Arcadia Youth Basketball is unique and offers our athletes a distinct advantage. We set ourselves apart from other leagues in several ways, giving AYB an identity we are proud of.  AYB is thrilled to announce the return of our Rec League! 

WHAT MAKES AYB DIFFERENT?

When it comes to teaching and forming young athletes we believe many learn best from someone other than mom and dad.  We love our parents and appreciate their willingness to dedicate their time, but we do not rely on volunteer coaches.  AYB utilizes professional coaches to focus on fundamentals and basketball IQ to help our athletes reach their full potential as a basketball player.   Our training sessions are designed to focus on a variety of skills to improve technique, understanding of the game and player confidence.  Professional coaching means each player is getting the same level of instruction, encouragement, and skill application no matter which coach they are working with.  

As we have developed our programs at AYB, we have paid close attention to what benefits our athletes the most and work hard to create an environment which puts them in the best possible situation for success.   One key to success is how we separate players and place them in programs and on teams.  We are not just filling spots and moving bodies around, at AYB we take time to help players achieve their goals.  We have found that boys and girls learn and achieve in different environments and pay close attention to skill level, removing the chance for intimidation.  Our players feel comfortable in the gym and on the court.  

SET PRACTICE AND GAME TIMES 

Each week, our Rec League players will focus on fundamentals, paying close attention to a specific skill, building from week to week.  Our coaches will use 30 minutes of practice to focus on a skill highlighted that week.  Following practice is a 45 minute game during which that skill will be focused on more closely by the coaches and referees.  As the season progresses, referees will make calls more frequently, giving players room to learn in a game setting.  The result of this real application of their weekly skill sets is a true understanding of basketball skills and how to apply what they learn in practice to a game setting.  Learning and growing in their basketball knowledge and expertise is our goal and the results are proven week after week, just ask our AYB parents and players.  

Are you ready to tackle the hot, long days of summer?  Are you worried about keeping your kids busy and active?  AYB has you covered! There are many benefits to enrolling your child in summer camps.  It’s not just about basketball, our summer camp can help develop your child into a well-rounded young adult.  Being a part of summer camp can build character, social skills, problem-solving skills, and influence mental and physical activity. 

MAKE NEW FRIENDS

Being a part of the community is one of our core values at AYB.  Our members feel welcomed and accepted the minute they walk in the gym.  We foster a spirit of teamwork and encouragement.  Relationships with teammates and coaching are vital to our success on the court and in life.  At camp, players work together, cheer each other on, and improve social skills.  Making new friends outside of their regular circle gives children the ability to adapt to new situations.  AYB summer camps are the perfect place to help build social awareness and shape how your child will treat others.   

INDEPENDENCE AND RESILIENCE

Arcadia Youth Basketball is all about using the game of basketball to teach lifelong skills.  It’s not just about the drills and skills, the development of the player as a person is our main focus.  Teaching our players to solve problems on their own, in a safe environment away from home is of great value.  Each player is responsible for themselves and their level of effort determines success.  As they face challenges and disappointments, our players build resilience.  During AYB camp, your child may not start out as the best or win every game, but they will learn that practice makes them a better player.  Summer camp will give each participant the chance to beat various challenges with patience, determination, and a drive to succeed.  

KEEP MOVING AND IMPROVING 

Movement and play are important for children’s bodies and brains.  Creating the habits and routines that involve regular physical activity at a young age, increase chances for a healthy long life.  Even in the hot summer, children and young adults need to be up and active, while off the couch and screens.  During exercise, endorphins are released, sending positive feelings to your brain and body.  Physical activity can combat anxiety and depression and also increases your chances for a good night's sleep.  AYB summer camps promise to keep your children active and engaged plus added benefits like improving their basketball skills, coordination, and endurance. 

CHECK US OUT! 

Arcadia Youth Basketball has recreational and club summer camps, plus multiple dates and flexible times.  You will be able to enjoy all the benefits of AYB summer camp and still participate in other camps and vacations.  Click here for schedule and registration. 

Have you noticed all the sponsorship banners hanging in our gym?  Would you like to add your business or family name?  Now is the perfect time to secure your sponsorship for 2023.  The opportunity to sponsor the work we do at AYB not only benefits our programs and the youth of this community, but it benefits you as well.

Why AYB has sponsorships? 

Sponsorships are essential to helping us continue to make improvements to our gym, train our coaches, add to our programs, and provide scholarships.  For example, over the past years, we have been able to replace the gym floor, bring on new highly qualified staff, and start programs such as AdmirHer, our all-girls youth program run by WNBA players.  At AYB, we do things differently; we hire our own coaches and run skills-based programs.  We believe in the development of the players and employ our own coaches to offer a higher standard of coaching that is effective and incredibly enjoyable to our athletes.  Sponsorships allow us to continue working with high standards while offering scholarships to underprivileged kids.  We believe everyone deserves to play. 

