The domestic competitions at the Southern Basketball Association have been our first preference for a several seasons now. The reasons for this are:
The competition seasons at the Southern Basketball Association are an Autumn Season and a Spring Season.
Their Autumn season covers Term 1 and Term 2 of the School year, while their Spring Season covers Term 3 and Term 4 of the school year. This is a unique setup compared to other Associations and I think it’s a better and simpler arrangement for parents by keeping both seasons within the calendar and school year.
Both seasons run for about 15 rounds plus finals. The first three games of the season are used for grading before match points and ladders begin to be accumulated and compiled.
We want to increase the number of teams that we enter into SBA competitions with each season that passes, so we are ready, willing and able to welcome new players and even new teams into the BMBA.
Currently, the Association plays their competitions out of several venues. These are:-
Sandringham Family Leisure Centre, 150 Tulip Street Cheltenham.
Mentone Grammar, Venice St, Mentone.
Cheltenham Secondary College, 73 Bernard St, Cheltenham.
Mentone Girls Secondary College, 175 Balcombe Rd, Mentone.
There are several costs, as there are at most Associations:-
PlayHQ/BV Registration Fee: You pay this fee when you register at the commencement of every season. This comprises a fee to register with the Association and Basketball Victoria. Currently, this fee sits at $35.00
Weekly Match Fees: Every time we play a game, the Association charges us a match fee for those games. The BMBA invoices you for a season which covers these fees. We are then invoiced by the Southern Basketball Association for those match fees. This current season these costs were $70.50 per match.
Door Entry Fees: The Association charges an entry fee each week for both spectators and players over the age of 18. These fees are currently $4.00 per person per week. Alternatively, you can pay these each week upon entry or you can purchase a Stadium Entry Card and pay in advance. To find out more about the card CLICK HERE.
PLEASE NOTE NONE OF THESE ARE BMBA FEES. They are all Southern Basketball Association fees that we need to cover to enter and play in their competitions.
Age Groups are in two-year gaps for both boys and girls, with a cut-off date of the 31st of December of the year that competitions commence in. So for both seasons in 2023, the age groups will be as below
U10 Age Group: Year of Birth 2015, 2016 and below
U12 Age Group: Year of Birth 2013, 2014
U14 Age Group: Year of Birth 2011, 2012
U16 Age Group: Year of Birth 2009, 2010
U18 Age Group: Year of Birth 2007, 2008
This is another advantage of playing in the Southern Basketball Association’s competitions. The age groups and categories remain the same throughout the calendar year. In other Association competitions, the brackets of the age groups change as do the cut-off dates to be eligible to play in those competitions.
This causes confusion for parents and results in teams being split and changed every six months. At the Southern Association, this only occurs every twelve months at worst allowing teams to settle and develop.