Oregon Youth Basketball (OYB) places boys and girls in a safe and educational environment which fits their skill and interest level. The policy of OYB is to place children on teams and in leagues where they are best suited to develop their basketball skills and understanding of the game. Available options differ by grade and level of competition.
Our program consists of two different offerings, our in-house recreational level program offered for grades 1 through 6 (OYBL), and our Travel Program , which is a competitive program that offers the opportunity for more advanced competitive play with teams from the Madison area and surrounding communities.
OYBL is our rec-level program offered for grades 1 through 6. The main focus of OYBL is to introduce players to the sport of basketball and build the key fundamentals which will assist your child in becoming a better basketball player. If your child has not played organized basketball or is looking to build introductory basketball skills, this is the league for your child. This league is also a good option for families that are not looking to travel distances to other communities to play basketball games. All OYBL games will be played in the Oregon school district; however we reserve the right to potentially combine with a neighboring school district to provide the children opportunities to play a wider variety of opponents if possible. OYBL is less of a time commitment than Travel Basketball since players practice only one night per week and play games on Saturdays.
1st and 2nd grade consists of seven or eight different Saturdays between December and February. Players are placed on teams for the season. Each week the sessions will include a portion of group skill development and instruction, followed by games of 3v3 which are led by team coaches.
3rd and 4th grade (combined) and 5th and 6th grade (combined) includes players being placed on teams for the season with individual team practices one night per week, typically starting in November, with games of 5v5 played on Saturdays in January and February.
Travel Basketball is available to players in grades 3 through 8. Travel Basketball is an option for players who have played organized basketball in the past and have developed beyond the basic fundamentals. Travel Basketball is also a greater time commitment than OYBL. Players practice a minimum of twice per week and play multiple games on the weekends. Travel Basketball is our competitive option that offers the opportunity for more advanced competitive play with teams from the Madison area and surrounding communities.
Players who choose to play Travel Basketball will need to go through an evaluation process. Not all players that try out for Travel Basketball will be placed on one of the traveling team(s). Following evaluations, players who have stronger fundamentals and skills will be offered an opportunity to play on a Travel Basketball team. When forming teams, evaluators will be looking for a 'natural break' between groups of players. The number of players on a Travel Team and the number of Travel Basketball Teams in each grade will vary from year to year and grade to grade. Players who are not extended an opportunity to play Travel Basketball will be referred to OYBL or encouraged to play Oregon Middle School basketball in order to strengthen their fundamental basketball skills.