The KYBA's House League program is the basic and hence, most widely used program.  We welcome players from beginner to advanced in all divisions of our house league program.  In house league, the focus is on inspiring a love for the game and in having fun on the court, while developing player skills. 

House league also offers a Selects program as a further development opportunity for the top house league players.  The Selects program also acts as a bridging program to our competitive stream (Ottawa Next Level).

KYBA Tykes is an entry-level program for our youngest boys and girls (2016, 2017, and 2018 for the 2023-24 season).  For more information on KYBA's Entry Level programs please check our  Entry Level Tykes webpage.  

League Details

• All house league players will receive a reversible jersey and a basketball to keep.

• House League runs from October to April/May.  Official start of the league is Nov 1; with the sort-out process running in late September to early October.  Players will receive sort out details in September.  Some exhibition games used for team balancing will also run in the latter half of October.

• All house league players will have one practice and one game per week. Practices will always be at the same time/day/gym weekly, unless there is a gym cancellation by the school. Game day will always be on the same day for the duration of the season for each house league division.  Each division will have one blackout weekend in December. 

• No events take place on Thanksgiving weekend, during 2 week school Christmas holiday break, Family Day weekend, March break or Easter weekend.  ​

• ​All practices and boys house league division games are held in gymnasiums of local Kanata schools.  

• Some of our girls divisions are interlocked with the West End Basketball League, so games are hosted by various associations in the west end region and will play games on Saturdays (games hosted by other associations may not be in gyms in Kanata, but will be in the west end).  KYBA hosts some girls divisions and welcomes teams from other clubs to join our league as well - games for these divisions may take place on Saturday or Sunday.   Schedules and game guarantees for WEBL may vary from those of KYBA hosted divisions.  

• ​All house league divisions will enjoy divisional year-end tournaments at the end of the season (~April).

• KYBA also hosts a U25 Mens house league division.  This division will have weekly games ONLY, no weekly practices.  Games may be on weeknights or weekends.  Players may choose to register for a full season, or for Oct-Dec or Jan-May sessions.

• Full Season House League Registration Fee is $375.  For U25, players may opt for a half season (Oct-Dec or Jan-May) or full season.

 

2023-24 Divisions

• Novice Boys (born 2014 or 2015) (*2016 with previous basketball experience) 

• Novice Girls (born 2014 or 2015) (*2016 with previous basketball experience) 

• Atom Boys (born 2012 or 2013) 

• Atom Girls (born 2012 or 2013) 

• Bantam Boys (born 2010 or 2011) 

• Bantam Girls (born 2010 or 2011)  

• Midget Boys (born 2008 or 2009)  

• Midget Girls (born 2008 or 2009)   

• Juvenile Boys (born 2005, 2006 or 2007) 

• Juvenile Girls (born 2005, 2006 or 2007)  

• U25 Men (born 1999-2004)  

Sort-Outs and Team Balancing

• All house league players are expected to attend divisional sort outs at the outset of the season.  The sort out process runs in October, and may start in late September for some divisions.  The sort out process includes skills evaluations, scrimmages and exhibition games. This, coupled with information provided during registration will help our Convenors and their Committee's form balanced teams.

• It is important that all registered players attend sort-outs to ensure the best team fit is found for every player.  This will translate to the best experience possible for every player in our league.  

• Large divisions may be tiered to improve balancing and ensure player development and fun can be maximized for all.

• Friend requests are only considered at Novice and cannot be guaranteed by KYBA.  Those with a request mayu speak with the divisional convenor during sort outs.  Team balancing is the first priority of the league.  Sport presents a fabulous opportunity for youth to make new friends with others who have similar interests, and so we encourage players to embrace this opportunity.

• Rosters, coaches and team practice allocations will be finalized and communicated following the sort-out period. ​

• Specific coaches, practice days or locations cannot be requested or guaranteed for any given player, but we do understand that families require some assistance in scheduling multiple children or multiple activities/sports so we do offer the option of including up to 2 unavailable evenings during registration, and players will then not be assigned to a team that practices on one of those days.  Unavailable evenings will be confirmed during the sort out process as well, as we recognize these may change between registration in the Summer and season start-up in the Fall.​

• ​KYBA reserves the right to move players between teams following the first official game of the league in order to improve team balancing; a player may not refuse any trades between teams. 

• All KYBA hosted girls divisions; and all boys divisions; will begin regular season games the first weekend of November.  For teams playing in WEBL, this may vary. 

• Teams will have at least 1 practice with their final roster before their first games. 

