NJB Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: 07/25/08

 

·         GENERAL

·         Where can I find out the latest information about the Foothill-SLAM NJB chapter?

·         What does “SLAM” mean?

·         What is the Silicon Valley Section?

·         Do I live within the Foothill-SLAM Chapter Boundary?

·         What is an NJB sponsor?  Why does the chapter need donations?

·         What is the mailing address of Foothill-SLAM?

·         What is "Silent Sunday"?

 

·         REGISTRATION

·         When can I register?

·         What is the process for registering a new player?

·         Do I have to register online?  What about using a paper form or attending walk-in registration?

·         What things do I need in order to register?

·         What are the GPA requirements for NJB?

·         What are the age limits for NJB?

·         What is the registration priority for new and returning players?

·         One of my children played in Foothill last season. His sister now wants to join. Does his sister get priority as a returning player? Can I register multiple children at once?

·         I noticed that I need to provide uniform sizes during online registration. Is there a guide to the sizes of the shirts and shorts?

·         I forgot to print the player registration form when I completed the online registration form.  How do I go back and do that?

·         When will I know if my child gets a spot in the chapter? How will I know if my child is put on the wait list?

·         My child is on the wait list for registration, what should I do?

·         What is a shooting shirt?

·         Where can I go to print a player’s name on the back of a shooting shirt?

·         What does the uniform look like?  Can my child wear a t-shirt under the jersey?

·         My child is a returning player and when I tried to register online using my user name and password from last season it said it was not valid.

·         My child played in Foothill two years ago.  She decided not to play last year, but has signed up again this year.  Is she considered a returning player?

·         I made a mistake when I submitted my online registration and I want to go back and correct it.  How do I do that?  How do I go back in after registering online to change or view the information that I typed in?

·         I made a change to my child's registration record online. Do I need to notify someone that I did this or have my registration form reprinted and remailed?

·         I registered my child online and when I tried to login later as an existing member it said "Invalid Login"

·         My child wants to play on an All-Net team.  Why is there no selection for this in the “division” field during online registration?

·         When I finished registering I realized that I was not prompted to enter things like volunteer information. Why not?

·         How can I register my child if I am traveling when registration begins?

·          

·         FEES AND PAYMENTS

·         How much does it cost to join NJB?

·         What do I get as part of my registration fee?

·         Why can't I use a credit card to pay my registration fees?

·         Do you offer financial assistance?

·         Online registration indicates that my child gets a Memory Mate as part of their registration fee.  What is a Memory Mate?

·         What is the refund policy for registration fees?

·         Why does it cost so much to play NJB basketball?

·         Is opting out tax deductible? If so then what is the difference between opting out and being a sponsor?

·          

·         TEAMS

·         What teams does NJB have?

·         Can I request that two kids be placed into the same team if they are friends? What about if they are siblings?

·         Can I request a particular coach for my child?

·         I understand that there is an additional fee for my child to play on an All-Net team.  Why does it cost more?

·         What is a waiver?

·         What division do I register for?  What if my second grader wants to “play-up” on a third/fourth grade team?

·         What about a D2 or D3 player who wants to play up?  Is that allowed?

·         What is All-Net?

·         What happens at the All-Net try-outs?

·         My child made an All-Net team, what do I need to submit for certification?

·         Why does my child have to attend a division evaluation? Is it a try-out?

·         How does the player draft work, and if it is really a draft then how can it produce balanced teams?

·         How are Division teams created?

·         How do I make a request to have my child on the same team as a friend?

·         I selected "Coach" as my volunteer job when I registered my child. What do I do next in order to let the chapter know I am interested in coaching?

·         What about assistant coaches? Do you allow assistant coaches to be teamed up with head coaches?

·         What does your chapter offer a high school program?

 

·         PRACTICES & GAMES

·         Can you tell me more about practices?

·         Why must there be a female adult chaperone present at each girls' practice? Does attending practice count as part of my volunteer hours?

·         When do the games start?

·         Who do we play games against?

·         How long is the season?

·         How much of the game will my child get to play in, especially if they have never played before?  How long is each game?

·         What size basketball is used for each division?

·          

·         VOLUNTEERING

·         Does NJB need my help?

·         What types of volunteer jobs are available?

·         What is “opting out”?

·         As a volunteer for NJB, do I need to register my fingerprints?

·         What does a gym monitor do?

·         Why doesn't the adult female chaperone for girls teams count towards fulfilling my volunteer obligation? Why can't I opt-out of it since I paid the opt-out fee?

·         How do coaches know which parents on their team have opted out of volunteering so they do not assign them a job?

 

General

Q: Where can I find out the latest information about the Foothill-SLAM NJB chapter?

A: Visit the Foothill-SLAM NJB website at www.njb-slam.org to find out the latest information about our chapter.

Q: What does “SLAM” mean?

A: SLAM is the acronym for the cities represent in the Foothill Chapter: Sunnyvale, Los Altos (Hills), and Mountain View.  It is therefore referred to as Foothill-SLAM NJB.

 

Q: What is the Silicon Valley Section?

A: Foothill-SLAM NJB and several other Chapters in the area comprise the Silicon Valley Section. Other Chapters include Almaden, Berryessa/Milpitas, Coyote Creek, San Jose East (Evergreen), Gilroy, Hollister, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Redwood City, Saratoga, West San Jose, and Willow Glen. The Silicon Valley NJB Section web site is www.siliconvalleynjb.com

 

Q: Do I live within the Foothill-SLAM Chapter Boundary?

