Registration Information
Welcome to the St. Columba CYO Basketball Program, servicing parishioners from St. Columba, St. Denis, and St. Kateri. We look forward to working with your child on learning the fundamentals of basketball, the challenge of competitive sports, and the values of a Christian community.
Registration for the 2022-2023 season is now open for our in house and travel programs.
Choose/Download the appropriate registration forms for your grade level:
Please download this registration form for grades 1-4:
Please download this registration form for grades 5-8: Travel registration form,
Print one form for each child being registered,
Fill out the form(s),
Mail them along with your registration/tryout fee to the address at the bottom of the form.
*** All Registrations are handled via mail. ***
*** There is no pre-set deadline for registrations. When we fill up, we close divisions. Register early! ***
Please continue to check this web-site for updates. Parishioners include families registered at St Denis and St Kateri as well as St Columba and students that attend St Denis/St Columba school. Parishioners are eligible for all travel divisions and our in-house program.
Non-parishioners are welcome to register for our in-house program (grades 1-4) and our travel program (grades 5-8) as well. Please note that a maximum of 3 non-parishioners may be placed on any one "A" travel team. Please understand that registered parishioners of any other area parish are not eligible for our travel divisions (grades 5-8). [Again, this does not apply to St Denis/St Columba school students. They are considered parishioners regardless of their actual parish affiliation, if any.] Also, non-parishioners must live within the boundaries of St Columba, St Denis, or St Kateri parishes to be eligible for travel. Non-parishioners living within the boundaries of any other area parish that also offers a CYO basketball program, must participate via that parish's CYO basketball program.
You MUST attend at least one try-out to be considered for an "A" team.
In House Program - Grades 1-4
We offer beginner and instructional divisions for grades 1 through 4 because we believe in the importance of building skills and providing repetitive practice at these ages.
How divisions actually end up is driven by the number of registrations we receive at each grade level. The following reflects how the in-house program was structured last year based on the registration numbers.
The cost for grades 1-4 is $115 per child which is due with the registration form. $10 of this fee is non-refundable.
Registration for divisions may close at any time if the division fills up. Register Early to avoid being disappointed.
After October 15th, if registrations are still being accepted, the registration cost is $135.
No refunds of any kind after December 1st.
2nd & 3rd Grades: Grades 2 and 3 will make up the instructional in-house division.
The initial focus here will be skills and fundamentals. gradually leading into game exposure with an instructional component. These games will be refereed with modified rules in effect in order maintain the benefit of instruction.
4th Grade: Our 4th grade instructional modified travel teams will be scheduled to play against other parishes in order to prepare players for travel the following year.
In all the in-house programs, coaches are encouraged to work with players developmentally throughout the season. Our goal is to challenge each player at his/her skill level and individual placements may be adjusted as determined by the coaching staff.
Please consider volunteering to coach in the instructional division. This is a collaborative coaching division, and we need committed parents. Training can be provided.
If you are interested in coaching, at any level, please visit the Coaches Information Page. Thank you.
Please understand our commitment to instruction at the younger grade levels is due to what we have observed when children are pushed ahead. "Competitive" play for younger children often results in a loss of inherent fundamentals. Not learning these fundamentals will put players at a disadvantage as they grow older. We encourage learning these basic skills at an early age to provide a framework for many years of enjoyment and success in the future.
We cannot honor requests to be placed with a specific coach. We believe, that especially at an early age, experience with different coaches and their approach to the game is very beneficial to the children.
So When do we Play?
The in house programs will start in late October and end in late February. Once you have sent in your registration there is no further need to contact us about the start of the season. You will be contacted when we know the logistics of the season. Please provide a working e-mail address on your registration form to receive a confirmation that we received your registration and you will be all set. The in house program starts after the travel program has been settled in.
Practices, clinics, and games are held on Saturdays at St. Columba for grades 1-3. Grade 4 practices may be on Saturday or a weeknight, possibly in another area gym beginning in October. We do not know what time slots will be allocated for specific teams or clinics ahead of time. No games or practices will be on Sunday mornings. Note that once games begin for grades 2-3, the Saturday schedule may completely change from the practice times (for all grades) and your playing time can vary from week to week. You will be contacted through email and/or your coach regarding start dates.
Games for the instructional division typically begin in January. 4th grade boys and girls home games are typically on Saturday afternoons. We have no control over away game schedules, which could be on Sunday afternoon in some cases. Additional practices may be scheduled on weeknights for the grade 4 teams, depending on gym availability.
Please note that with all three parishes that we serve now having some of the younger grades CCD classes on Saturdays, it has become impossible to accommodate everyone's CCD conflict needs. While we will try what we can, understand that Saturday is the day we have the gym for this program and the scheduling is complicated.
Gym time for the entire program is at a premium and we are thankful for what time we do get.
For grades 1-4 you can specify one friend your child may like to be on the same team with. Only one friend can be requested (multiple requests will be discarded). There is no guarantee that these requests will be met but we will consider them when forming teams.
