LVBA offers seven divisions spanning grades 2 through 8. Players start in our co-ed 2nd grade clinic and move up through boys and girls divisions at 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. Each division is matched to the age and size of the players in it — ball size and hoop height step up as kids grow, so they are always developing real skills on equipment they can actually handle. By the time a player finishes with us in eighth grade, they are playing on full regulation equipment. Find your child's grade below to see where they'll fit.

Why equipment changes by age. Every LVBA division uses a ball and rim height matched to the players on the floor. Younger players use a lighter 27.5" ball and a 9-foot hoop so they can develop real shooting form rather than adapting to equipment too big for them. As players grow, they progress to a 28.5" ball and eventually the regulation 10-foot rim, so that by the time they leave the LVBA program they are playing on exactly the same equipment they'll see in high school.

Practices, Games, and Locations

Practices. Teams practice one to two times per week for one hour per session, with the exact number depending on gym availability.  Schedules are built around what the schools and towns are able to give us each season. Practices are held on weekday evenings, Monday through Friday. Once the practice schedule is established we aim to maintain that schedule throughout the season to ensure that parents are able to plan accordingly.  Your coach will confirm your team's practice night and gym once schedules are set.

Games. Games start in January and are played primarily on Friday nights and Saturdays. The regular season runs into March. LVBA teams compete against programs from towns throughout Sussex County, so while home games are played at one of our three gyms, away games take place at gyms in other Sussex County communities. Expect some travel during the season — your coach and the published schedule will have locations and directions.

Where we play. All practices and home games are held at one of three locations: Byram Lakes Elementary School, Byram Intermediate School, or Valley Road School in Stanhope.

March Madness Weekend. The regular season wraps up before mid-March, and our year finishes with Lenape Valley Basketball's March Madness weekend — an end-of-season tournament exclusive to LVBA teams, where teams within each division and grade level play one another. Every team participates. There is no qualifying and nobody is left out: if your child played this season, they are playing in March Madness. It is the biggest weekend of our year — full gyms, every division on the floor, and the whole community out to watch.

Season Calendar

Registration for the season is open from September 15th and runs through November 1st for 3rd-8th grades.  Clinic registration goes through December 1st. Coaches are assigned to a team and teams are selected through a draft in November. Practice time is determined and provided to coaches in late November, then discriminated to the teams by the coach.

Practices start for grades 3rd-8th start the first week of December. Games and the co-ed 2nd grade clinic begin in January. Practice and games run through mid-March. The season concludes in Mid-March following March Madness weekend.

Holidays & weather. In the event a school is closed due to holiday or weather, the practice and/or game scheduled at that venue will be canceled. Any cancelations will be the responsibility of the coach to communicate to their team.

Registration

Registration opens on September 15th and closes November 1st. Space is limited by gym availability, so we encourage families to register early — late registrations are accepted only if roster space allows.

• Register online: Click "Register Here" at the top
• Fee: $125 (+ processing fee)
• Uniform: $85 (+ processing fee) (Note: prior uniforms can be re-used year to year)
• Sibling or multi-player discount: $10 / sibling
• Questions before you register: lvprecreationbasketball@gmail.com
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What Players Need

Keep it simple.

• Indoor, non-marking basketball sneakers
• Labeled water bottle for every practice and game
• LVBA uniform/jersey — needed for games only
• Athletic shorts and a t-shirt for practices
• Mouthguard and protective eyewear if needed
• Avoid wearing jewelry