Youth Basketball
It All Started at the Y!
When Dr. James Naismith was a young faculty member at the YMCA International Training School in Massachusetts, he was charged with instructing a group of young men who had little to no interest in the common calisthenics exercises of the day, so he set about developing a new game that would draw their attention and provide the physical activity needed to keep them healthy.
Taking inspiration from other team games, Dr. Naismith created a team sport with a peach basket and a soccer ball played indoors on hardwood. The group loved it, and the game was born. On December 21, 1891, the first-ever game of basketball was played.
The YMCA continues this tradition more than a century later. Basketball at the Y promotes life skills through the value of teamwork, sportsmanship, communication and exercise.
Youth Basketball League
Our Youth basketball League offers a program where participants will be included on teams and play games against one another. Our leagues provide the chance for every player to develop their discipline, sportsmanship, strength and endurance. While practices are geared toward strengthening your child’s individual skills, game time emphasizes each player’s understanding of the sport, game rules and team competition. Y volunteer coaches will focus on developing a sense of teamwork in a setting that encourages fun, healthy, age-appropriate competition. By the end of the season, your child will have gained a better understanding of the sport, its rules and the basic skills. YMCA youth recreational basketball leagues play with modified rules for each age division.
The Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation are proud partners with the Santa Monica Family YMCA Youth Basketball League.
Free Play
The Y also offers opportunity for pick-up basketball at several locations association-wide. View the gymnasium schedule on the home page of your local YMCA for free play time.
