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WINTER BASKETBALL LEAGUE

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2025 CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

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Playoff Sunday = 51 Games

2025 Team Photo Samples

This winter recreation basketball league is anchored on its partnerships with the Sacramento Kings, Rio Americano High School, Jesuit High School, and amazing small businesses in the greater Sacramento area.. This season there is a record 1171 boys and girls participating in Buzzardball. Games are played on Sundays from January-March. 3rd-8th Grade teams play their championship games at the Golden 1 Center. The league's foundation is teaching life skills through basketball.

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ABOUT BUZZARDBALL WINTER LEAGUE

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A word from Director Steve Buzzard:
 

19 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 15th 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.

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The strength of this experience starts with the amazing families that are involved with the league. Buzzardball has created a safe and fun environment for the kids playing and the players participating. Next are the coaches, who are your community fathers and mothers who volunteer their time to guide our children using basketball as a vehicle for life skills vital to your child's success. Then there are the amazing partnerships we have with the Sacramento Kings, Jesuit High School, and St. Francis High School. Through these partnerships, the participants in Buzzardball get unique opportunities to be a part of these amazing programs through getting discounts or free admission to games to getting t-shirts. And of course, the icing on the cake is the opportunity we have to play our games at the Golden One Center … home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Priceless.

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Lastly, the one rule that separates Buzzardball from other youth basketball leagues is the ALL-PLAY rule. Whether you are a beginner or advanced player, the ALL-PLAY rule forces the concept of team play. Everyone is a piece of the puzzle. A huge life skill for the advanced player who will have to enhance his/her leadership skills. And for the beginner, who will have equal time on the court to learn and improve their game. This rule evens the playing field.

I invite you to be a part of this unique basketball experience. I love being the director. I put my heart and soul to everything you see from this website, to the NBA-replica uniforms, to the write-ups, and most importantly ... providing a positive experience for your child! Please scroll through the website to see the inside workings of how Buzzardball operates. And feel free to contact me with any questions you have about the league.

Format and Features

  • Youth basketball league for boys + girls Grades K-8 of all levels

  • Broken up by grade level:

    • 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, 7th/8th Boys & Girls Teams​

    • Within the 3rd/4th + 5th/6th boys divisions, Buzzardball offers a SILVER DIVISION (younger + less experienced) and a GOLD DIVISION (older + more experienced)

  • K-2 Leagues are co-ed | No score is kept

  • All-Play League | Everyone plays an important role on the team

  • Volunteer Coaches committed to teaching and supporting our kids

  • Fun + Safe Environment for Kids + Their Families

  • Easy registration with early bird pricing!

  • You can register with a whole team (up to 10 players), with a few friends (less than 10), or solo (placed on a team)

  • High quality double-sided uniforms featuring NBA + WNBA teams

  • Photo Day on Super Bowl Sunday morning (before the game)

  • Games feature 20-minutes halves with subs at 15:00, 10:00, and 5:00 mark

  • K-2 games feature 16-minute halves with subs at 12:00, 8:00, and 4:00 mark

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Practices and Games​

  • Games are played on Sundays from January-March (7-8 games)

  • One practice for one hour weekly

    • Practices run M-F in the evenings from 4:30-8:30 p.m., Saturdays from 9 am-3 pm. I will try to place your child accordingly.

  • 3rd-8th Grade Playoffs occur on the final day of the season

    • Silver Playoffs including Championship are played on this day​

    • Gold Playoffs finalists punch their ticket for G1C

  • 3rd-8th Grade Championships played at Golden One Center

  • Weekly Updates with Headlines + High Scorers

  • K-2 ends 1st Sunday in March (this season is March 2nd)

Partnerships

  • Sacramento Kings - families will have opportunities to purchase discounted tickets to Kings games at Golden One Center. Every purchase goes toward league total that allows our championship games to be hosted at G1C

  • Sport Courts Fitness, Rio Americano High School, El Camino High School, and Arden Middle School serve as Buzzardball's Game Day Sites.

  • Sponsorship opportunities | A great place to highlight your business in front of hundreds of families.

