2023-24 Season Information and Program Overview

Boys and Girls Grades 3-8

Program Overview  Xavier Youth Basketball welcomes all student athletes and stresses teaching basketball fundamentals, sportsmanship consistent with the Xavier way, and exposure to competitive basketball.  

The Xavier Youth Basketball program will consist of the following two-phase season for grades 3rd through 8th. XYBA is open to Xavier Catholic School System students, as well as any other students with an expressed interest in attending  Xavier High School. 

• League Season (Late October through December) 

• Practices begin the week of October 24 

• Girls Grades 3-8 will play in Bay Area Development League 

• Boys Grades 3-8 will play in the Fox Area Youth Basketball League  

• All teams 5-8 will also participate in the XMS Catholic School League 

• Tournament Season 

• Weekend tournaments January through March (season length can vary by age) 

• Grade 3 - offers regular season (3 tournaments) plus an extended season option (3 tournaments)

• Grades 4-6 offer regular season (5 tournaments) plus an extended season option (3 tournaments) 

• Grades 7-8 offer single combined season (8 tournaments) 

• Players who wish to play in the Tournament Season are expected to first play in the League

• Hawk60 Small Group Skill Sessions will be offered this year as an additional benefit for players 

Oversight and Support  XYBA is a school sports program under Xavier Catholic Schools, and also enjoys the support of our Xavier High School Varsity basketball coaches (Girls’ Coach Andy VandeHey and Boys' Coach Matt Klarner) who provide vision and coaching guidance. XYBA has a Board that consists of parent volunteers, the Varsity Coaches and the Xavier Superintendent, and which provides oversight and support to our program. 

Philosophy  All teams are taught Xavier basketball philosophy, with advancements in skills, concepts and competition as our players progress into upper grade levels. In general, grades 3-6 are organized into teams of similar talent, and players can expect to experience equitable (but not always equal) playing time. At higher grade levels, coaches have the discretion to organize teams based on player ability and the competitive nature of individual tournaments, with flexibility to move players between teams throughout the season. At higher grade levels players are entitled to play in each event but playing time may not always be equal. 

Coaches  Coaching is led by parent and community volunteers at all levels with instruction from the varsity coaches.  When possible, we seek to appoint non-parent head coaches at the upper grade levels. All coaches are selected by the  XYBA Board and must complete an application and complete VIRTUS training. If parents have an interest in becoming a coach, please contact any XYBA Board Member. 

Practices  Each grade level will hold combined practices, normally 2-3 per week for 90 minutes, with older grades practicing more frequently. While coaches will be flexible with family conflicts and school events, players are expected  to be at all practices and scheduled games. 

Fees and Uniforms  XYBA requires a fee designed to cover the cost of the program, and financial aid is available to families in need by contacting a Xavier Board Member. Fees and uniform costs are summarized as follows:  

Players are required to purchase a uniform, which are ordered through the XYBA website as part of the player registration process. If your player’s jersey still fits from last year, you’ll be able to indicate the jersey number in the registration process. We have also worked to ensure our registration fees remain flat this year. Any late orders will include a $35 late fee.

Players may request jersey numbers through the registration process. While priority will be given to players who wish to  retain a prior year’s number, there are no guarantees.   

Little Hawks  For those families with children in grades K through 2, XYBA offers a "Little Hawks" program that provides weekly instructional sessions to introduce kids to the game of basketball in a fun atmosphere starting in late November. The cost this year is $30.

Coach Klarner will also host his annual Little Hawks Clinic on October 16th, 17th and 18th with the Halftime Show on November 27 for boys in grades K-3. Coach VandeHey will also hold a clinic for Girls K-3 on October 25 and November 1 with the Halftime Show taking place on December 12. Look for additional communications and Little Hawks registration toward the end of September.

Volunteers: XYBA is a success because of our many volunteers - including our coaches, assistant coaches, team coordinators and volunteers at XYBA-sponsored events. XYBA asks families to volunteer at the XYBA-hosted games. There is only ONE boys event on November 4th and ONE girls event on November 19th. Thank you in advance for the strong volunteer support!  

Conduct  XYBA players are subject to Xavier rules of student conduct for extracurricular activities. Players, coaches and  parent spectators are expected to show good sportsmanship consistent with Xavier values.  

Register Today! Thank you for your interest and support for XYBA basketball. Register by the September 18 deadline.  Please share our program with any family that may be interested in Xavier Youth Basketball.  

Contact the following XYBA Board members with any questions:

Michelle Hermus (XYBA President, michellehermus@icloud.com),

John Cleaver (Boys Program Director,  jmcleaver34@gmail.com )

Mary Heimann (Girls Program Director, mheimann@teksystems.com),

Beth Reed (Secretary & Registration Lead, reedbeth13@gmail.com)