TEAM PAYMENTS

Each Newton team needs to send a check for $285 payable to “Newton Metrowest Basketball” by October 31 to cover tryout gyms, insurance and league entry fees.  Send to: 25 Malubar Lane, Newton, 02459.  You will receive a separate e-mail with payment information for practice and game space. 

GYM PAYMENTS

You will be contacted about payments due from your team.  Cost varies by gym. 

REFEREE PAYMENTS

The visiting coach pays the referees at all league regular season games.  Each referee is paid $40 per game. 

TEAM BUDGETS

Typical team budgets are $300-350 per player per season.  This will vary based on the number of players on the team, number of tournaments, number of practices and location of practices and games.  Most coaches collect the majority of the fee at the beginning of the season.  Any deficit is collected at the end of the season and any surplus should be returned to players. 

PLAYER REGISTRATION

Once players make a team they need to register at http://www.newtonbball.com/pages/Registration.html.  Players who do not register will be ineligible to play.  A parent will need to agree to the waiver on the registration page. 

Coaches will also need to register their team roster on at www.metrowestbball.com before the start of the season.  Go to the coach log-in area on the main page. 

COACH REGISTRATION

E-mail the name, e-mail address and mobile phone number of your assistant coach to the coordinator.  Contact info will be available to coaches on the Metrowest website.

PLAYING TIME

In a perfect world, every player would get the same amount of playing time.  The goal of the coach should be to play each player and equal amount of time.  Factors determining playing time are the game situation, match-up with the other team, injuries, attendance at practice and performance.  There will be certain games when some players will feel that they have not played enough.  Hopefully this will even out over the season. 

LEAGUE RULES

Metrowest generally follows high school rules.  However, there are exceptions – particularly for the younger age groups.  Please see www.metrowestbball.com for a complete list of rules. 

SPORTSMANSHIP

Newton has a reputation for outstanding sportsmanship.  Coaches, players and parents are expected to support their teams and be respectful to opponents and officials.  Any problems should be reported to the Newton coordinators.

TOURNAMENTS

It is strongly recommended that you consider a pre-season and/or holiday tournament.  You will find a list on the web site at http://www.newtonbball.com/pages/Tournaments.html.  This will be updated throughout the season. 

UNIFORMS

Uniform shirts are sold at Adolph’s Sports in Newton Centre.  Coaches should assign numbers making sure to avoid duplication.  The numerals 6, 7, 8 and 9 may not be used.  If players wear a shirt under the uniform, it must be black (away) or white (home).  Orange shirts are not allowed.  Shorts should be any solid black basket ball shorts.

COACH GAME PREPARATION

For home games, coaches must provide a scoreboard operator and official scorer (with scorebook).  For away games, provide a scorer with a scorebook to work with the official scorer.  There should be no more that 2 coaches on the bench.

The home coach is responsible for the behavior and safety of players, referees and spectators.  Please make sure that your players and spectators display appropriate sportsmanship.

SCORE REPORTING

Coaches are responsible for reporting their scores, both home and away, on the Metrowest website.  Use your coach log in.  Please report scores on the day of the game.

BAD WEATHER-GAMES

If Newton schools are closed, games at Oak Hill will not be played.  The Newton Schools Weather Hotline is 617-559-9020.  Even if Newton Schools are closed, games at the Boys and Girls Club will be played. 

Metrowest policy allows the visiting team to decide if it is safe to travel.  If bad weather is expected, be in touch with the opposing coach on Saturday.  You are strongly advised to make every effort to play because rescheduling can be very complicated.  Decisions should be made at least two hours in advance, but don’t make a decision just based on a weather forecast.  Try to wait to see if travel is possible.  If you must cancel an away game, your only responsibility is to communicate with the opposing coach.  If a home game is cancelled by the opposing coach, please e-mail Ted and he will notify the referees.

BAD WEATHER-PRACTICES

If Newton Schools are closed, public schools will not be available for practices.  The Newton Schools Weather Hotline is 617-559-9020.  Even if Newton Schools are closed, practices at other locations will be held unless you are notified.

MAKE-UP GAMES

If you need to make-up an away game, contact the opposing coach and provide 3-4 times that your team would be available. 

If you need to make-up a home game, contact Ted to arrange for referees and, if necessary, space.  It is often not possible to find space other than your practice time.  Referees generally need to be ordered at least a week in advance.  Whenever possible, we try to schedule back to back games to avoid referee single game premiums.

SCOREBOARD

Newton Metrowest Basketball owns a portable scoreboard that is available for make-up games.

TRYOUTS

  1. Have a parent available to assist you at the sign in table outside the gym.  Collect contact info for each player. 
  2. It is helpful to have several evaluators available.  Parents with children in the group (other than coaches) should not be evaluators.   
  3. Each player is typically assigned a random number so that you (and outside evaluators) can evaluate players and take notes.  Paper and safety pins will do the trick.  Put them on shorts so that you can use pinnies (which block a number on a shirt).
  4. If you have the second (7:30) tryout at Brown, KEEP THE KIDS OUT OF THE GYM IN THE HALL UNTIL THE FIRST TRYOUT IS DONE.  If you have the first tryout, get the kids and parents out of the gym before 7:30.
  5. Bring balls, pinnies, whistles, numbers, safety pins, clipboards and pens.
  6. Speak to the kids at the beginning and introduce the coaches.  Tell them what you plan to do.  Make new kids feel welcome.
  7. Speak to kids and parents at the end.  Consider bringing a treat.  Make it fun, not stressful. 
  8. Players are expected to be at both tryouts, but sometimes they will need to be evaluated based on one tryout.  Use your judgment. 
  9. Your team should be selected and all players notified within 24 hours after your final tryout. 

METROWEST AGE/GRADE ELIGIBILITY POLICY

Beginning with the 2009-2010 season, Metrowest will implement an age eligibility requirement to go along with its already existing grade requirement.

In order to participate on a town travel team a player must first meet the grade requirement; that is, the player must be in the grade associated with that team. While Metrowest allows players to play ‘up’ one grade, Newton typically does not. Players may NOT play down, no matter what the age of the player.

For the 2009-2010 season, the following age limits apply, by grade.

8th Grade – Must be born on or after September 1, 1994.
7th Grade – Must be born on or after September 1, 1995
6th Grade – Must be born on or after September 1, 1996
5th Grade – Must be born on or after September 1, 1997
4th Grade – Must be born on or after September 1, 1998

NOTE: This rule will be enforced by the honor system. Birth certificates are not required as a prerequisite to play. However, if an age challenge is made by an opposing coach, the player MUST provide proof of age prior to the next scheduled game. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT FOR PLAYERS THAT APPEAR OLDER, THAT THE COACH OBTAIN PROOF OF AGE IN ADVANCE AND HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION READY IF AN INFORMAL INQUIRY IS MADE BY AN OPPOSING COACH AT GAME TIME. This is just a common sense recommendation that will avoid controversy and additional leg work in follow up.

If a coach wishes to lodge a challenge, he or she must make it with their town coordinator AFTER THE GAME. The coordinator will then notify the league commissioner for resolution.  The coach must produce birth date evidence prior to next game.  Failure to produce appropriate documentation by the challenged player/coach/town will result in the player becoming ineligible to participate in Metrowest games.  NOTE THAT THE PLAYER WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN THE GAME WHEN THE CHALLENGE IS MADE. However, if it is subsequently determined the player was ineligible, the game(s) in which he/she participated will be forfeited.