Welcome to the SYAA Hampshire Hoops Basketball Page

2025-2026 Season

Basketball Registration is Now Open!
To register, please visit: https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1561340

Please review the important details below, including information about registration, evaluations, and program changes for this season. Make sure to read through everything carefully.

Important: Registration closes on October 20, 2025.
Unfortunately, we cannot extend the registration deadline.

Programs and Divisions

Little Dribblers (Pre-K & Kindergarten)

The Little Dribblers program is a fun, coed, instructional basketball experience for children who started Kindergarten this year in 2025 or entering Kindergarten in 2026. Eligible players have birthdays between September 1, 2019, and August 31, 2021 (no exceptions).

• Eligibility: Players must reside in the Hampshire Regional School District (HRSD) or attend school there.
• Program Goals: Players will learn age-appropriate skills, basketball fundamentals, and team concepts in a fun and safe environment.
• Schedule: Sundays from 9:00-10:30 AM.

Recreation Programs (Grades 1-8)

The Recreation Program is open to all players who live in or attend school within the HRSD. There will be separate divisions for boys and girls.

• Program Focus: Players will learn fundamental basketball skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting, in a positive and supportive environment.
• Equal Playing Time: We expect all players to receive equal playing time.
• Coaching: Coaches are selected by the SYAA Hampshire Basketball Presidents and/or Committee.

Divisions

Grades 1-2 Recreation Program

• Format: 3v3 basketball games.
• Season: Approximately 10 games.
• Practice: One practice session per week, plus one weekend game (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday). Occasionally, there may be two games on the weekend.
• Start Dates: Practices begin in December, games start January 3, and end March 7.
• Location: Games will be played in Southampton or Easthampton. The schedule will be released in mid-December and available at:
  http://leagues.bluesombrero.com/syaama-team-central-calendar.

Grades 3-8 Recreation Program
This program continues the development of basketball skills and plays in the Quabbin Valley Basketball League, which includes teams from towns such as Belchertown, Wilbraham, South Hadley, Chicopee, and more.

• Practice & Games: Teams meet 1-3 times per week for practices and games.
• Season: Games start in January and run until mid-March (March 23).
• Locations: Practices will be in town, while games are split between home and away games in other league communities.
• Game Schedule: Released in mid-December.
  For more information, visit:
  Quabbin Valley Basketball.

Grades 9-12 (High School)
The Easthampton Basketball Association (EBA) facilitates the high school league.

• Eligibility: This league is open to grades 9-12, but no Varsity players are allowed.
• Registration: Please register directly with EBA:
  https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1952187.

JV/Varsity Preseason Prep (not required)

Suburban Program (Grades 5-8)
The Suburban Basketball Program is a competitive travel league for boys and girls.

• Format: The program plays in the Suburban Basketball League, which includes teams from across Western Massachusetts.
• Commitment: This is a competitive program. Playing time is not automatic and players may receive more or less playing time depending on team needs, performance and game situations, and coaches have full discretion of playing time. If equal playing time is important to your player and their development, the recreational program is likely a better fit. 
• Evaluations: Players must attend at least one evaluation date to be considered for the team. Attendance at both dates is highly encouraged. An ideal roster size is 10-12 players. Each team must have players in all spots (point guard, guards, forwards, center, etc.) and coaches will evaluate, and select players with that in mind.

Boys 7/8 Evals - Monday 10.20 and 10.27 6:45 - 8:00pm Norris School
Boys 5/6 Evals - Monday 10.20 and 10.27 5:30 - 6:45pm Norris School 
Girls 7/8 Evals - Tuesday 10.21 and 10.28 6:45 - 8:00pm Norris School
Girls 5/6 Evals - Tuesday 10.21 and 10.28 5:30 - 6:45pm Norris School

• Commitment: Players can expect about 4 days per week of basketball (practices, games, and travel).
• Season: Games begin in early December and run through mid-March.
• More Information:

General Program Information

• Coaching: All coaches are appointed by the SYAA Hampshire Basketball Presidents and/or Committee.
• Practice Times: Practices are scheduled based on gym and coach availability. Typically, practice times start around 5:00-6:00 PM, with younger age groups scheduled earlier and older age groups (Grades 7-8) possibly practicing until 9:30 PM.
• Equipment:
• Required: Athletic clothing and sneakers.
• Note: Please ensure players have a dedicated pair of indoor sneakers. Players should change into these sneakers before entering the gym.

Registration Fees and Deadlines

• Registration: Payment is required at the time of registration.
• Suburban and Recreation: If you plan to participate in both programs, please register for both during this process.
• First-Year Suburban Players: We encourage first-year suburban players to also participate in the Recreation program. 7th and 8th-grade players are encouraged to play Suburban, even if they plan to join JV.

Fee Breakdown:

• Little Dribblers: $75.00
• Grades 1-2 Recreation: $105.00
• Grades 3-4 Recreation: $135.00
• Grades 5-8 Recreation: $140.00
• Suburban Program (Grades 5-8): $200.00 + cost of uniform

Refunds: No refunds will be issued after the first game. Any refund requests will be processed minus a $25 fee for t-shirt, online registration, and other processing costs.

Evaluations and Open Gym

• Evaluation Dates: Dates will be announced soon.
• Parent/Coach Attendance: Parents and coaches are not allowed to stay during evaluations.
• Neutral Evaluators: When possible, we will bring in neutral evaluators to ensure fairness, especially for large registrations.

Coaches and Volunteers

We offer a reduced registration fee for coaches and SYAA Hampshire Basketball Board members.

• Get Involved: Volunteers are essential to our program. We need coaches, assistant coaches, timekeepers, and more.
• If you're interested in volunteering, please email us at: [email protected].

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out:
Email: [email protected]

Thank you, and we look forward to a great season of basketball!

SYAA Hampshire Basketball