South Mountain YMCA • Maplewood, NJ

Learn introductory basketball skills, the importance of fair play, teamwork and good sportsmanship all while having lots of fun.

Dates: Tuesdays 5:00-5:45pm, Fridays 5:00-5:45pm, Saturday 9:00-9:45am

Location: SMY Gym

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Practice during the week, and show off your skills on Saturdays for in-house games. This year, we will playfully have four college teams: Notre Dame, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Uconn. We will also have four NBA teams: Celtics, Knicks, Spurs and Heat. Participants will be placed on a team roster, and will follow the Saturday game day schedule accordingly.  

Grades 1-2

Dates: Monday 6:00-6:45pm, Thursday 6:30-7:15pm

Location: SMY Gym

Grades 3-4

Dates: Monday 6:45-7:30pm, Tuesday 6:30-7:15pm

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This is a fantastic opportunity for girls and gender-expansive youth to develop their skills, engage in a thoughtful curriculum, and have fun with their peers.This program includes a thoughtful curriculum that encourages participation, engagement and everyday life skills that can be applied on-and-off the court.

Dates: Saturday 11:30am-12:30pm, 12:30pm-1:30pm

Location: SMY Gym

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Buddy Ball is an inclusive basketball program for neurodiverse kids, offering a safe, supportive space to learn skills, build confidence, and make friends. With adapted drills, small-group instruction, and compassionate coaches, children of all abilities can thrive while having fun on the court.

Date: September 11, 2025 to June 25, 2026

Location: SMY Gym 

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Fundamentals of basketball are taught (dribbling, passing, shooting and defense) along with the team concepts of offensive play and zone defense in a fun, values-oriented environment. 

Grades 1-2

Dates: Tuesday 5:45-6:30pm, Thursday 5:00-5:45pm, Saturday 9:45-10:30am

Location: SMY Gym 

Grades 3-4

Dates: Thursday 5:45-6:30pm, Saturday 10:30-11:15am

Location: SMY Gym

Grades 5-6

Dates: Wednesday 5:00-6:15pm

Location: St. Joseph’s Church - Gym

Grades 6-9

Dates: Wednesday 6:15-7:30pm

Location: St. Joseph’s Church - Gym 

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This class is designed for girls with higher basketball passion or who have taken basketball classes, participated in game play, and want to put in extra work.

Date: Wednesday 5:00-6:00pm

Location: SMY Gym

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Join our young dynamic coaches for weekly advanced skill development beyond the fundamentals. Each week will focus 100% on a specific skill. Lesson plans will include advanced ball handling, court vision, and creating offense in isolation.

Date: Mondays 5-6pm

Location: SMY Gym

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In order to comply with capacity restrictions, advanced registration is required for tryouts. If you have not yet done so, register your child for a tryout date below. Players only need to attend one tryout. 

2025 SMY Travel Basketball Tryouts: Tuesday, October 21

U10 Boys
U12 Boys
U14 Boys

2025 SMY Travel Basketball Tryouts: Tuesday, October 28

U10 Girls
U12 Girls

Player Registration

Players who successfully make a team will need to be registered through the South Mountain YMCA. Payment plans and financial aid are available. 

Uniform fee: $35 (for new participants who have not already purchased a jersey) 

Team Communication

All team communication will be done through Slack or via email.

Season Information

Grades 3-4/10U will have girls & boys teams. This group will follow a tournament schedule. The team will compete in tournaments every other weekend throughout the season. Each tournament will have a two-game guarantee. 

Grades 5-6/12U and Grades 7-8/14U will participate in the NJ YMCA Basketball League. Games will be played on weekends throughout the season, culminating with end of season tournaments in early March. 

Register for Tryout