What is the best age for children to start learning how to play basketball? This is a question that we hear all the time! Basketball is a sport that teaches children a multitude of skills! Children as young as five can benefit from learning the fundamentals of basketball, but the key is finding a program that tailors the instruction to meet the age and skill level of the children.
What is Tykes Basketball?
At CLS Minor Basketball, we offer a Tykes Beginners Basketball program for children ages five and up. Tykes is a coed program; currently, our Tykes range in age from five to nine years old. These children practice Fridays from mid-September to March, right here in Chestermere.
The goal of the CLS Minor Basketball Tykes program is to focus on building the fundamental skills of basketball while learning the rules of the game. We feel it is important to develop these skills before playing in a competitive basketball league.
Our coaches for the Tykes program are Chantal Eastland and Ann Stanford. Both coaches have been involved with CLS Minor Basketball for the past four years, coaching our U11 Mini Boys and Mini Girls and U13 Bantam Boys and Bantam Girls. Fun Fact: Coach Eastland and Coach Stanford were our very first Tykes coaches!
Coach Eastland and Coach Stanford teach our Tykes the fundamentals of basketball, such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. They also teach the kids the fundamentals of defence, teamwork, and help improve their overall physical fitness. Both coaches agree that it is gratifying to see the progress these children make over the season. We have many children who could barely dribble the basketball in October who are now dribbling the length of the court. Players who were scared the catch a pass are now opening their arms and eyes to receive that pass from their teammates with confidence. It’s a pretty amazing feeling for these coaches to watch their players learn and grow so quickly. The look on their faces when they finally accomplish the skill they have been working so hard to improve is PRICELESS!
After graduating from our Tykes program, many of these players will transition to our U11 Mini teams and will participate in the Calgary Minor Basketball Association (CMBA) league, playing competitive games every Saturday throughout the season.
If you would like more information on our Tykes program, please visit our website at www.clsminorbasketball.com or find us on Facebook by searching @CLSMinorBasketball