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Buzzardball Winter League FAQ Sheet

  • Registration Dates + Fees ⭐️
    Online Registration opens on AUGUST 5TH - Register Here $275 (K-2) | $300 (3rd-8th) -- through October 1st - Early Bird Rate $300 (K-2) | $325 (3rd-8th) -- October 2nd-November 15th $350 Late Registration Rate after November 15th (if there are spots available) * Players will be placed on a waiting list REGISTRATION Closes on November 16th
  • Are There Any Discounts for Multiple Children? ⭐️
    Registration is set up for Buzzardball so that everyone gets to enjoy the Buzzardball discount by providing an Early Bird registration rate. The earlier you register, the more you save on your registration.
  • Registration Options (Solo, Friends, Team) ⭐️
    Buzzardball used to hold a draft for the whole league. With the league's growth, we have changed the model. There are options. Here they are ... 1. Register as an individual and be placed on a team. 2. Register with a few friends and be coupled with other players 3. Register as a whole team (8-10 players). You will be able to make the choice on your registration. It will be listed as SOLO, 1-3 FRIENDS, or TEAM Note: If you are registering a team, please do the following * The coach of the team will email the roster to Steve Buzzard at scbuzzard@gmail.com * When the players register, they will list the coach in their registration. * Steve Buzzard will take care of the rest.
  • Registration | Ranking Your Child ⭐️
    On the registration form for 3rd-8th Graders, you will be asked to rank your child. This helps with putting teams together. Don't associate your ranking with your decision to have your child play in a competitive (Gold) or rec division (Silver).
  • Buzzardball's Gold + Silver Divisions ✪
    GOLD (Competitive) vs. SILVER (Beginner-Mid Level) divisions For 34-NBA and 56-NBA Divisions Buzzardball's most popular divisions are the 3rd/4th + 5th/6th Grade Boys where over 200 boys are expected to register. The event is structured with two main divisions: the SILVER division, which is for younger players, and the GOLD division, which is for older players. However, there is flexibility in the division structure, allowing younger kids to play in the GOLD division and older beginner players to play in SILVER. The 78-NBA (Boys) and the 34, 56, and 78-WNBA (Girls) divisions will start as ONE division. For example, eight (8) teams would create a 4/4 split, and ten teams would create a 6/4 or 4/6 split. When scheduling, I create divisions with even number of teams.
  • Buzzardball's Schedule Reshuffle ✪
    Because Buzzardball does not have the opportunity to assess the teams before the season starts, the regular season schedule will feature the first three games. Once the three games are played, Steve Buzzard and the coaches will assess which teams belong in each division, rescheduling the schedule accordingly. With this new approach, Buzzardball teams will have the opportunity to compete in the rest of their regular season against teams of similar skill levels, ensuring a fair and balanced playing field for all. Buzzardball has enjoyed great success with this model for the past few years.
  • How do I become a Coach in Buzzardball? ✪
    It's easy. Please fill out Buzzardball Coach Form If you have any additional questions regarding the league, Steve Buzzard's contact information is below E-mail | scbuzzard@gmail.com Text | 916-947-7464 Buzzardball Coaches must agree to the Buzzardball Coach Conduct Form before taking a team. Listed below or click this link | Coach Conduct Form
  • Practice + Game Locations ✪
    PRACTICE LOCATIONS | from 2023-24 Season Sport Courts Fitness - K-2 teams will practice here because of the 8-foot rim accessibility Touch Shooting Church of God Legend Athletics Brookfield School GAME LOCATIONS Rio Americano High School El Camino High School Arden Middle School Jesuit High School Sport Courts Fitness | K-2 If you know of any gym space that would be available ... let me know and I will take care of your child's registration.
  • Practice Breakdown ✪
    Practices for the 2024-25 season will start on Monday, December 2nd Each team practices ONCE a week for ONE hour. Because of the number of teams that participate in Buzzardball coupled with the gym space available, ALL teams get a one-hour practice weekly. Buzzardball does offer outside sources for kids to get extra training if desired. Practice locations are available on the Winter League Home Page (click Location Link) When you register online, you can indicate which days work best for you. Depending on whether you are registering solo, with a couple of friends, or with a whole team, I will do my best to match you up with a team that meets your request. Practices will run through the end of the season (first Saturday in March for K-2 and second Saturday in March for 3rd-8th Grade). Practices held during the week range from 4:30-8:30 p.m. with our younger grades (K-2) practicing earlier in the afternoon/evening. There are also practices on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Practice day/time are determined by the coaches. You can also view the locations here.