Sponsorship Opportunities and Benefits

Ad on our Website 

Placing an ad on our website will include a picture of your choice, text with details, and a link to your website.  We see an average of 100 parents and kids visiting our website each week to view schedules, find updates and view players of the week.  Our website is frequently accessed as people seek out information on our unique programs and highly qualified coaches.  Your business will receive recognition as a sponsor, and with a link directly to your own website, traffic will increase. Cost: $150 per year

Banner in the Gymnasium

Step it up to the next level with a banner! Place your banner up in the gym for all to see during games and practices.  Along with AYB, Monte Vista also hosts men’s leagues, open gyms, youth training, church events, and more.   Get as many as 1,000 eyes on your business per session.  Banner sponsorship includes an ad on our website (over 5,000 visitors per year). 

Cost: $500 for six months/ $1,000 for the full year 

AYB Sponsor

This is it!  Maximize the opportunity and contribution to our programs.  By becoming an AYB sponsor, you will experience the benefits of having your banner up in the gym for all eyes to see during our games and practices, as well as men’s leagues, open gyms, youth training, church events, and more.  You will be recognized on our website with over 5,000 visitors per year.   Plus, being an AYB Sponsor pays for all league fees for a full calendar year for your son(s) and/or daughter(s), up to 3 players.  Cost; $3,000

Thank You to Our Current Sponsors

We would like to recognize our current sponsors.  Arcadia Youth Basketball (AYB) would not be possible without you.   The game of basketball can be a powerful tool in developing our youth, and we aim to provide the youth of Arcadia a place to learn, develop, and grow through their love of basketball.  Thank you for allowing us to bring our programs to the neighborhood of Arcadia and making it accessible to all who want to play.  

Living in the technology age, it seems like kids become more and more glued to screens. And maybe you’ve noticed an impact on their behavior the more screen time they have. We understand how important it is for your child’s mental and physical health to reduce screen time. Here are a few tips that may help you towards getting your children off screens and back into the real world:

Tip #1: Lead by Example

Kids are sponges. When they see their grown-ups doing things (good or bad!) they are likely to mirror it. So, if you’re trying to get your children to cut back screen time, try cutting back the time you spend on screens around them too. It may not happen overnight, but the more they see you present and engaged the more likely they are to do the same.

Tip #2: Schedule Screens

Scheduling screen time can be a useful tool to getting kids off screens and in the moment. This can look like blocking off times of the day that screens aren’t allowed and working in smaller amounts of time that screens are allowed. Maybe this looks like 20 minutes of screens after school, no screens during mealtimes, and active or playtime after dinner. Or maybe screens only on the weekend, and no screen time during the school week. Play with it to figure out what works best for your family. 

Tip #3: Join the Fun!

Getting outside and active as a family, planning family game nights, going to sports games to support family members, or even sitting in on practice are all examples of ways you can get in on the fun and get kids off the screens. When you get engaged in activities with your kids, the results may surprise you! Pretty soon they’ll be asking you to get outside and play instead of extending that screen time. 

Tip #4: Get Support from AYB

We believe in the benefits of professional coaching strategies here at AYB. We take your child’s mental & physical health seriously, and our coaches and staff show it. Being a part of a team and getting active may be the distraction your child needs to get them back out in the world and off those screens. Click over to our registration today and jump into some fun!

As the saying goes, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Playing sports is so much more than winning and losing. It’s about the journey of hard work, dedication, challenge, and achievement. It’s that journey that teaches children to overcome obstacles – on and off the court. Here are just a few of the ways that focusing on the process of youth sports can benefit our kids:

Athleticism

Sports Media fosters a “win-or-loser” mentality. However, the goal of organized sports is not just the outcome of the game, it’s the hard work, dedication, and consistency that makes the game worth it. Athleticism is more than just playing for the winning team, it’s putting in work, figuring out what makes your child passionate, and teaching them to take care of their body in the process.

Fostering Growth Mindset

Participating in sports builds resilience in children and carries over into adulthood. The game is more than just winning– failure just means there’s room to improve. Getting your child comfortable with failure and instilling that it is merely an opportunity for growth is a major key in being successful in sports and life outside of sports, too. These are skills we teach to children to use on and off the court and hopefully in their lives for years to come. 

Exploring Sports

As kids are growing, it’s important to diversify the sports they play in. Playing the same sport can actually take a toll on growing bodies due to the overuse of the same muscles and joints, leading to a higher risk of injury now and later in life. It can also cause overdevelopment in the muscles used to play specific sports. Playing different sports prevents burnout and allows children to experience using their bodies and brains to perform under new rules and coaching strategies to find what speaks to them most. 

Arcadia Youth Basketball’s Philosophy

We believe that athleticism goes far beyond agility, fitness, and strength. Athletes learn to take care of their bodies, strengthen their minds, and go after their goals. Athletes are not always winners and are encouraged to learn from their mistakes. AYB believes in professional coaching strategies to set your children up for success on and off the court. Check out our Winter Rec Academy and Club Seasons to get your child enrolled today!