• All teams are guaranteed approx 20 games thorughout the season, including both regular season play and their divisional year end tournament.

• NO practices or games during School Holiday Breaks (including Christmas, Family Day weekend, March break or Easter)

• Teams can expect to have their last weekday practice in the week before/leading up to their divisional year end tournament

• Divisional year end tournaments will take place in April or into early May for some older aged divisions 

​*For important information related to your gym, please see GYMS.
*Please review Code of Conduct and Policies

Practices

• Practices are held on weekday evenings, with the earliest times going to our youngest players. 

• House League teams practice for one hour (Novice) or 1.5 hours (Atom, Bantam, Midget & Juvenile) one weeknight (you can choose 2 nights you are NOT available at the time of registration).  Midget and Juvenile practices may be shared between 2 teams and be 2 hours in length.

Games

Our game hosting plan for KYBA hosted Boys house league in 2023-24 is as follows:

• ​Novice, Atom and Midget Boys will play games on Saturdays
• Bantam and Juvenile Boys will play games on Sundays
• U25 Mens games may be on weeknights or weekends; to be confirmed

Our game hosting plan for Girls house league in 2023-24 is as follows:

• Novice and Atom Girls games are planned for Saturdays and will play in WEBL
• Bantam and Midget Girls divisions will be hosted by KYBA, with games on Saturdays
• Jr Girls games will be jointly hosted between WEBL registered teams and games will be on Saturdays

*game plans are subject to change based on gym availability and # teams formed in each division

Registration Details

• ​Registration Fee for 2023-2024 will be $375.
• Players planning to try out for an ONL competitive team are encouraged to register for house league to secure a spot as spots cannot be guaranteed following tryouts if a player is not named to a competitive ONL team roster.  Players who registered for house league and who are then named to an ONL roster will only need to complete a top-up to ONL registration at that time.
• Registration Form
• Following registration you will receive an email confirmation/receipt.  Be sure to note your access code for future registrations.  Players will receive further communications in September on the season start-up and sort-out schedules.

Convenors

Here is the list of all House League divisional convenors for the 2023-2024 season: 

• Novice Boys 

• Novice Girls 

• Atom Boys 

• Atom Girls

• Bantam Boys 

• Bantam Girls 

• Midget Boys  

• Midget Girls 

• Juvenile Boys 

• Juvenile Girls 

• U25 Boys 

* Note: please only contact convenors with division specific questions.  ​
* You may direct other questions related to registration or general inquiries to our Administrator.
* KYBA is currently looking for volunteer convenors.  For more information, please contact our VP of Boys House League or VP of Girls House League.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding our House League, please check the FAQ below and also feel free to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know which division to register for?
During online registration, you will automatically be presented with your eligible division based on birthdate and gender as input in Step 1 (or as already saved in your player profile for returning players).  

2. When will I know which night my practice will be?
Players will attend sort outs for their respective divisions. This process is used to create balanced teams and assign coaches to teams. Once this is complete, the schedule will be created and practice times will be assigned to each team and players will receive communication with their team assignments. Teams will have one practice per week that will run for either 1 hour or 1.5 hours, depending on the age division. In addition, each team will play one game per week on weekends. The locations for all of these will be provided well in advance to help with your planning.

3. My child is involved in multiple sports, how can I make sure that there are no conflicts?
The basketball season runs for many months. Conflicts will occur. However, during registration, you will be able to indicate 2 evenings that you are not available. This information will be used during the team creation and scheduling process to help prevent your conflicts.  Your unavailable evenings will be confirmed during the sort out process as we realize this may change from time of registration in the Summer.  KYBA will do its best to place players on teams that do not practice on the evenings indicated as unavailable.  Once teams are formed we cannot accomodate changes to rosters based on availability changes or friend requests.  First and foremost, KYBA strives to form balanced teams to ensure a positive learning experience for all of our players.
KYBA asks that players only register and take a spot if they will be able to attend a majority of events.  As basketball is a team sport, the ability of others to learn, develop and have fun is greatly impacted if only half a team regularly shows up to events.

4. When my child does have a conflict, will this be OK?
A certain level of attendance is expected so as to not leave your team short players for games - as this impacts the experience for all of your teammates and your opponents as well.  We do recognize that the season is long, and some conflicts or illness can occur.  Please ensure you always advise your team's coach when these conflicts arise so that they know in advance that you will not be there. Similarly, in order for your coach to plan the best practice possible for your team, please advise them if you are going to miss a practice.
KYBA asks that players only register and take a spot if they will be able to attend a majority of events.  As basketball is a team sport, the ability of others to learn, develop and have fun is greatly impacted if only half a team regularly shows up to events.

