Why BUZZARDBALL?
#1 LIFE SKILLS
This is at the top of the list. As a participant of Buzzardball, your child will learn about sportsmanship, gamesmanship, respect, being a good teammate, being a leader, as well as many others. We care more about who they are when they step outside the gym.
#2 REC BASKETBALL FOR EVERYONE
Buzzardball is built around being available for boys and girls of ALL levels. It's a great place to learn the game in a safe and fun environment. It also allows young basketball players a chance to improve their basketball skills and have fun doing it with their friends.
#3 THE DIRECTOR STEVE BUZZARD
The long-time coach and director likes nothing better than running what he calls a BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE. He is intentional with every aspect of the Winter League, Summer Camp, and Summer League. His goal is simple. Provide each child and their family the best youth sports experience in Northern California.
#4 THE BUZZARDBALL EXPERIENCE
The Winter League features an NBA feel with weekly standings, write-ups, and high-quality jerseys. The 3rd-8th Graders play their championship game at Golden One Center, home of the Sacramento Kings.
The Summer Camp is all about FUN! It hits the five basic basketball skills. We divide the camp into four different teams and have competitions on All-Star Thursday and play for the coveted Buzzardball headband on All-Star Friday.
#5 THE NUMBERS SAY IT ALL
This past summer, Buzzardball featured a record 10 weeks of camps and was home to 911 kids. The Winter League featured 93 teams and just over 950 kids last season. Buzzardball features kids from the Greater Sacramento area, as well as the outlying areas (Folsom, Davis, Elk Grove, Roseville, and Rocklin).
#6 LASTLY ... THE MOTTO!
It hasn't changed since DAY ONE...
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Be a Good Sport
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Play Hard
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Have Fun
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And always remember ... IT'S JUST A GAME!
BUZZARDBALL HISTORY
SACRAMENTO'S COMPLETE YOUTH BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE
WINTER LEAGUE
17 years ago, I was approached by a friend named Greg Nathanson. He wanted me to look at and eventually take over a youth basketball league he was running. At the time, there were a little over 100 kids involved on the K-8 level. Admittedly, I was good with just coaching my boys Toph and Max at the time. After watching the league for a few years, a vision started coming together. I wanted to create a recreation basketball league with an NBA/WNBA feel. And now as we enters our 16th year, Buzzardball is not just a league ... it's an EXPERIENCE available to all boys and girls who want to play the game of basketball.
A key strength of these programs are our families, who encourage and support their children's passion for playing basketball. In addition, the wider community of partnerships with the Sacramento Kings,
Jesuit High School, and others, has been integral to the success of these programs.
SUMMER CAMP
In 1994, Buzzardball started as a small summer basketball program at St. Michael's inCarmichael. In 1997, while St. Michael's was undergoing major reconstruction, Buzzardball was moved over to Arden Church of the Nazarene on Arden Way. For 10 years, the camp grew in a BIG way. In 2008, Buzzardball made its move back to St. Michael's and the school's brand new gym. Buzzardball has run each summer for 24 straight years until the pandemic hit. In 2020, there was a Buzzardball Zoom camp that was fun. But anyone would admit, it wasn't the same. In 2021, Buzzardball found it's new home at Sport Courts Fitness and celebrated the camp's 25th anniversary with a record 750 kids participating. So many memories have been created through Buzzardball where the motto has never changed - "Be a GOOD sport, PLAY HARD, HAVE FUN, and always remember, IT'S JUST A GAME"
WINTER LEAGUE STATS
957
Kids in 2021-22 Season
(800 in 2019; No Season in 2020)
93
Teams This Season
17th
Season
SUMMER CAMP STATS
911
Kids in 2022
20
Camps in 2022
27
Years and running!