Some children are very “sports motivated,” some are more “sports neutral,” and most fall somewhere in between. Getting children that are on the less sports-inclined side of the spectrum to games and practices may cause some friction between the grown-up and the child. Maybe they even break down and tell you they want to quit. So, how do we give them that extra push to help them stay motivated and involved in sports? Here are some tips:

Finish What You Start

It’s okay if your child decides they don’t like a sport, but it’s important to encourage them to finish what they started. If they get through the whole season and still feel like it isn’t for them, then maybe it’s time to move on to the next thing. It’s the notion of “we won’t know until we try!” Offer up some encouragement, too. This can sound like, “You did a great job giving it your best today!” or, “I know you didn’t win, but I saw you hustling out there on the field with your teammates. Great job!” 

We Can Do Hard Things

Remind your child that they can do hard things! Sometimes the desire to quit comes from a fear of failure. Even if their sport is hard or they aren’t a star player, it’s important to not give up. Giving gentle reminders that growing and improving is a process and encouraging them to try and follow through is important. Cultivating this mindset will help them in this sports season and all of life’s seasons beyond! Practical ways you can implement this could be a mantra you say together or affirmations in the car on the way to practice. Highlight examples of when they overcame their fears or tackled an obstacle successfully.

Take it Play by Play

Of course, we know all of these things are easier said than done, and there are exceptions to the rules. You know your kid best and if a sport is taking a toll on their wellbeing, you know when it’s time to call it off. Your child’s health, mental and physical, is always the top priority. So take it one day at a time and trust your gut!

AYB Can Help

At Arcadia Youth Basketball, our goal is to help form healthy athletes. We have an amazing team of professional coaches here at AYB to help guide your child and set them up for success. Our specially trained coaches offer each player consistent, fun, and high-quality athletic education, allowing each player to grow at their own pace with dependable support. 

The mental health of children and teens has seen an increase in awareness over the last decade. The rise of social media influences, access to the internet, and the escalation of expectations of today’s youth are all sources of influence on mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantines and distance learning have heightened this awareness as well as highlighted the importance of mental health in kids.

When exploring the many ways to improve mental health in kids, team sports is near the top of the list. Here’s why:

Community

It’s all in the title; team. When kids play consistently with the same peers, a community is born. Coupled with team building and positive reinforcement from coaches, the mental benefit for children is huge. Having a greater support system as well as a cIt’s all in the title; team. When kids play consistently with the same peers, a community is born. Coupled with team building and positive reinforcement from coaches, the mental benefit for children is huge. Having a greater support system as well as a contemporary backing them through good times and challenging times helps to build perseverance.

Socialization

While time at school allows for some socialization, team sports are built upon socialization. You can’t build a team without getting to know one another first. Sports are the perfect place to practice communication skills because audibly communicating about plays is crucial to any sport. Not only the encouragement, but the expectation to talk to each other can help even the most introverted child grow in their skills. The mental health benefit of socialization is that kids who feel understood, feel more content.

Confidence

Team sports for kids is the perfect place to build confidence because the expectation to sTeam sports for kids is the perfect place to build confidence because the expectation of succeeding is much lower. It’s assumed that most kids will fail at some point by design when playing a sport. By removing this expectation, the mental health benefits of having a safe place to try, to fail, and to try again are huge.

Physical Benefits

When talking about sports, it’s hard to overlook the chemical benefits of physical activity. During exercise, the hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are all released in varying levels. These important chemicals can help balance mood and sense of well beingWhen talking about sports, it’s hard to overlook the chemical benefits of physical activity. During exercise, the hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are all released at varying levels. These important chemicals can help balance mood and sense of well-being. In addition, these hormones reduce damaging stress level hormones, improve sleep cycles and appetite too.

Arcadia Youth Basketball Teams

Whether your child is ready for a team sport, or wants to get their feet wet with skills Whether your child is ready for a team sport or wants to get their feet wet with skills clinics, AYB is here to help! Visit our website to learn more about all the options we have to offer and how your child can benefit from our professional coaches and team-oriented program too.

A family’s busy schedule typically means there is only time for one sport for each child in the family (if that!). But playing the same sport season after season, and or coupled with intense training on and off-season, can do more harm than good for a young athlete. Solo sporting can lead to both physical and mental issues, on and off the playing field. Here’s why:

Repetitive Motion Injuries

Young bodies are going through constant growth and change. Muscles and ligaments are working to expand as the body grows, and repetitive movements can put undue stress on these already stressed tissues. To avoid repetitive motion injuries, delay sport specialization and limit playtime by taking breaks both weekly and longer throughout the year.

Burn Out

The mental side effect of sports specialization is that a child can burn out on the same thing over and over. Growing brains crave new and interesting concepts to evaluate in order to grow. Repetitive sports can cause a young athlete to get tired of the “same old same old”.

Decrease in Athleticism

While one would think being active in one sport would increase athleticism, science has found that sports specialization can actually hurt young athleticism. Not working different muscle groups regularly can overdevelop some areas while leaving other areas underdeveloped. This can lead to a decrease in agility, strength, and overall fitness too.

