From Wellesley Youth Basketball:

The Wellesley Youth Basketball Association offers basketball programs for children of all skill levels. This year, in an effort to provide more coordinated basketball opportunities to youth in Wellesley, the St. John and St. Paul CYO programs have joined with Wellesley

Basketball to form the Wellesley Youth Basketball Association (WYBA). We believe that bringing these organizations together will move us that much closer to a shared goal of maximizing participation in Wellesley’s youth basketball programs. For starters, combining the organizations will enable us to more efficiently operate the various program offerings, better integrate and coordinate programs for kids in grades 5‐8 which run concurrently during the winter season, and maximize gym usage. We are excited to start the year with a single basketball organization in Wellesley, and hope that the participants in our programs (both existing and new) quickly reap the benefits of this recent development.

Last year, more than 750 boys and girls participated in the programs now under the WYBA umbrella. WYBA’s program offerings currently range from highly competitive Metrowest travel teams, competitive CYO teams to recreational Town basketball teams:

*Metrowest league basketball offers travel teams for boys and girls in grades 5‐8. Last winter, WYBA entered 18 teams in Metrowest, double the number of teams entered two years before and representative of the growth of youth basketball in Wellesley.

*CYO is the largest basketball program in Wellesley offering balanced teams to all children in grades 4‐9 who wish to play. Last winter, St. John’s and St. Paul’s collectively managed 68 teams in a league that also includes teams from Framingham and Wayland.

*Beginning in March, WYBA runs its recreational basketball league (“Town Ball”) for kids in grades 3‐8. This program features many high school students who try their hand at refereeing and coaching. Last year, more than 300 kids played in this program.

WYBA would also like to welcome a new Director and new face of the organization, Nancy Williamson. We deeply thank former Director Nanci Russell for graciously serving as both a Board member and Executive Director of Wellesley Youth Basketball for 14 years. Six new board members joined the board this past spring, highlighting the general enthusiasm and shift in reliance of WYBA on greater involvement among Wellesley parents. With the support and commitment of such dedicated parent volunteers, the board will undoubtedly rise to the challenge of integrating WYBA’s existing programs while at the same time exploring the possibility of expanding its offeringsto include, for example, a new extension program for high‐schoolers. We further envision expanding WYBA’s involvement with the WHS varsity programs,which have grown significantly in recent years with positive results for all.

The success of WYBA and its programs will depend even more on community involvement and interaction. To that end, we invite all interested individuals to volunteer as there is no shortage of opportunity. And with demand continuing to rise and gym space at a premium, WYBA is alsoconsidering holding fundraisers and seeking sponsorships in an effort to keep registration fees affordable. Please stay tuned for more information on how you can help support WYBA throughout the year.

Finally, tryouts for WYBA’s competitive, travel‐team Metrowest program will be held during the weeks of Sept. 25 and Oct. 2. CYO registration will begin Oct. 1 and player evaluation will be held beginning in late October. Find more information at www.wellesleybasketball.org