2025-2026 Season Information
RECREATIONAL BASKETBALL
LYA Recreational Basketball League is a league for girls and boys who live within the Downingtown Area School District boundaries. LYA Basketball League fosters development of basketball skills, while also emphasizing teamwork, discipline, friendship, sportsmanship and fun. Players of all skill levels and abilities are welcome.
COACHES:
· Volunteer Head and Assistant Coaches are essential in order to make our program a success.
· Please register to be a coach for the season via the coaching registration link.
IMPORTANT DATES:
EARLY BIRD Registration: October 6, 2025 - October 26, 2025
Full Cost Registration (Based on Availability): October 27, 2025- November 7, 2025 (Waitlists are NOT maintained for divisions that reach capacity prior to November 7th)
Player Evaluations For Applicable Age Groups: Sunday, November 9, 2025, Times: TBD
Rosters/Teams Posted in TeamSnap: Week of November 17, 2025
Practices & Games Begin: Week of December 1, 2025
End of Season: Week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026
OTHER INFORMATION:
Facilities: All games and practices will be held in DASD gymnasiums (LMS, UH, DEHS, LE, etc.) and the Montgomery School Gymnasium
Player Age Eligibility: Boys grades 1-12, Girls grades 1-8
Eligible Addresses: All registrants MUST be residents of the Downingtown Area School District (DASD)
Contact Information: LYA Basketball Commissioner: Ashley Pirich-Bowers: [email protected]
LEAGUE DESCRIPTIONS:
Rookie Boys
Grades: 1st-2nd
Cost: $125.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $100.00)
Description:
· This is an instructional division that exposes players to the game of basketball.
· Format: 3v3 half court games for the first half of the season, moving to full court games throughout the season.
· Emphasis for this age group is on maximizing the number of touches per player.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will NOT be held for this division.
Teammate Requests:
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal to be considered (i.e. if Abe requests to be on a team with Ben & Charlie, Ben must also request Abe & Charlie, and Charlie must also request Abe & Ben).
· Requests to play for a specific coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week - Practices will occur on alternating evenings for each team, Monday-Friday, each week .
Games:
· ONE game per week.
· Games will be played on Sundays. However, there is the possibility of one or two games being played on a weekday evening in February, based on gym availability.
· Scores of games are NOT kept in this division.
· There will be no play-offs for this division.
Novice Boys
Grades: 3rd-4th
Cost: $185.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $160.00)
Description:
· Emphasis for this age group is still on the fundamentals of basketball.
· The focus is on teaching the fundamentals while providing an environment where the participants can be competitive while still having fun.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will NOT be held for this division.
Teammate Requests:
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal to be considered (i.e. if Abe requests to be on a team with Ben & Charlie, Ben must also request Abe & Charlie, and Charlie must also request Abe & Ben).
· Requests to play for a specific coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week - Practices will occur on alternating evenings for each team, Monday-Friday, each week .
Games:
· ONE game per week.
· Games will likely be played on Saturdays or Sundays. However, there is the possibility of one or two games being played on a weekday evening, based on gym availability.
· Games are refereed and scores are kept.
· Standings are not maintained.
· Unseeded/Random draw single-elimination playoffs will be held the week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026.
Junior Boys
Grades: 5th-6th
Cost: $185.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $160.00)
Description:
· Division focuses on age appropriate skills and game play.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will be held in this division in order to attempt to create balanced teams across the division.
· Attendance at evaluations is essential for EVERY player registered in this division.
· Evaluations will be for one hour on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD.
Teammate Requests:
· Teammate requests will be considered in this division. However, the priority will be to create balanced teams based on evaluations.
· Teammate requests will NOT be considered for players who do not attend evaluations.
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal (i.e. if Abe requests to be on a team with Ben & Charlie, Ben must also request Abe & Charlie, and Charlie must also request Abe & Ben).
· Requests to play for a particular coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week - Practices will occur on alternating evenings for each team, Monday-Friday, each week .
Games:
· ONE game per week.
· Games will likely be played on Saturdays or Sundays. However, there is the possibility of games being played on weekday evenings, based on gym availability.
· Games are refereed and scores are kept.
· Standings are maintained.
· Single-elimination playoffs will be the week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026.
Intermediate Boys
Grades: 7th-8th
Cost: $185.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $160.00)
Description:
· Division focuses on age appropriate skills and game play.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will be held in this division in order to attempt to create balanced teams across the division.
· Attendance at evaluations is essential for EVERY player registered in this division.
· Evaluations will be for one hour one hour on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD.
Teammate Requests:
· Teammate requests will be considered in this division. However, priority will be to create balanced teams based on evaluations.
· Teammate requests will NOT be considered for players who do not attend evaluations.
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal (i.e. if Abe requests to be on a team with Ben & Charlie, Ben must also request Abe & Charlie, and Charlie must also request Abe & Ben).
· Requests to play for a particular coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week during the month of December and first two weeks of January.
· Practices for the remainder of the season will be at the discretion of the coach of each team, and subject to gym availability.
Games:
· One/two games per week.
· Games may be played on weekday evenings and/or weekends.
· Games are refereed and scores are kept.
· Standings are maintained.
· Single-elimination playoffs will be the week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026.