AYB Makes MultiSports Manageable

Managing multiple kids and multiple sports schedules can be a headache. But Arcadia Youth Basketball makes it much easier to balance more than one sport. Our AYB Academy combines skills practice and games into one on Saturdays. This schedule allows young athletes to expand their skills and enjoy game time too, in a manageable schedule. Click over to our registration page for more information and to sign up for our next season!

It may seem like a no-brainer to keep kids active during summer break, but with the lack of routine of the school day, extreme temperatures, and the need for a “break” can all make for lack of activity. We’ve got some great tips on how to motivate kids to put down the screens and pick up some moves to stay active and healthy this summer.

Think Outside the Hoop

This applies to all the sports! Don’t have a full team? Lacking equipment or location? Don’t let that stop you. Find a way to practice the parts that you have equipment for. Check out our ball handling drills to pick up the speed for basketball. Toss up pop flies or hit off of a tee for baseball. Run sprints in the yard, or use every day items like hula hoops to create a workout and strengthen fast twitch muscles.

Create an Obstacle Course

Perfect for indoors or out, obstacle courses can be created out of almost anything. Grab some tape to create arrows, lines, squares, and more. Designate an activity for each shape and then see how fast your child can get through it. Or grab pillows, chairs, broom sticks, laundry baskets, even incorporate the coffee table to crawl under or around! There’s no wrong answers, let imaginations run wild.

Water Works

No pool? No problem! Grab a sprinkler, hose, water balloons, or even spray bottles with water can all make for fun games. If you can jump in the pool, create some competition and practice strokes with races. Get creative by combining strokes – such as freestyle arms with butterfly kicks – to see what is fastest. Or add in some fun games like watermelon push or the good old Sharks and Minnows.

Make a Goal

It’s great to have a lot of fun ideas to stay active, but those ideas could fall short if there’s no plan to put those ideas into motion. Create a weekly schedule and or a daily goal for activities. Consider a reward for meeting the daily goals for a week such as a treat, extra screen time, or an activity like a play date or movie.

AYB Can Help

We have opening for summer camp and shooting clinics in late June! Click over to our registration page to reserve your spot.

With all the stress, changes, and challenges our kids have faced in the last year during the pandemic, it can be challenging to decide on a summer schedule. While it may be tempting to keep kids home this summer – out of caution or to give them a break – it may not be in their best interest. Why is that? There are 5 reasons why summer camp is a must for kids:

ROUTINES ARE BENEFICIAL

While they may fight it, children really do thrive in routines. Knowing what to expect and when is extremely beneficial for their mental state. Summer camp offers the ability to create a schedule and routine, with less structure than a school day. The summer camp routine offers the benefit of predictability, without the stress of schoolwork.

MOVE IT MOVE IT

Being physically active has many major benefits for our kids. In addition to the physical benefits of stronger muscles, improved blood flow, and better coordination, physical exercise has mental benefits as well. Endorphins are released by the body during exercise. This hormone triggers a positive feeling in the body and reduces the perception of pain. Physical activity is linked to improved sleep as well.

LEARN IN NEW FORMS

Our kids are asked to learn through various mediums throughout the day at school. Summer camp offers a new way of learning, most often through physical work. Whether it’s learning new sports, crafting, cooking, learning a new skill through touch is great for brain development.

FORM NEW RELATIONSHIPS

Whether it’s meeting new friends or learning how to bond with a coach, summer camp offers the ability to create new relationships. Getting outside of their normal circle of friends and teacher relationships can help improve social skills and expand a child’s ability to adapt to new situations.

INDEPENDENCE GROWTH

The different structure of summer camp from a school setting means there are new opportunities for growth in independence. Learning to make new friends, operate in a new environment, learn in new ways, and be responsible for new tasks – away from the help of parents – creates new ways to grow in independence.

AYB HAS YOU COVERED

Arcadia Youth Basketball has a great summer camp program! Our schedule makes it easy to accommodate other camp schedules, sports practices, and vacation schedules too. Click over to see the schedule and get registered today!

Your child should absolutely embrace an offseason. Consistent and repetitive movements from sports can cause unnecessary wear and tear on young bodies. According to Healthline.com, athletes who play multiple sports with breaks in between sports see less injuries, less mental burden, and less burnout on sports all together. Instead of racing from one season to the next, taking time off and engaging in new and different training can be extremely beneficial for young athletes. Here are five ways to stay active and train during the offseason:

Set a Goal

Creating a goal to work towards when your child is not actively playing a sport can help keep them motivated. A goal may be to run faster, make a certain number of shots in a row, or even just to be active every day. It can be specific or broad, as long as it’s keeping them moving every day.

Have Fun

Training for young atheletes sholdn’t be a grind! Have some fun with it by creating an obstacle course. If an offseason goal is to improve the height of a vertical jump, create a course that requires jumping up, over, an around objects.

Create quick and efficient workouts using the Tabata method. Have your child choose 10 exercises. Using a stopwatch or Tabata app, do each exercise for 1 minute with a 10 second break in between each. Run through the exercises at least one time, or more if they like!