5. Does KYBA accept friend requests?
We recognize that it is fun for players to play with their friends, but for the good of all of our members, our goal is to ensure that all players are provided the best possible means for a positive experience, which comes from running a league with balanced teams.  This lends itself to an environment where all players can develop skills and enjoy good competition in games.  Sports offer a great way to make new friends, and players would not benefit from this if they only played with those they already know. 

Please keep in mind that our convenors put alot of time and consideration into forming balanced teams within the constraints of player availability (12+ teams depending on the division) and it is not an easy task.  The task becomes impossible when there are multiple special requests, so KYBA makes no guarantee that any special requests (ie. coach, mutliple friends, location) can be granted.  

Our novice convenors only will consider friend requests for new players that may be apprehensive to try the sport.  You may contact your convenor or VP of House League if these circumstances apply to your player.

Convenors will work together to ensure siblings are provided practice schedules that are coordinating and work for their family schedule.

6. I have a background in basketball and would like to help coach, who do I contact for this?
KYBA is always looking for volunteers to help run our house league program. This includes coaches, assistant coaches, convenors and other administrative functions. No prior experience is necessary for the majority of the roles.  Training and support is offered for all volunteer roles.  Please indicate your desire to help during the registration process. There is an option to indicate you are available to help out.  You may also contact our Administrator to express your interest!

7. What caliber of coaches will coach my child's house league team?
While all of our house league coaches are volunteers, they do have prior basketball and/or coaching experience and a current police record check.  KYBA offers training opportunities to all of our coaches and provides resources to aid coaches in planning age-appropriate practices.  Our NCCP certified coaches also lend a hand to help our house league coaches gain further coaching skills.  Help and support is always available!

8.  How much playing time will my child be given during house league games?
In house league, all players in attendance on the roster will play equal time.

9.  My child has played house league for a few years and is looking for more, but doesn't want to play competitive basketball.  What are the options?
Your player may be interested in our Selects program.  Visit our Selects program info. for more information on this program and let your coach know you are interested in the opportunity.

10. In Step 2 of the player registration, I have more than one option I can register for.  How do I know what to choose?
There are a couple of reasons why this may happen. 

If your player is born in 2016 and you are registering for the 2023-2024 season, they may choose between our Tykes program or our novice house league program.  Only those players with experience (ie. a season of Tykes completed) should choose the novice house league program.  In some cases, athletic children who have played other sports such as soccer or hockey are able to transition to novice house league without having completed a Tykes session.  If your player is new to basketball (and new to sports), they will likely prefer our Tykes program to learn the basics of the game and begin to develop an understanding of the game.  This helps to then transition the player to house league play next season, having provided the player some time to develop some confidence.  If you are unsure, please check in with us for a recommendation.  You can contact our VP of Entry Level Programs, VP of Boys House League, or VP of Girls House League, as needed.

You must also ensure you choose either House League or competitive Ottawa Next Level.  Ottawa Next Level is the competiive branch of KYBA.
Note: only those players who have tried out and are named to a roster by evaluating coaches can register for Ottawa Next Level teams.

11. My child wishes to try out for an Ottawa Next Level team, but I'm worried if not named to a roster there may not be a space in house league at that time, what should I do?
You may register for house league over the Summer to gurantee your child a spot should they not be named to an ONL roster after tryouts in September.  If your player does successfully get named to an ONL roster, you will simply register for a top up to ONL registration and will pay the difference in registration fee at that time.  Our Administrator will then transfer your player from house leauge to their ONL team.

12. I am being asked to input an access code in Step 1 of your online registration - what is my access code?
If registering with KYBA for the first time, please ensure you indicate you are not a returning player in Step 1 - you will not need to input an access code to register. 
The first time a player registers with KYBA our system will assign an access code to that player's profile.  It will be provided with your email confirmation upon registration.  Please log this number for future registrations.  
For returning players, please indicate in Step 1 that you are a returning player and input your access code.  This will retrieve your Player Profile from our system and speed up your registration process as your personal information will be auto-filled based on the data previously provided in our system.  If updates are needed to any items, please ensure you do so during registration. You may also contact our Administrator to help you with updates.
Note - a registration to a waitlist, or a pre-registration is still considered a first registration and an access code will be assigned to your player.

13. I still have other questions?  Who may I direct them to?
Please feel free to contact our Administrator, who can assist or appropriately direct you to the representative who can best address your question.