Senior Boys
Grades: 9th-12th
Cost: $185.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $160.00)
Description:
· Division focuses on age appropriate skills and game play.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will be held in this division in order to attempt to create balanced teams across the division.
· Attendance at evaluations is essential for EVERY player registered in this division.
· Evaluations will be for one hour on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD.
Teammate Requests:
· Teammate requests will be considered in this division. However, priority will be to create balanced teams based on evaluations.
· Teammate requests will NOT be considered for players who do not attend evaluations.
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal (i.e. if Abe requests to be on a team with Ben & Charlie, Ben must also request Abe & Charlie, and Charlie must also request Abe & Ben).
· Requests to play for a particular coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· One/two practices during the first week(s) of the season.
· For the remainder of the season, the Senior Boys division will play only games.
Games:
· Two games per week on most weeks. However, depending on the number of teams in the division, there may be a few weeks when some teams have one game instead of two.
· Games may be played on weekday evenings and/or weekends.
· Games are refereed and scores are kept.
· Standings are maintained.
· Single-elimination playoffs will be the week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026.
Rookie Girls
Grades: 1st-3rd**
· **3rd grade girls ONLY: 3rd grade girls may register for either the Rookie Girls Division or the Junior Girls Division, based on experience.
o If your daughter has never played basketball before, please register her for the Rookie Girls Division.
o More experienced 3rd grade girls may register for the Junior Girls Division.
§ Any 3rd grade girl registered for the JUNIOR Girls Division MUST attend a mandatory evaluation on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD, to ensure proper placement.
o Requests for a 3rd grade girl to switch divisions once rosters are final will NOT be accommodated.
o All other grades MUST register in their appropriate division, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Cost: $125.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $100.00)
Description:
· This is an instructional division that exposes players to the game of basketball.
· Format: 3v3 half court games for the first half of the season, moving to full court games throughout the season.
· Emphasis for this age group is on maximizing the number of touches per player.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will NOT be held for this division.
Teammate Requests:
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal to be considered (i.e. if Annie requests to be on a team with Becky & Claire, Becky must also request Annie & Claire, and Claire must also request Annie & Becky).
· Requests to play for a specific coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week - Practices will occur on alternating evenings for each team, Monday-Friday, each week .
Games:
· ONE game per week.
· Games will be played on Sunday afternoons. However, there is the possibility of one or two games being played on a weekday evening in February, based on gym availability.
· Scores of games are NOT kept in this division.
· There will be no play-offs for this division.
Junior Girls
Grades: 3rd**-5th
· **3rd grade girls ONLY: 3rd grade girls may register for either the Rookie Girls Division or the Junior Girls Division, based on experience.
o If your daughter has never played basketball before, please register her for the Rookie Girls Division.
o More experienced 3rd graders may register for the Junior Girls Division.
§ Any 3rd grade girl registered for the JUNIOR Girls Division MUST attend a mandatory evaluation on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD, to ensure proper placement.
o Requests for a 3rd grade girl to switch divisions once rosters are final will NOT be accommodated.
o All other grades MUST register in their appropriate division, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Cost: $185.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $160.00)
Description:
· Division focuses on age appropriate skills and game play.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will be held in this division in order to attempt to create balanced teams across the division.
· Attendance at evaluations is essential for EVERY player registered in this division.
· Evaluations will be for one hour on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD.
Teammate Requests:
· Teammate requests will be considered in this division. However, priority will be to create balanced teams based on evaluations.
· Teammate requests will NOT be considered for players who do not attend evaluations.
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal to be considered (i.e. if Annie requests to be on a team with Becky & Claire, Becky must also request Annie & Claire, and Claire must also request Annie & Becky).
· Requests to play for a particular coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week - Practices will occur on alternating evenings for each team, Monday-Friday, each week .
Games:
· ONE game per week.
· Games will likely be played on Saturdays or Sundays. However, there is the possibility of games being played on weekday evenings, based on gym availability.
· Games are refereed and scores are kept.
· Standings are maintained.
· Single-elimination playoffs will be the week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026.
Intermediate Girls
Grades: 6th-8th
Cost: $185.00 (EARLY BIRD Cost: $160.00)
Description:
· Division focuses on age appropriate skills and game play.
Evaluations:
· Evaluations will be held in this division in order to attempt to create balanced teams across the division.
· Attendance at evaluations is essential for EVERY player registered in this division.
· Evaluations will be for one hour on November 9, 2025, Exact time: TBD.
Teammate Requests:
· Teammate requests will be considered in this division. However, priority will be to create balanced teams based on evaluations.
· Teammate requests will NOT be considered for players who do not attend evaluations.
· No more than 2 teammate requests per player will be considered.
· All teammate requests must be reciprocal to be considered (i.e. if Annie requests to be on a team with Becky & Claire, Becky must also request Annie & Claire, and Claire must also request Annie & Becky).
· Requests to play for a particular coach will NOT be considered.
Practices:
· ONE evening per week during the month of December and first two weeks of January.
· Practices for the remainder of the season will be at the discretion of the coach of each team, and subject to gym availability.
Games:
· One/two games per week.
· Games may be played on weekday evenings and/or weekends.
· Games are refereed and scores are kept.
· Standings are maintained.
· Single-elimination playoffs will be the week of February 23, 2026 - March 1, 2026.