Try Something New

The offseason is the perfect time to try something new. Find a local gym or field that will let your child try out a sport for an afternoon. Or pick up some used equipment to enjoy in the backyard. Even new workout techniques like jumping rope or parkour is a great way to stay active and flex those mental muscles too.

Think About Opposing Muscles

Using the same muscle groups over and over can cause injury and or fatigue. The off season is the perfect time to work on strengthening opposing muscle groups. If your child plays baseball, have them work on movements that are the opposite of swinging and running, such as jumping and shooting a basketball instead. While it may seem counterintuitive, having strength overall is more beneficial for a young athlete.

AYB Academy

If your athlete is in need of some fun during their off season, AYB Academy is a great option. The AYB Academy has been developed to meet the needs of middle school and high school athletes, across teams, schools, and leagues. This revolutionary program, coached by former NBA and college coaches, will help players develop and learn outside of their team, giving them focused and personalized instruction. Small group, individual, and team programs are available and are in 5 session packages. Click below for more information and to register. 

There are many aspects of team sports for our kids. Not only are they learning and improving skills for the sport, they are also learning to navigate teammates, working as a team, competing, and learning from a coach rather than a parent or teachers. That said, there are ways to foster positive thought and conversation with your athlete to support them in the learning process.

• How do you feel after that game/ practice?
• Who played the best? Why?
• Who was the best teammate out there today?
• What was the best part of practice / game?
• What is your favorite pump up song?
• What skill do you feel the most confident in? Which do you feel the least confident in?
• What are 3 things you’re most proud of from the game? * using numbers is a great way to stimulate thought!
• What was the most challenging part of today’s game / practice?
• How were you a good teammate today?
• What did your coach say was important for the game / practice? Do you agree?
• What are 2 things you could do to improve on your performance today?
• Are you enjoying this sport? Why?
• How do you want me to cheer for you at the game? *getting silly demonstrating how you might cheer can help lighten what could feel like a tough conversation

The most important part of asking these questions is listening to the answer. Being sure to really hear what your child is telling you can be challenging, but it will likely lead to bigger and better conversations because your athlete knows they can open up to you and be heard.

“You have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment!” – Aly Raisman

It can be easy to overlook the value of the coach and player relationship, especially with younger athletes. They’re just learning how to play, as long as the coach is showing up and teaching them that’s all that matters, right? The truth is, how the coaches show up for their athletes plays a huge role in the formation of not only the athlete’s physical skills, but in their mental and emotional growth as well.

While there are many ways in which a coach can influence a player, the overarching thought is that a effective coach will lead with empathy, open communication, and positive reinforcement. In this brand of coaching, there are several areas that are fostered which are vital to building strong relationships throughout life.

Trust

When a player can trust their coach, they are less likely to recent decisions like playing time and the filling of positions. Beyond the playing field, learning how to trust other is an important relationship skill. Note that it does not say blind trust! Players and coaches can have open communication where a player can ask questions and clarification, but ultimately know that the trust they have for their coach should prevail.

Respect for Authority

In the same vein as open communication, learning how to communicate with coaches in a respectful and collaborative way is beneficial throughout life. If a player doesn’t respect a coach enough to know when is an appropriate time to discuss an issue, or to take criticism effectively, it makes learning to work with other authority figures throughout their life.

Teamwork

Coaching both individuals athletes and then each as a team is a challenge most coaches face. When there is a strong coach and player relationship, athletes are more likely to play well as a team because the important element of a strong leader of the team is in place. When every player trusts their coach, it’s easier to trust their teammates.

Empathy

It is said that empathy – or the “ability to put oneself in another person’s place” – is one of the hardest emotions to teach. When the coach and player relationship is built on empathy, there is a level of understanding and confidence that is fostered. And those two aspects support the growth of a healthy and meaningful relationship.

The AYB Difference

At Arcadia Youth Basketball, we take the coaching side of basketball very seriously. We believe that the best way for young athletes to learn is through the guidance of professional coaches. Our specially trained coaches offer each player consistent, fun, and high quality athletic education. This allows each player to grow at their own pace with dependable support from their coach.

We know parents have choices when it comes to where and for whom their kids play sports. Whether it’s through a for profit league, a city rec league, or even school athletics, each option is unique and brings pros and cons to the table. At Arcadia Youth Basketball, we set ourselves apart from other leagues in several ways – each one makes AYB different and we think that difference makes our league great for our players. Here’s how:

Professional Coaches

While most leagues and even school teams rely on parent volunteers to coach, AYB utilizes only professional coaches. We love our parents and we are grateful that they are willing to volunteer their time! But when it comes to teaching young athletes, many learn best when they learn from someone other than mom or dad. Our coaches are taught and also coached on how to best work with athletes of all ages, abilities, and skill levels. Professional coaching means that each player, no matter which coach they are working with, is getting the same level of instruction, encouragement, and skill application.

