Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

All ages shall be determined by the player’s age on October 1st of the upcoming basketball season.

The Head Coach needs to identify you as an Assistant Coach, and you will need to be registered as an Assistant Coach in the Sports Connect registration (where you register your child). You will not be confirmed unless you also complete a background check and the concussion training. Only one Assistant Coach’s child can be protected during the draft.

No, your child is not REQUIRED to attend skills assessments… However…

Players who attend skills assessments can be drafted by any coach on draft day. Players who DO NOT attend skills assessments will be randomly assigned to a team at the completion of the regular draft. Players returning to the SAME team, in the SAME age division, do not go into the draft.

If your child and coach are not changing age divisions, your child may return to the same team. You MUST mark this on registration.

If your child returns to the same team, they do NOT need to attend skills assessments because they do not go into the draft.  

If your child is returning to the same age division but the coach is not returning and your assistant coach is not taking over as head coach, your child will need to attend skills assessments to be drafted by another coach. If your child is MOVING UP DIVISIONS, they need to attend skills assessments to be drafted by a coach.

Those who do not attend will be randomly assigned to a team after the draft.

If you’re unsure whether your child’s coach is returning this season, please contact us for confirmation: contact@smyrnajrbasketball.com

• Lil’ Dribblers (5-6): 27.5”, Goal is set to 8 feet
• Boys Pee Wee (7-8) and Girls Pee Wee (7-9): 28.5”, Goal is set to 8 feet
• Boys Training League (9-10): 28.5”, Goal is set to 10 feet
• Boys Rising Varsity (11-12), JV (13-14), Girls JV (10-13), and Boys Senior Varsity (15-17): Full-size regulation ball, Goal is set to 10 feet

If your child is changing age divisions, your child will have to go through the player draft for the upcoming season. If your child is not changing age groups, your child will be noted as a “returning player” and will remain on the same team if requested. If this fits your situation, your child will not need to attend skills assessments.

NOTE: If you DO NOT want your child to play for the same coach, you will select the option during registration stating “Player does NOT want to go back to SAME TEAM (will go BACK INTO THE DRAFT). The player should then attend a skills assessment session so they can be drafted by any other coach.”

Each team is limited to one 90-minute practice session per week. Practices are held on a weeknight (Monday through Friday) at local Rutherford County schools.

During the league draft, head coaches select their practice time/location for the season from the available slots provided by SJBL.

There is no SJBL rule prohibiting players from playing on two or more teams in different leagues.

Check with your child’s school coach. If your child’s school team does NOT play under TSSAA governance, then yes, they can play a season with us and the school.

One common example is a player on the Thurman Francis Arts Academy basketball team. Many play in our league and on the TFAA school team in the same season, as they do not play under TSSAA governance.

TSSAA does allow players to play in an “independent league” (such as SJBL) and play for their school’s Junior Varsity squad in the same season. However, per TSSAA rules, a student may not play in both an independent league and on the school’s varsity squad. If playing for an independent league, the student is disqualified from TSSAA play the moment they enter a varsity game, per TSSAA rules.

• Refunds requested prior to November 1 will receive the full refund.
• Refunds requested after November 1 and prior to the first game will be paid in full minus $50.
• Refund requests after games start will not be granted.