Arcadia Youth Basketball was founded on two things; fundamentals and fun. We believe that when there’s less pressure, kids learn better. Which is why in 2018, our founder, Matt Gordon stepped away from coaching at Phoenix College to grow Arcadia Youth Basketball in the heart of the Arcadia neighborhood.

What makes AYB so different? In addition to being a skills based program, AYB is a coach run organization. Meaning all of our coaches are former college players and coaches, rather than parent volunteers. While we love our parents, not all coaches are created equal. By employing our own coaches, we’re able to offer a high standard of coaching that is not only effective, but incredibly enjoyable for our athletes.

Our practices are run like skills sessions, being sure that players learn the basics that will serve them throughout their playing years. Our coaches bring real world experience, organization, high standards, and fun to our young athletes during practices.

Recreational League

There’s nothing worse than the intimidation factor of trying something new. Our Rec League is the perfect place to start when you want to introduce your child to basketball. Rec League is designed to teach our athletes about basketball through basic skills and play – to – learn style games. Our coaches who run practice also referee the weekly games, taking care to coach as well as referee. Each week the skills learned in practice are reinforced during the games. Fouls, double dribbles, and traveling are called with more frequency each week, being sure to teach players throughout the game.

One thing we learned after our inaugural season was that our female athletes weren’t enjoying the environment. We decided to form an exclusive girl’s league where our female athletes can learn together. That one change turned our girls program from just a few players, to over 35 in our last season! The girls practice together and rotate through the same skill stations as the boys, but now have the space to socialize and learn together. These young ladies are excited about basketball and have the space to improve their skills.

Club League

In 2016, we started our Club Program that offers a more competitive environment for athletes ready to move on to the next level. Just like our Rec League, the Club Program is run by former college coaches and athletes throughout the three levels of play. We offer a developmental, intermediate, and advanced level teams with four 10u teams, two 12u teams, and one 14u team. Our Club Program is run in a league from the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association, who’s mission closely aligns with the AYB mission to create a fun, competitive learning environment for our athletes. All three levels of the Club Program play in three tournaments a year. While our schedule for the Club Program is impressive, it still allows for our players to easily participate in more than one sport.

Ready to Play

Ready to hit the court? Our Rec League runs four times a year; Summer – Spring, skills sessions Fall – Spring, and summer camp all of June. Our camp has grown from just 25 kids to over 100 last summer! A packed house means more games and fun for our campers so sign up early to reserve your spot.