Set Game / Practice Times

Both of our leagues, Rec and Club, offer set game times and practice times, and all at the same location as well. While that might not seem like a big deal, giving our players and their families the ability to maintain a consistent schedule just makes life easier! In addition, our set times and location also makes being a multisport player and or a multi athlete family, a lot more manageable.

Separate Leagues

As we have developed our program at Arcadia Youth Basketball, we found that boys and girls learn and achieve in different environments. In addition, varying skill levels can intimidate some players. Which is why AYB separates male and female athletes in order to give each group of players the best and most supportive environment to learn.

Skill Building and Practice

Each week, our Rec league learns an additional skill and also builds upon the previous weeks’ skills. During weekly games, referees make calls more frequently as the season progresses, giving players lots of room to learn in a game setting. The result of this real life application of their weekly skill sets is that the players truly understand how to apply what they learn in practice in a game setting.

Register Today

League play is now open – register today! We are continuing to incorporate COVID-19 safety protocols to ensure player and coach protection. Visit our website to learn more.

It took Diana Nyad 5 tries to swim from Cuba to Florida. And yet despite failing those four times, that’s not what she’s remembered for. Instead, she’s known for her perseverance – her ability to adapt her strategy and try again. As this is true for Diana, it’s often not the case for the rest of us. So often failure is seen as a negative and something to be ashamed of – this is especially true of our kids. But the reality is that failure can be one of the greatest teachers for our kids. Here’s why:

It Promotes Healthy Risk Taking

When our kids are afraid of something, they will do everything they can to avoid it. This is true in the physical sense, but also mentally too. Fearing failure, a child my lie to avoid having their failure discovered. Or they will avoid the task all together if they are afraid that they won’t succeed – which can mean missing out on fun and exciting opportunities.

Failure is Educational

The old adage of “learn from your mistakes” isn’t just a nice saying, it’s at the very core of why failure is a positive aspect of our lives. Learning to take time and reflect on a situation that didn’t go as planned, thinking about what went wrong and why, and then creating a solution is key to utilizing failure to the advantage. Instead of hiding away failure, normalize it through honest and open discussion free of judgement.

Builds Perseverance

Learning to stick with something, even when it’s challenging, has life long benefits. As parents, it’s often so much easier to not push our kids out of their comfort zone, or to save them from failure or frustration. But giving our kids the opportunity to grow in their perseverance has far reaching benefits in both athletics and education.

Encourages Empathy

It’s said that empathy is one of the hardest things to teach our kids and yet it’s also one of the most important. Learning how to feel what someone else is feeling can be a challenge. But when we’re able to see ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we’re able to experience meaningful interactions in a much deeper way. Great leaders, both on the field and off, are empathetic people. Being allowed to experience failure in a positive way helps to build empathy for teammates, peers, and others too.

Still Not Convinced?

Head over to your favorite search engine and type in “famous athlete failures”. Your screen will instantly be filled with stories of Usain Bolt coming in third in the World Championship 100 meter race, Serena Williams losing at the US Open, and John McEnroe at the French Open losing 5 straight sets. Each of the stories ends with a quote from the athlete about how that failure propelled them to their next win.

Why Winning Isn’t Everything; Four Learned Skills that are More Important

As parents, watching our kids try and fail can be rough. Standing on the sidelines and cheering for a team that loses every. Single. Game. Can get old quickly. And if we think watching a team lose is hard, we can imagine what it’s like for our kids who are on the losing team. But, there is so much more to losing! When it comes to our kids, it’s important to remember that winning isn’t everything and that losing can actually teach us quite a lot. Here are four factors of youth sports that are more important than winning.

Perseverance

Being able to keep working, even when there are obstacles, is an important lesson for adult life. Youth sports are the perfect place for kids to learn how to persevere in a safe place and space. If your child “fails” at a sport, encourage them to keep trying. Normalize failure as a tool to gain and improve skills. 

Teamwork

Beyond sports and school, we all have to work with others as adults. Not everyone works the same way or the same speed and learning how to navigate those types of scenarios is important. Playing a youth sport gives kids exposure to learn this all-important skill.

Self Discipline

Improving a skill takes work. Developing strong self-discipline will help your child as they continue to play sports, through school, and in adult life as well. Learning to be self-driven to accomplish tasks, especially challenging ones, will serve them well throughout life. 

Grace

Let’s face it, losing a soccer game at 8 years old is not the last time your child is going to lose. Learning to lose with grace, rather than indignation, is an important life skill. Learning to accept that that losing comes naturally whenever you are participating in anything in life is important. 

Our Attitude Speaks Volumes

As parents, it’s not only important that we teach our kids that winning isn’t the most important part of sports, we have to model it as well. 

• Being encouraging to your own child’s team as well as the opposing team
• Normalize losing and focus on where our athletes need support
• Emphasize hard work and willingness to try
• When mistakes are made, encourage them to try again rather than shy away. Practice makes perfect.
• Encourage well-rounded athletes; counter muscular movement, running, strength training, stretching, etc.