End of Season In-house Celebration
Typically we have a celebration day at the end of the season for this program. Any end of the season gifts for players that may be given out are considered to be part of this celebration event. You must attend the celebration in order to receive the gift. The date for this celebration will be distributed via your coaches.
Travel Program - Grades 5-8
Our travel program competes with other Dutchess county parishes, representing the best in play of all towns in this area. “A” teams are more competitive, and only one team is formed for each grade division. “B” teams afford more flexibility. The number of teams is determined by having a sufficient number of players, league availability, and competitive levels. We can not emphasize enough here that availability of teams from other parishes in these divisions plays a big role in whether or not we can end up fielding a team in a particular grade and division and we will not know the rest of the league make-up (nor ours for that matter) until some time after try-outs have been completed.
Players are selected during a minimum of two tryouts scheduled in September or October. Attendance at all tryouts for your grade level is preferred, but players must be at one in order to be placed on a travel team. We must have a completed and signed registration form for you and your $15 tryout fee prior to you being allowed on the court for a tryout. There are no exceptions to this rule! Please complete the registration form and mail it to the registrar at least 4 days prior to the first tryout you will be attending. Try-out evaluators will include at least (1) experienced coach not connected to the team.
A $15 non-refundable tryout fee is required with your signed registration form prior to trying out. Should you be placed on a team, this will be applied to your total registration fee. The balance of the registration fee must be sent to the registrar prior to any participation with your team, practice or otherwise.
Please note. We believe both the A and B leagues offer quality basketball opportunities. If you choose to tryout and our evaluating coaches place you on a team, we expect you will play on that team. If you choose not to play, the try-out fee is not refundable.
One difference between the A and B divisions is that there are no tournaments offered for B leagues. This is reflected in the fee schedule below:
|
2022-2023 Fees | Try Out Fee | Additional | Total Registration | Late Fee (post try out) |
| A league | $15 | $160 | $175 | N/A |
| B league | $15 | $120 | $135 | $20 |
All grade 5-8 travel teams will purchase (and keep) their own uniforms. The cost is not known at this time but it is estimated to be $50-60 per player.
Please register in advance of the first try-out (allow 4 days for mailing). Late registrations at the try-out takes away from the actual try-out time for the children and gives the coaches less of a chance to evaluate them.
WE ENCOURAGE ALL PLAYERS IN GRADES 5-8 TO ATTEND ALL TRYOUTS FOR THEIR GRADE LEVEL SO COACHES CAN DETERMINE APPROPRIATE PLACEMENTS FOR BOTH THE A AND B TEAMS.
"A" teams have 10 players. "B" teams need at least 10 players and may have as many as 12 players. Practices are held once a week in area gyms. Registration fees are more than our instructional program due to the higher cost of league play.
Travel teams will have one regularly scheduled practice during the week (M-F). Practices can start following our travel coaches meeting in early October once teams are selected. Early on, prior to regular season games starting, there may be some extra practices on weekends scheduled. Regular season games should not start until late November or early December but you might have a pre-season tournament before then. Regular season league games will be on Saturdays and Sundays. You may have weekends where you have a game on both Saturday and Sunday but usually that is not the case. League teams are all local in Dutchess County so you will not have to travel far. In some cases tournaments, if any, as well as post season play, if you do well enough, might be a little further away. For the most part, teams will play parishes within a maximum of 45 minute travel time each way.
Travel Teams are offered at the “A” and “B” levels for the following grades:
| Boys | 5A | 5B | 6A | 6B | 7A | 7B | 8A | 8B |
| Girls | 5-6A | 5-6B | 7-8A | 7-8B | | | | |
Please note: Teams are contingent on tryout numbers, talent level of available players, and availability of county play.
Practice times and gym assignments are not known at this time. We cannot begin to determine the gym assignments until after we know our registration numbers. Gym time is at a premium and we are very thankful for all the gym time that we do receive.
Please note that participation in all tournaments is at the discretion of the coach and the athletic director / advisory committee.
If you are interested in coaching, at any level, please visit the Coaches Information Page. Thank you.
"Playing up" Policy: It is very rare that we allow any child to "play up" above his or her grade level. Any inquiry in this area must go directly to our Director, not to the coach.
End of Season Travel Celebration
Typically we have a celebration day at the end of the season for this program. Any end of the season gifts for players that may be given out are considered to be part of this celebration event. You must attend the celebration in order to receive the gift. The date for this celebration will be distributed via your coaches.
Practices at area gymnasiums
We are very appreciative of the gym time we are able to secure at St Columba school and other area schools. Please understand that we are guests at these facilities and the schools expect us to respect their facilities. When our travel and modified travel teams have practices, the only gym where parents (other than the coaches) are allowed in the gym to watch is at St Columba school and this is at the coaches discretion. At St Columba any parents watching must be in the Art room and not actually in the gym or the stage area. Thank you for you understanding and cooperation.
If you provide an e-mail address on your registration form, you will receive a confirmation that we received your registration from us within a few days. Please add this e-mail address to your contacts so we will end up in your in-box and not your spam folder. This is especially important for AOL e-mail users!