Albert gym. The games are structured as five-on-five matchups, divided into four quarters of nine minutes each, featuring stop time. Players enjoy a three-minute break at halftime and one-minute pauses between quarters. Late August sees the commencement of evaluation sessions for both U13 and U15 categories, aiming to assort players into teams based on their skill levels. This arrangement facilitates competitions against teams of comparable strength from the City of Edmonton and surrounding areas.
Regarding Tier 1/2 teams for both U13 and U15:
Should a decision be made to enter a Tier 1/2 team into the EYBA, the selection committee will choose the top 10-12 players from the late August tryouts. The SLAM website will provide specific details about the tryouts, including dates, times, and venues, by early to mid-August. Players who make it into the Tier 1/2 teams will compete within the EYBA's Tier 1/2 divisions.
For Tier 1/2 divisions:
Girls' teams generally have their games on Wednesdays and hold practice sessions once or twice weekly in a St. Albert gym.
Boys' teams are usually scheduled for games on Tuesdays, with practice sessions occurring once or twice a week in a St. Albert gym.
Games are typically played in the Saville Community Sports Centre, the EYBA Centre, Legacy Athletics, Buckets Basketball School or at a school gym in and/or around the City of Edmonton.
Fee: TBD + $20 Alberta Basketball Membership *Tier 1 and Tier 2 Teams could likely have additional cost of team gear/equipment to be determined by the Coach(es). Additional costs may be incurred should the team enter into other tournaments/camps/spring league.
For the U15 division, which includes players born in 2010 and 2011, the schedule includes games on Saturdays and practice sessions once a week in a St. Albert gym. The games are structured as five-on-five matchups, divided into four quarters of nine minutes each, featuring stop time. Players enjoy a three-minute break at halftime and one-minute pauses between quarters.
Late August sees the commencement of evaluation sessions for both U13 and U15 categories, aiming to assort players into teams based on their skill levels. This arrangement facilitates competitions against teams of comparable strength from the City of Edmonton and surrounding areas.
Regarding Tier 1/2 teams for both U13 and U15:
Should a decision be made to enter a Tier 1/2 team into the EYBA, the selection committee will choose the top 10-12 players from the late August tryouts. The SLAM website will provide specific details about the tryouts, including dates, times, and venues, by early to mid-August. Players who make it into the Tier 1/2 teams will compete within the EYBA's Tier 1/2 divisions.
For Tier 1/2 divisions:
Girls' teams generally have their games on Wednesdays and hold practice sessions once or twice weekly in a St. Albert gym.
Boys' teams are usually scheduled for games on Tuesdays, with practice sessions occurring once or twice a week in a St. Albert gym.
Games are typically played in the Saville Community Sports Centre, the EYBA Centre, Legacy Athletics, Buckets Basketball School or at a school gym in and/or around the City of Edmonton.
Fee: TBD + $20 Alberta Basketball Membership
*Tier 1 and Tier 2 Teams could likely have additional cost of team gear/equipment to be determined by the Coach(es). Additional costs may be incurred should the team enter into other tournaments/camps/spring league.
Players born in 2007 - 2009 belong in this category. The U18s play once, sometimes twice a week (Friday, Saturday and/or some Sundays) and practice once a week in a gym in St. Albert. There are two separate seasons for the U18 age category. The first season is the Fall League, which runs from September to November. The second season is the Winter League, which runs from January to March.
Please note players participating on any high school basketball team (Jr or Sr. levels), are not eligible to play in the Winter League due to Alberta Schools Athletic Association rules that states “To be eligible for high school provincial competition in the ASAA sports of basketball, volleyball, football, cheerleading, team handball and rugby, a high school student is not permitted to play on a non-school team in the same sport during the same season.”
Games are typically played in the Saville Community Sports Centre, the EYBA Centre, Legacy Athletics, Buckets Basketball School or at a school gym in and/or around the City of Edmonton.
Fee: TBD + $20 Alberta Basketball Membership
Category | Birth Year | Fees |
7U (Jr NBA Program) | 2018 - 2019 | $TBD + $15 (AB membership fee) |
9U | 2016 - 2017 | $TBD + $15 (AB membership fee) |
11U | 2014 - 2015 | $TBD + $20 (AB membership fee) |
13U | 2012 - 2013 | $TBD + $20 (AB membership fee) * Tier 1 & Tier 2 - additional costs may be incurred. |
15U | 2010 - 2011 | $TBD + $20 (AB membership fee) * Tier 1 & Tier 2 - additional costs may be incurred. |
18U | 2007 - 2009 | $TBD + $20 (AB membership fee) |
All participants in the U11 to U18 basketball programs must have the following items, clearly labeled for identification:
The basketball size varies by age group:
Size 5 (27.5 inches) for U7, U9, and U11 Boys and Girls.
Size 6 (28.5 inches) for U13 Boys and Girls, U15 Girls, and U18 Girls.
Size 7 (29.5 inches) for U15 Boys and U18 Boys
Season Overview:
Late August marks the evaluation period for the U13 and U15 categories, including the Tier 1/2 levels. During this time, players will be assessed and grouped into teams that reflect their skill levels, allowing for competitive play against equally matched teams from other communities.
Season Schedule:
Teams ranging from U11 to U18 will engage in the EYBA league from October through February, with a focus on skill development and enjoyment of the game.
Come February, city-wide playoffs will commence, setting the stage for the highest-performing teams to qualify for the ABA Provincials taking place in March.
Practice Times:
Practice times for the U11 to U18 groups will be individually assigned and are expected to fall between 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm from Monday to Friday. The scheduling gives preference to the coaches' availability, with younger participants generally practicing earlier and older ones later.
Tier 1/2 Details (U13 and U15):
Should a Tier 1/2 team be formed for EYBA competition, the selection of the top 10-12 athletes will be based on the late-August tryouts. Keep an eye on the SLAM website for the exact dates, times, and venues of these tryouts, which will be announced between early to mid-August. Selected players will then join the EYBA's U13 and U15 Tier 1 or 2 divisions.
Further updates on practice schedules and the structure of divisional play will be provided as they become available.