4 Things Not to Say to Your Child Athlete

Watching your child play sports can be thrilling, but it sometimes can leave a parent squinting through their fingers if their child isn’t having a great game, season, or even practice. In those tough situations, it can be hard to know what to say. Parents know their child best, but we can all use a little guidance when it comes to parenting an athlete. When it’s been a rough game, here are 4 topics to avoid – and what to focus on instead.

Don’t Ask Why

Challenging as it may be, asking your child to explain or justify their performance isn’t helpful. Just like at school, they’re still learning when it comes to sports. Mistakes will be made and that’s all part of the process.

Do ask how your child feels; how do they think the game went? Where could they / the team use improvement? What went right? What went wrong? How could it be fixed?

Leave the Official / Coach / Teammate Out of It

It can be easy to blame an official for a bad call, the coach for calling a good play, or a teammate for a botched play. But as the saying goes, there’s no “i” in team and blaming others isn’t productive.

Instead of blaming, focus on the fact that everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, and that’s ok.

Don’t Overinflate Their Abilities

Continuously inflating your child’s abilities can be detrimental in two ways. First, it can build an ego that is difficult to coach. Second, some kids may feel that they are being held to an impossible standard.

Praising your child for their overtly great skills is important, but looking at other areas is helpful too. Sportsmanship, being a team player, not giving up, strong effort, etc are all important areas to praise as well.

Winning Isn’t The Only Goal

Over emphasizing winning can put undue pressure on young athletes. If an athlete is only focusing on winning, they may also be missing out on the other benefits of team sports.

Instead, try to focus on the experience. What did you enjoy most about practice? The game? The scrimmage? Follow up on what they liked best about those areas.

Want More?

Click over to our blog page to find more about youth sports and coaching young athletes.

How to Improve Hand / Eye Coordination in Your Kids

You might not think about hand eye coordination very often, but the truth is that we use it far more often than we realize. From catching a ball, to reading music while playing an instrument, to writing on a page – all of these tasks require varying levels of hand eye coordination. Improving this skill is not only helpful in every day life, but also in sports. For our kids, improving hand eye coordination has far reaching benefits, one of which is enjoying sports more.

What is Hand Eye Coordination?

Hand Eye Coordination is the process in which an individual’s visual system conveys information from the eyes to be used to direct the movement of hands. It is demonstrated in both small, fine motor ways such as tying a shoe, and also in gross motor, large movements like catching or bouncing a ball. Being able to accomplish both big and small motor skills is first learned and then improved through repetition and practice.

How it Benefits Our Kids

From the time an infant is 6 months old, they are encouraged to grasp and pass objects between their hands. As they continue to grow, their hand eye skill set becomes larger and more refined; grasping at pieces of cereal leads to grasping a crayon and maneuvering it draw a picture.

For older children, hand eye coordination becomes more prevalent in youth sports. Being able to bounce, kick, hit, or grab a ball or other equipment is essential. While improving hand eye coordination is likely to make them better at a sport, improving it can also make that sport more enjoyable too. When frustration and anxiety are reduced, kids have a chance to have more fun with the sport.

Exercises to Improve Hand Eye Coordination

Like with most things in life, practice makes perfect! Repetition of any skill will build confidence and perfect motor skills. Keeping a positive attitude, even when the exercise is challenging, is key.

Balloon Bounce

Fill a balloon with air (not helium) and keep it in the air by bumping it, kicking it, tapping it, etc.

Pillow Fight

This silly game is actually a great way to practice and perfect hand eye coordination. Keep it fun and easy!

Catch (over and under throws)

Throw or roll a ball back and forth, varying the motion of the throw. Overhand, underhand, kicks or pushes, they all work to improve coordination.

Small Ball Dribble

Dribble a small ball, such as a tennis ball, with one hand. You can also alternate hands, or use the non dominate hand too.

Balance Beam

This can be as simple as a line drawn on the ground, a short beam to walk on, or even a small wall for those that are up to the challenge!

Missing P.E.? Arcadia Youth Basketball Has You Covered

Do you see a big difference in your child when he or she is active in a sport? That’s not a coincidence. When our bodies are active, there are a plethora of health benefits, including chemical changes that put us in a better mood – and that includes our young athletes too. With many students beginning this school year through distance learning, coupled with the extreme heat we’ve seen this summer, there can be a severe lack of movement in our kids. Good news- we’ve got some great ideas to get your kids moving and the endorphins flowing!

DIY Tabata

A Tabata is a form of High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. Don’t be scared! This cardiovascular exercise strategy alternates short periods of intense, anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. For this workout, the exercise portion is 20 seconds long with a 10 second rest before the next exercise. This pattern is repeated for a total of 4 minutes, or one Tabata round.

For kids, Tabata workouts move so quickly, they don’t have time to lose interest! Also letting your child design their own workout helps to keep their attention. Aim for two, 4 minute round Tabatas to start and add on as your child would like. They can repeat exercises, or choose a different move for each 20 second burst.

Here is a 1 Round Tabata example:

• 20 seconds: Jumping jacks
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Push-ups
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Speed skaters
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Plank jacks
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Sit-ups
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Lunges
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Supermans
• ten-second rest
• 20 seconds: Plank
• DONE!