  • 2025 Buzzardball Game Dates ⚡️
    January 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th February 2nd, 23rd March 2nd, 9th NOTES Buzzardball League Photo Day is on Sunday, February 9th, in the morning (8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.) at Rio Americano High School. No games on February 16th - President's Holiday The final week of the K-2 Season is Sunday, March 2nd 3rd-8th Playoffs are Sunday, March 9th Buzzardball Championships at Golden One Center are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, March 16th.
  • Buzzardball Game Times ⚡️
    I try to keep everything consistent from season to season. So here are the traditional times for each division. Please note that this could change depending on how many teams we have playing this year. The times below are based on the 2023-24 season. For those of you participating in the Next Level Flag Football program, I will try my best to accommodate your request. Kindergarten | 9, 10, 11 am 1st Grade | 12, 1, 2, 3 pm 2nd Grade | 4, 5, 6 pm All K-2 Teams will play at Sport Courts Fitness in Sacramento (3727 Bradview Drive, Suite 100) 3rd-4th Grade Boys Gold | 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pm @ Arden Middle 3rd-4th Grade Boys Silver | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pm @ El Camino Small 5th-6th Grade Boys Gold | 9, 10, 11 am, 12, 1, 2 pm @ Rio Americano Main 5th-6th Grade Boys Silver | 10, 11 am, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 @ Rio Americano Small 7th-8th Grade Boys | 3, 4, 5, 6 pm @ Rio Americano Main 3rd-4th Grade Girls | 10, 11 am, 12, 1 pm @ El Camino Main Gym 5th-6th Grade Girls | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 pm @ El Camino Main Gym 7th-8th Grade Girls | 9 am @ El Camino Main Gym POSSIBILITIES We may play games at Jesuit High School at 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 a.m. I will rotate the boys' divisions with the dates we have. We will possibly have games at 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. and possibly 7:00 p.m. at Sport Courts Fitness with 3rd- 8th-grade teams. Stay tuned.
  • Buzzardball Championship at Golden One Center ⚡️
    Buzzardball is fortunate to host the Buzzardball Championships for 3rd-8th Grade Boys and Girls at Golden One Center. We have hosted Buzzardball's Championship Games at the home of the Sacramento Kings since 2009. 2009-2011 | Arco Arena 2011-2012 | Power Balance Pavilion 2012-2016 | Sleep Train Arena 2016-Current | Golden One Center In order to secure court time at Golden One Center to host SIX (6) Championship Games (3rd/4th, 5th/6th, 7th/8th Boys + Girls), the league has to amass $20,000 in ticket sales. You can help us by purchasing tickets to Kings home games and G1C events. Any money you spend goes toward the league total. KINGS TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE - Discounted prices for Buzzardball families G1C EVENTS - Including Disney on Ice There is a process. The aim each season is to have the championships played all on one day on either a Saturday or Sunday near the last week of the season. A request is put in and we find out the date usually a month out from the date that has been requested. For the 2025 Buzzardball Championships - I have requested Sunday, March 16th! Stay tuned!
  • Basketball Rim Heights 🏀
    🏀 K-2 plays on 8-foot rims 🏀 3rd-8th Grade plays on 10-foot rims
  • Basketball Size 🏀
    K-2 | 27.5 3rd/4th Girls | 27.5 3rd/4th Boys | 27.5 5th/6th Girls | 28.5 5th/6th Boys | 28.5 7th/8th Girls | 28.5 7th/8th Boys | 29.5
  • Does Buzzardball issue trophies 🏆 at the end of the season?
    No. However, coaches will be issued certificates to give to players if they desire. Additionally, teams can have end-of-the-year parties and celebrate with trophies and awards. This allows for flexibility and personalization in recognizing and rewarding the hard work and achievements of the players and teams involved in the Buzzardball Winter League.
  • Playoffs for GOLD + SILVER Division Teams ✪
    * Top Gold Division Teams are eligible to play at Golden One Center ** Depending on the number of teams in the division, the number of teams eligible for G1C will be determined by the Director Steve Buzzard. Could range from 4-8 teams. Teams beyond those eligible for the playoffs will play a Consolation Game on Playoff Sunday. * Silver Division Teams do not play at Golden One Center. The Silver Division Teams will have their own playoff and crown a Silver Champion on the final day of the season on Sunday, March 9th, 2025 * Final Day of the Regular Season is on Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 * Playoff Sunday is March 9th. Everyone plays on Sunday ** Consolation games for the teams at the bottom of the standings will be one game. ** Playoff teams with the top part of the standings will play early games at their home gym. Silver Championship games and Gold Division games to punch tickets to Golden One Center will take place at Sport Courts Fitness.
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