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WINTER BASKETBALL LEAGUE

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Early Bird Pricing Ends on October 1st

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:
 

18 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-1 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 3rd)

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

  • Rio Americano High School, Jesuit, - opportunities for players to attend games FREE during the basketball season.

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

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AboutWinter
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FAQ

  • When are the Buzzardball Championships Played at Golden One Center?
    Buzzardball is fortunate to host the Buzzardball Championships for 3rd-8th Grade Boys and Girls at Golden One Center. 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 2023 Buzzardball Championships - I have requested Sunday March 19th. Stay tuned!
  • Can you give me a breakdown on practices for Buzzardball?
    Practices for the 2022-23 season will start on Saturday December 3rd. Each team practices once a week for one hour 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. Depedning on if 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).
  • Times of Games for Buzzardball ... please give me the breakdown
    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 dependent on how many teams we have playing this year. The times below are based on the 2021-22 season. Kindergarten | 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm 1st Grade | 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 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 pm @ Rio Small 3rd-4th Grade Boys Silver | 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 pm @ Arden Middle 5th-6th Grade Boys Gold | 4, 5, 6 pm @ Touch Shooting 5th-6th Grade Boys Silver | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 , 6 pm @ El Camino Big 7th-8th Grade Boys | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 pm @ Rio Big 3rd-4th Grade Girls | 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm @ El Camino Big 5th-6th Grade Girls | 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm @ Rio Big 7th-8th Grade Girls | 1 pm @ Rio Big We have games played at Jesuit High School with games at 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 a.m. I will be rotating the boys divisions with the dates we have. This means that each division will play at least once at Jesuit. We will also 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.
  • Can you give me the date breakdown on REGISTRATION for Buzzardball?
    AUGUST 15TH - Register Here $250 through October 1st - Early Bird Rate $275 October 1st-November 21st $300 Late Registration Rate after November 22nd (if there are spots available) REGISTRATION Closes on November 21st
  • Are there discounts available for multiple kids?
    The way I set up the registration is that everyone can enjoy the discount by providing an Early Bird registration rate. The savings is $25 per registration.
  • How do I become a Buzzardball coach?
    It's pretty easy. E-mail | scbuzzard@gmail.com or text me at 916-947-7464 All Coaches have to sign a Code of Conduct before taking a team.
  • What are the rim heights?
    K-2 will play on 8-foot rims, 3rd-8th Grade will play on 10-foot rims
  • What is the basketball 🏀 size for each grade?
    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
  • How many times do teams practice?
    ONCE A WEEK. 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.
  • When are the practices held?
    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. When you register, you will be able to list days/times that work best for you. I will make sure you will be matched up with a team that fits your desired criteria (98.6f percent success rate, meaning I will try my very best to honor your request). You can also view the locations here.
  • What are the practice and game locations?
    PRACITCE LOCATIONS | as of 8.19.22 Sport Courts Fitness Touch Shooting Church of God GAME LOCATIONS Rio Americano High School El Camino High School Arden Middle School Jesuit High School K-2 Announcement coming soon. Crossing fingers. If you know of any gym space that would be available ... let me know and I will take care of your child's registration.
  • Can I play on the same team as my friend(s)?
    Yes! A few years ago, Buzzardball moved away from doing a draft and allowing teams to be formed on their own. In Buzzardball, you have options. 1. Register as an individual and be placed on a team. 2. Register with a few friends and be coupled with other players 3. 3. Register as a whole team (8-10 players). This can be indicated on your registration.
  • Explain GOLD (Competitive) vs. SILVER (Beginner-Mid Level) divisions
    Because we have a wide range of players who participate in Buzzardball, each age division (3rd/4th, 5th/6th, and 7th/8th) allows kids to participate in a competitive division (older kids, advanced younger players) OR rec divison (younger kids, older kids who are beginners). The choice is yours. It does vary if you are registering with other friends or a whole team.
  • Explain ranking our 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 or rec division.
FAQ
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