Basketball Drills

No hoop necessary for these basketball drills (ok, except for the shooting drills)! Improve ball handling with these stationary, dribbling, and shooting skills.

Ball Handling / Dribbling Drills

Stationary Drills:

• 50 Right Hand Dribbles below knee
• 50 Right Hand Dribbles above knee
• 50 Left Hand Dribbles below knee
• 50 Left Hand Dribbles above knee
• 50 Crossover (Switching hands)

Dribbles

• Dribble around your right leg only with your right hand 10x
• Dribble around your left leg only with your left hand 10x
• Moving Dribbling DrillsDribble forward 5 steps dribbling with Right Hand, then dribble backward 5 steps with Right Hand (Repeat 5 times)
• Dribble forward 5 steps dribbling with Left Hand, then dribble backward 5 steps with Left Hand (Repeat 5 times)

Shooting

• 25 Shots from right side 5 ft away
• 25 Shots from left side 5ft away
• 25 Shots from straight away 8-10ft away
• 25 Shots moving from right side to left side 8-10ft away

Register Today

Club play begins on September 9th! Click here to register. Girls Small Group Sessions Saturdays from 9-10am and Wednesdays from 3:15pm-4:15pm start September 5th. Email arcadiayouthbasketballaz@gmail.com to register.

4 Mental Health Benefits of Team Sports for Young Athletes

It’s easy to recognize team sports as a benefit for our kids when it comes to physical health. But there are profound mental health benefits for kids who regularly play team sports as well. Studies have shown that exercise in general is beneficial for mental health for both kids and adults, but there are additional benefits when a team aspect is added to physical activity. Here are 4 mental health benefits of team sports for young athletes:

Stress and Mood

Our brains release endorphins – a chemical hormone that makes us feel good- when we exercise. In addition to boosting our moods, endorphins also help to reduce blood pressure, stress, and depression. This reaction is strong in young athletes and the benefits of an improved mood and attitude are far-reaching.

Coaching

Having an authority figure outside of parents is a huge win for young athletes. Learning how to respect and work with an adult, outside of the safety net of their parents, sets children up for success later in life when they will be consistently navigating different authority figures.

Support and Belonging

Along with endorphins, there is a feel-good boost that comes from belonging to something. Being a part of a team, and having the support of teammates contributes to mental and emotional health.

Control through Self Discipline

In an ever-changing world that feels often chaotic, a team sport can give our children a sense of control through self-discipline. Learning how to fuel their body through nutrition, rest, and recovery, as well as organizing themselves to prepare for practice and or games is an important skill and gives them a sense of order in a disorganized time.

How Arcadia Youth Basketball Can Help

AYB offers both Rec and Club leagues for athletes of all skill levels. During this time where social distancing is a must, we are offering small group sessions to keep skill sets improving and encourage movement and overall health of our athletes. Click over to our registration page to find out more.

IS YOUR CHILD PLAYING MORE THAN ONE SPORT? FIND OUT WHY THEY SHOULD BE.

In today’s world of youth sports, it can feel like if your child hasn’t specialized in a sport before 5th grade, they’re all but washed up. But the reality is, only playing one sport, season after season and year after year, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, many health professionals agree that kids need to play organized sports, non organized (i.e. ride their bikes for fun), and get a variety of each. The developmental benefits of being a multi sport player come in several forms:

PHYSICAL

From a physical prospective, specializing in one sport can have negative effects on a child’s growing body. Overuse injuries are common among kids playing the same sport season after season. However, being active in several different areas allows for a greater variety of motor skill and muscle development and growth. For example, playing soccer can increase speed for the basketball court. Sports that require different muscle groups and coordination are ideal combinations for multi-sport athletes.

EMOTIONAL

It can be easy to forget about the emotional side of sports. But growth for many athletes happens on the mental side just as much as the physical. Being a multi-sport athlete allows players to not only learn to thrive in different environments, but also how to work with different coaches and teammates too. Adapting to new things is a huge lesson for kids to learn and often a field or court is the perfect place to do so.

In addition, preventing sports burn out is just as important. If an athlete is only exposed to one sport, one team, one coach, and they don’t like one of those factors, it can be enough to turn them off to that sport, or sports all together. Giving them a variety of options and environments to try may be just the thing to keep them in the game.

HOW ARCADIA YOUTH BASKETBALL CAN HELP

While it may seem like a great idea to have your child play multiple sports, doing so can be a huge commitment for families – especially those with multiple kids. At AYB, we encourage our athletes to play multiple sports, and we make it possible for families with set practice and game times, and a set location for our rec league, making navigating more than one sport at a time a greater possibility.

If you’re still not convinced, consider this; Michael Jordan didn’t pick up a basketball until he was in high school. Not only that, he was cut the first season he tried out. That loss pushed him to improve his skills and make the varsity team the following year and the rest is history. And while his Major League career didn’t work out, he had developed the skills to make the Double-A team.

Interested in becoming a sponsor of Arcadia Youth Basketball?