Dear GBA Parents and Players:

We hope that all of you are well.  For those of you who are comfortable with the risk of group sport activities, GBA will provide basketball for grades K through 8 again this year.  Just not in the traditional format.  Public school space is not available.  The entire recreational league program must be run out of the Greenwich Catholic School gym on weekends.  This limits our options.  There will be no travel program.  If you are wondering about the high school program, we intend to provide programming for high school players at a later point, but right now we are focused on the younger players.

The season Registration starts September 30th.  The recreational program will be run on weekends from November 7th until early March, excluding school vacations and days when Greenwich Catholic is unavailable, as usual.

K-2  The K-2 Program will be run on Sundays from 12 to 1.  Yes, this is shorter than usual.  It will be run as a drop-off program only. No parents, friends, or siblings can accompany them in the gym. This same rule will apply across all grade levels.

Grades 4-8 There will be no evaluations in October.  There will be no fixed teams.  Each time your player arrives, our pro-coaches, who usually coach travel, will first run some drills and then divide the kids into teams so that they can play a game.  Again, this is a drop-off program only. No parents, friends, or siblings can accompany them in the gym.

Everything will depend on enrollment.  Based upon enrollment, we will assign players to designated fixed playing times on Saturdays and/or Sundays.  If we need to, we may combine grades 5 and 6, or 7 and 8.  3 and 4 has always been combined.  If we can figure out the logistics, we may divide the kids at the end of the season for a playoff experience.

Space will be limited.  This may result in waiting lists.  You don’t have to pay to be placed on a waiting list, but you do need to register through the website.  As always, we really do try to figure out how to include waitlisted players.   

Covid  With Covid on everyone's minds, here are some of the rules in place.  Time will be made for cleaning.  Prior to a group's arrival, surfaces and balls will be wiped down.  There will be hand sanitizer available to players.  Everyone not playing will wear a mask.  Everyone brings their own water bottles.  No sharing.  There will be no traditional bench, huddles or high-fives.  We are keeping the number of people in the building to a minimum. More specifics are provided in the registration process and we are counting on everyone's cooperation.
 

Fun  Covid related communications often understandably include a number of sentences with the word "no."  We want to stress that that when it comes to kids having fun playing basketball, GBA says "yes."  Please come and join us.

Registration opens September 30th.  Season starts November 7th.

Dan Aaron
Tony Pignataro
GBA Co-Presidents

GBA Policy and Code of Conduct

Projected enrollment is over 700 players.  We are at capacity on the available facilities so we may need to limit enrollment.  Please sign up early to avoid disappointment.

• Only Adults can register players.
• Our registration will only be available online through this web site – there is  no paper registration. 
• Registration is first come first served and numbers are limited. 
• Registrations will not be accepted without full payment. We accept Mastercard and Visa ONLY.
• Registration for Grades K - 12 rec and travel leagues will be open late September and close when the program is full. 
• Players must be registered before attending evaluations.
• In accordance with GBA policy, GBA is a grade based program NOT an age based program, so players may not register outside their grade.  
• Registration fee includes a minium of 15 games.
• All games have paid referees which is included in the fee.
• Full and partial scholarships are available.
• For scholarship applications please complete your child's registration, but do not pay,  All Scholarship applicants will be required to make a payment to the program.

Requests for teams or team mates will not be accepted.
The GBA expects to make changes to team rosters prior to the first regular season game and reserves the right to change team rosters at any time.
Requests for refunds after the start of the season will only be accepted if the spot can be filled.  A $10 administration  fee is charged for each refund request regardless of the reason for cancellation. No requests for refunds will be granted after a program is underway.
 
For Information on how to register and to register:

1. please click on the "Register online" tab.
2. If you have any questions or problems, please email our registrar, Renee Murphy .  She will get back to you promptly. 

Players are not permitted to play for GBA in either the house or travel programs if they are registered with any other program in the Fairfield County Basketball League.  The other programs in this league based in Greenwich are High Rise and Greenwich Stars.

If your player is registered for both and you are retaining the registration with High Rise or Greenwich Stars please contact us immediately to cancel the GBA registration.  At this point we can give you a refund less a $10 admin fee.  If  we discover, or are notified of, the dual registration after our program starts on November 5th the player will be removed from GBA and  will forfeit the full GBA registration fee.

The completion and submission of a registration form and the payment of the registration fee only constitute an offer to play in the GBA league which is not accepted by GBA until the player being registered is placed on a team and listed on the team roster page of the GBA website.  GBA reserves the right to reject any registration for any reason in its sole discretion.  In the event that GBA rejects a registration prior to placing the registered player on a team, GBA will provide a full refund of the monies paid at the time of registration.  GBA may in its sole discretion remove any or all of a player or their family from the league at any time, or a coach from coaching, if it determines in its sole discretion that there has been a violation of its codes of warranting such removal.  Removal from the league may include, but is not limited to, a suspension of playing time, a complete ban from the league, and/or a prohibition on attendance of league activities.

GBA Codes of Conduct

As a parent or guardian of a participant in a GBA program I/we promise to:

1. provide positive encouragement to our children; refrain from yelling at opposing players, coaches and referees and administrators;
2. make every effort to get our children to games and practices on time - and pick them up on time;
3. notify coaches as soon as possible if our child will be unable to make a game;
4. let the coaches run their practices and games without interruption, avoid entering the court or bench area during games or practice unless I have been specifically instructed by a coach, administrator, or referee to do so;
5. discuss questions and problems with coaches privately either before or after practices or games;
6. refrain from using alcohol at practices or games;
7. refrain from profanity at practices and games;
8. treat all volunteers, staff and referees with respect and civility

As a participant in a GBA program, I promise to:

1. treat all coaches and referees with respect. I will not talk back to any coach or referee;
2. exhibit good sportsmanship hake the hands of teammates and opposing players after each game;
3. support my teammates - offering encouragement;
4. attempt to make every game and practice;
5. come to practices and games on time;
6. refrain from swearing;
7. not use alcohol or drugs;
8. clean up after games - remember to take my belongings and clean up any trash;
9. wear complete uniform to games.

Thank you to the Greenwich Old Timers Athletic Assocation for their support in helping GBA continue our mission.