Resources for Basketball Coaches
Sign Up as a Coach or Volunteer
LSYS is fully run by volunteers. Whether you can pitch in as a coach, team manager, court keeper, or board member, your help is needed! Sign up on our Volunteer Opportunities page or reach out to us via email at [email protected] for information or questions. Anyone working directly with the kids must pass a background check in order to volunteer.
LSYS Basketball Divisions
The LSYS basketball divisions are determined by the player's grade level in school. The teams are co-ed and play is non-competitive. For each grade level, LSYS recommends focusing on the following basketball skills. Our first priority is for all kids to get equal playing time while having fun.
- Kindergarten: Developing the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting, passing, and rebounding.
- First & Second Grade: Begin learning the rules of basketball, developing foundational skills, and understanding position placement.
- Third & Fourth Grade: Gaining deeper awareness of the game, running screenplays, and strengthening form and skills.
- Fifth & Sixth Grade: Learning fixed positions, delivering court coverage, and developing advanced shooting form and ball handling skills. Games are officiated by high school referees hired by the LSYS Board of Directors.
USAB Basketball Rules
LSYS follows the Youth Guidelines: Rules & Standards outlined by USA Basketball and the NBA. These guidelines help foster player health, age- and stage-appropriate skill development, and a positive and enjoyable on-court experience for young people. They also aim to combat the overemphasis on early competitive success and the lack of a clear development pathway through the sport. Copies of the Rules & Standards are included in your coach's folder provided by the LSYS Board at the Coach's Meeting. These guidelines cover Equipment & Court Specifications, Game Structure, Game Tactics, and Game Play Rules.
Download a PDF version of the full recommendations by age segment. Due to the LSYS divisions, some of these rules may need to be adapted to fit your team's age group/grade level.
Equipment Provided to Teams
LSYS provides each team with basketballs, pennies, and cones. The registration fee covers jerseys, which players keep. Players provide shorts, socks, and athletic sneakers. If children would like to bring their own ball, that's great! LSYS will have a basketball pump and first aid kit at each game, but you should also add these items to your personal coach's bag. If you need assistance with gear and or have an equipment suggestion, reach out to us at [email protected].
Basketball Sizing Chart:
- 29.5" (size 7) ball suitable for boys 12 and older
- 28.5” (size 6) ball suitable for girls 9 and older and boys ages 9-12
- 27.5” (size 5) ball suitable for ages 9 and under
Practices and Games
The LSYS 2022 basketball season runs from Jan. 3 through February 26. Due to limited gym space in the community, teams will be assigned a date, time, and location by the LSYS Board. Practices are held on a weekday evening for typically 45 minutes or one hour. We work closely with Lake Spokane Elementary, Nine Mile Falls Elementary, and Lakeside Middle School to secure gym space, but due to changing and limited availability, practice schedules may change throughout the season.
Games are held on Saturdays with the youngest teams starting first. The kindergarten through 3/4 divisions play at LSE while the 5/6 division plays at LMS. Depending on the number of registered players, each division may have 2-4 teams, which means repeated matchups over the 8-week season. Only the 5/6 division will have high school referees. Coaches at the younger divisions are responsible for officiating, keeping the time, and tracking the score. You can recruit parents to help with these tasks.
Team Communication
The LSYS Coach Coordinator will reach out to you after the Nov. 19 registration deadline with more details about the upcoming season. The Team Central tab on this website, which will go live once teams are formed, is a great way for registered families to access team information and schedules for practices and games.
The Team Manager app has proven to be a terrific way for coaches and families to communicate with one another and stay updated on changing schedules. Coaches can import the team's roster and schedule from their connected account. The Downloading the Team Manager App user guide will assist you with this process so that your LSYS and DSG accounts sync. If schedule changes are made during the season by LSYS administrators, coaches will need the user guide, How To Re-Import the Schedule, for parents to see the revisions in the app.
Court Locations
The Nine Mile School District has given permission for the league to use their gyms for practices and games.
- Nine Mile Falls Elementary: 10102 W Charles Rd, Nine Mile Falls, WA
- Lake Spokane Elementary: 6015 WA-291, Nine Mile Falls, WA
- Lakeside Middle School: 6169 WA-291, Nine Mile Falls, WA
Missed or Cancelled Practices
Life happens. There are parents on each team who will gladly step in to the role of coach if both the head coach and assistant coach will miss the same practice or game date. The Team Manager app is a great way to reach out to the parents and stay in contact about changes or cancellations. Use your own judgment to determine if the weather is bad enough to cancel. School closures will result in mandatory practice cancellations. Due to limited gym availability, makeup practices and games will be difficult to schedule.
Risk Assessment Policies and Procedures
Lake Spokane Youth Sports (LSYS) wants all coaches to feel prepared for any situation that may arise. We have created a guide to help you avoid and handle risk. Please review our Risk Assessment Policies and Procedures guide. Also, please review the CDC Concussion Information guide.