CRBA Q and A
Q: When does the season start and end?
CRBA offers programs in the fall/winter season, in spring, and in the summer. The Fall/Winter Intramural program includes our intramural and travel programs that run from November through March. Our Spring League is an intramural program that runs from April through early June. Our Summer League is an intramural program that runs from late June through early August.
Registration for all of those programs is on-line only (at https://active.leagueone.com/Olr/Pages/Welcome.aspx?ClubId=14863), and is on a first come, first serve, basis. Participation in our programs is limited by our equal paying tie rules, gym space, and coach availably. Once a program fills up, it is closed, even for players who have played CRBA in the past.
Q: When does the fall/winter season start and end?
It varies slightly by grade, but generally, intramural practices for the fall/winter season begin in early to mid-November; games begin the first weekend in December, and the league ends in Mid-March. (Travel is different and varies considerably by age group.)
2nd grade boys and girls will typically start practices in late November early December, and start games in January after Winter break.
Q: When is registration?
Registration for the fall/winter season typically opens up in early August. Because we need to plan for gym space, coaches, and uniforms, registration for the fall/winter season typically closes in early October.
Registration for our Spring League typically opens up to children currently playing in our fall/winter program in early March. Registration for spring league then opens up to the general public toward the end of March.
Registration for our Summer League typically opens up to children who played that year in our fall/winter and/or spring programs in early May. Registration for spring league then opens up to the general public toward the end of May.
As indicated above, registration for all of our programs is on a first come, first serve basis, and once a program fills up it will be closed, regardless of the posted registration closing date.
Q: The registration website is telling me I need an “invitation code.” What is this, and where do I get it?
CRBA uses “invitation codes” to control registration when a program is close to selling out and/or a group is on a “wait list” to ensure players are registered on a first come, first serve bases. Invitation codes are also sometimes used to limit registration to [players currently playing in one of our programs. Invitation codes must be provided by a CRBA board member, specifically the coordinator for that particular age group. If a player is registered using an invitation code provided from another (non-CRBA board member) source, that registration may be canceled.
Q: Where and when are the intramural games played?
All intramural teams practice and play their games in the school gyms of the Council Rock School District. The following table shows the most likely game day by age group; however, this is subject to change each season depending on gym availably and the number of payers enrolled for that particular season.
| Age Group | Game Day |
|---|---|
| Boys 2nd | Saturday |
| Boys 3rd | Saturday |
| Boys 4th | Sunday |
| Boys 5th | Saturday |
| Boys 6th | Saturday |
| Boys 7th | Sunday |
| Boys 8th | Saturday |
| Boys 9th | Weekdays and Saturday |
| Boys 10th | Weekdays and Saturday |
| Boys 11th-12th | Weekdays and Sunday |
| Girls 2nd | Sunday |
| Girls 3rd | Sunday |
| Girls 4th | Saturday or Sunday |
| Girls 5th | Saturday or Sunday |
| Girls 6th | Sunday |
| Girls 7th | Sunday |
| Girls 8th | Sunday |
| Girls 9th | Sunday |
Q: When is practice? My daughter has religious instruction class and cannot attend on Wednesdays.
Practice nights are a single weeknight (Monday-Friday), and they vary by team. You can designate one (and only one) weeknight when your son/daughter will be unable to practice, which we call an “exclusion night” request. Exclusion night requests are not taken into consideration when scheduling practice nights for our travel teams, only our intramural teams.
Q: How often is practice? How many games are played a week?
Except for the high school age groups where teams typically do not practice, all CRBA intramural teams practice once per week in a Council Rock School District Gym, and play one game per week (also in a Council Rock School District Gym).
Q: My son or daughter is interested in playing travel basketball, what is the time
commitment like?
Travel teams generally practice two times weekly and play two games per week. Travel game schedules and locations vary.
Q: When completing the online registration and registering my child for travel, it charges an additional “travel fee” above the intramural registration fee. Is that correct?
The travel fee is combined with the intramural registration to cover the costs of travel players in two leagues and/or in a travel league and some tournaments. As noted below, if the player is not selected for travel and plays intramural, the travel premium is refunded. Additionally, there are separate uniform fees that must be purchased for boys and girls playing on our travel teams. The uniforms generally do not change from year to year, so if a player’s uniform from a prior year still fits that player is more than welcome to wear it in the current year.
Q: I signed my son/daughter for travel. What happens if he/she isn’t selected?
In that case, she/he will be assigned to an intramural team, and your travel payment will be refunded.
Q: I need to withdraw my child from the league. I told the coach before the first game, but now you say I cannot get a refund. Why?
When players withdraw once the teams have been formed, it creates huge problems for us as a league. While it may be unavoidable at times, it is fundamentally unfair to the coach and the other players on the team. Our main goal is to make sure that teams are balanced in terms of numbers of players as well as skills. When players withdraw after we draft or form the teams, it means that (1) a spot that could have been given to another player has not been filled because we closed down registration once our maximum number for that age group was reached; (2) the competitive balance of the teams has been affected; and, (3) we have probably incurred costs for credit card processing and Active.com registration site fees. Also, gym fees and referee fees are
not reduced just because that team has one fewer player.
Q: What is your policy on “student coaches?”
We encourage players who have come up through the CRBA system to “give back” to the program by volunteering their time. As a general rule, coaches must be in at least tenth grade, be active participants in our program (as players), and they should be willing to coach in an age group at least four years younger than their own. The approval of the board is necessary, and is given on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of the program. Students wishing to volunteer should download the form from our website and send it to us at crbahoopps@gmail.com or via regular mail at CRBA, PO Box 550, Richboro, PA 18954.
Q: My son is in second grade and last year he absolutely destroyed all of the other first graders on my driveway. I think he will be very bored at the lack of a challenge in your second grade program. Can he “play up”?
In a word, “no.” We have never heard a second grader complain about the lack of a challenge when he is one of the better players in his league, as a matter of fact, most of them enjoy it. It’s often the parents who fret about the lack of expert competition. We would strongly encourage you to let him enjoy 2nd and 3rd grade instructional play and then, if he is still a “superstar,” he can try out for travel at the start of the 4th grade year.
Q: Do you offer any programs for first graders? If not, can my son or daughter play in your second grade program? He/she is large for their age and very good at basketball.
In a word, “no.” We simply do not have the resources in terms of gym space to offer any programs to children not yet in second grade, regardless of their skill or size.