The METB program is for players in grades 5-8 who live in Manchester or Essex, MA or attend one of the school's in the Manchester-Essex Regional School District. While we strive to establish girls and boys programs for all 5-8 grade levels, the final teams are dependent on the number of registered players and coaches who meet our coach guidelines.  If a team can not be fielded for one (or both) of these reasons, all registrants will be notified and shall receive a full refund. 

Teams in our program compete with others from surrounding towns, often resulting in a more competitive environment. While we encourage coaches to provide meaningful playing time for all METB players, playing time in games may be earned and is not always guaranteed. For families looking for a program focused on newer or more developing players, the Manchester-Essex town program (grades 3–6) and the Middle School basketball program (grades 7–8) offer guaranteed playing time.

Individual team pages will be created via the SportsEngine app once registration is closed. Parents and players will have access to their individual team page once teaming decisions have been finalized.

*Note: all policies are subject to change at the board of directors discretion

To ensure competitive balance, appropriate development opportunities, and organizational transparency, this policy outlines team formation & operational guidelines, player evaluations, and team placement for the METB youth basketball program. We do not cut players from our program due to skill level. 

Team Formation Guidelines

14 or Fewer Registered Players

• A single team will be formed for the grade and gender grouping.

15 or More Registered Players

• Two teams will be formed: an "A" Team and a "B" Team.

Team Operational Guidelines

Single Team (14 or fewer registered players)

• Teams with 11 to 14 players may request to use a rotating game-day roster during the regular season —meaning 1 to 4 players may sit out each game. With this approach, coaches may pick up additional non-league games to provide more playing time to those players who may sit throughout the season. Due to the increased costs associated with this approach, prior approval is required from the Board of Directors and will be considered based on gym availability and additional league funding.

• Coaches are strongly encouraged to ensure all players have a fair number of game opportunities throughout the regular season. Player availability will not be factored into this distribution. If a player is unable to attend a game they were scheduled for, that game will simply count as a missed opportunity, and coaches are not obligated to reschedule or offer a replacement game.

• For teams using a rotating roster, every player must be given the opportunity to participate in at least one playoff game. If a player cannot attend their assigned playoff game, coaches are not required to reassign them to a different game.

A/B Teams (15+ Players)

Following evaluations:

• Players will be placed on either the "A" Team or "B" Team.
• These rosters will remain static for the entire season, including playoffs.

Player Evaluation, Team Placement, & Division Placement

• All players in grades with A/B Teams will be evaluated by independent evaluators prior to the start of the season (i.e. evaluators will not be a parent to any of the players they are directly evaluating for teaming). In a small region like ours, any local evaluator or basketball organization will inevitably know or have coached some number of our program’s players. Therefore, “independence” refers specifically to the absence of players' parents as being direct evaluators of the groups being evaluated — not to whether an evaluator has ever coached or encountered players in other basketball settings.
• Evaluators will assess each player’s fundamental skills, including such things as ball handling, shooting, passing, defense, and rebounding. During scrimmages, they will also consider additional factors such as playmaking ability, game awareness, effort, attitude, teamwork, communication, and overall basketball IQ. 
• Written evaluations will not be provided for each child due to time and budget constraints. Instead, the evaluators will share observations with one another and reach a consensus on team placements.
• Team placement by the evaluators is final.   
• The Board of Directors strongly encourages all players to attend both evaluation dates.
• Children unable to attend at least one of the two scheduled evaluations will automatically be placed on the lower team, no exceptions.
• Evaluations will be closed to parents/observers. Please plan to drop your child off 15 minutes before their scheduled start time, so they can be checked in, and pick them up promptly at the end. Parents should not enter the gym at any point during evaluations. A member of the Board of Directors will be at a table checking children in and assigning them an evaluation number - the board member doing check-ins will not be affiliated with the group being evaluated. 
• Any families who wish for their child to be placed on the B team (for example, due to personal preference, commitment level, or social reasons) must notify us prior to evaluations taking place.
• Once evaluations have been completed, no movement between teams will be allowed. For example, a player placed on the A team cannot later move to the B team because their friends are on that team.
• Players wearing any type of hard cast (or a soft cast with hard components) may participate only in non-contact drills such as ball handling and layup practice. To ensure the safety of all participants and prevent further injury, players in casts will not be permitted to take part in contact drills or scrimmages.  
• No cuts will be made.
• Once coaches have been assigned to individual teams they will decide on division placement within the overall Cape Ann Youth Basketball League, based on the overall team skill level.