A: With the exception of high school teams (which have no geographical boundaries), Foothill-SLAM NJB is the home chapter for residents of Sunnyvale, Los Altos, a portion of Los Altos Hills, and Mountain View. If you do not live in one of these cities Foothill-SLAM NJB is not your home chapter, and you will need to find your home chapter to play NJB. Please see the Silicon Valley NJB Section web site http://www.siliconvalleynjb.com for more information on the other chapters and to see a chapter boundary map.

 

Q: What is an NJB sponsor?  Why does the chapter need donations?

A: The Foothill-SLAM NJB (National Junior Basketball) Chapter is requesting your assistance in sponsoring teams for the upcoming basketball season. Sponsoring a team is a good investment in your community.  If you are sponsoring $150 or more, please be sure to complete our sponsorship form. The Foothill-SLAM NJB Chapter is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing the finest youth basketball program available. Our chapter opened in 2004 and our membership has been nearing the 500 player mark. Our funding is entirely dependent upon the contributions of local businesses and individuals along with the players’ registration fee.

 

You can become sponsor when you register your child on-line.  After doing so please go to our website homepage and click the “Sponsor Form” link in order to print off our sponsor form.  You can follow the instructions on the form in order to submit it.

 

Q: What is the mailing address of Foothill-SLAM?

A:  All mailing information can be found in the “Contact Us” section of the website.

 

Q: What is “Silent Sunday”?

A:  The following information about Silent Sunday is from NJB Headquarters.  The date of Silent Sunday for our chapter can be found in our calendar.

“NJB is all about our kids!  Our kids look to us as role models on how to act when it comes to games.  The main goal of NJB is to make sure the kids have fun.  To ensure positive parent support during today’s game, parents are to remain SILENT throughout the entire contest (however clapping will be permitted).  Site Directors and Board Directors are instructed to enforce Silent Sunday.  Hoping we remind ourselves of the significant role we play in the lives of our kids at their NJB events.  Fun is number one!!”

Registration

Q: When can I register?

A: On-line registration for the winter season normally opens on the last Saturday in July.  The starting date and time for registration will be communicated in two ways: via email to the list of returning families, and also on the home page at the Foothill-SLAM NJB website.  There is no walk-in registration.  All registration is done online.

 

Q: What is the process for registering a new player?

A: The registration process for a new player is the same as that of a returning player except that the new player has to provide the following certification documents (no originals please):

  • copy of the player's birth certificate or passport
  • copy of ALL of the pages of the most recent report card (i.e. the last report issued from the previous school year)
  • copy of a current utility bill (only gas/electric, water, and garbage are acceptable) showing your name and current address

 

NJB rules require that the registration and medical release forms, birth certificate and a copy of the report card shall be on file with each chapter.

The parents of the new player will need to check the home page of the Foothill-SLAM NJB website for the starting date and time of registration.

 

Q: Do I have to register online?  What about using a paper form or attending walk-in registration?

A: We no longer hold walk-in registration or use paper forms.  All registration is done online at our website.

 

Q: What things do I need in order to register?

A: When registering online it is recommended that you have your child’s medical, dental, and emergency contact information handy.  You will need to submit this information during online registration.  For returning players, certification documents are no longer required for Divisional play.  Please do not mail birth certificates, report cards, or utility bills to NJB.  However, if your child is new to the NJB-SLAM league, you will need to provide certification documents for your child.  You will need to print out the Registration/Medical Release Form available in the online registration and bring two signed copies of the Registration/Medical Release Form to the Player Evaluations.  All of the requirements mentioned above will be communicated during on-line registration as well.

 

In order for your child to play All-Net or All-Stars, the following player certification documents will be required (no originals please): 

  • copy of the player's birth certificate or passport
  • copy of ALL of the pages of the most recent report card (i.e. the last report issued from the previous school year)
  • copy of a current utility bill (only gas/electric, water, and garbage are acceptable) showing your name and current address

 

In summary, for returning players, the player certification documents listed above are not required for Division play but are required for All-Net and All-Stars.

New players will need to provide certification documents for Division play.  NJB rules require that the registration and medical release forms, birth certificate and a copy of the report card shall be on file with each chapter.  Returning players have already provided these certification documents to the NJB-SLAM chapter.

 

Q: What are the GPA requirements for NJB?

A. All-Net certification occurs before the season starts, and requires players to show a 2.0 grade point average for the prior school year's final report period. Foothill-SLAM will check the report card GPA before allowing a player on an All-Net team. There are no exceptions. There is a second certification during the season based on the first trimester, or second quarter report card. Again a 2.0 GPA is required for eligibility in post-season play. This review only covers regular season and end of season tournament (Championship Series Tournament) play. The Foothill-SLAM chapter has adopted a policy requiring that players show a minimum 2.0 GPA to be eligible for Divisional All Stars, including grade based teams. There are no exceptions granted. Eligibility is determined on the latest report card after the season.

 

Q: What are the age limits for NJB?

A: Players are categorized by grade and are then assigned the appropriate division level (e.g. D1, D2).  If a player in one of these divisions exceeds the age limits provided for that division by NJB then they will be contacted by our Chapter and notified of this.  This is a very rare situation and in those cases the player is moved up to the next higher division.

 

The age restrictions are based upon your child’s age as of May 1st of the next year using the table below:

 

Division                  Age Requirement

D3                         Shall not turn 11 before May 1st of the next year

D2                         Shall not turn 13 before May 1st of the next year

D1                         Shall not turn 15 before May 1st of the next year

 

Q: What is the registration priority for new and returning players?

A: Children of board members and returning families have the highest priority.  Siblings of returning players (i.e. they had a brother or sister play on a Foothill team in a previous season) have the next highest priority.  Players who qualify for an All-Net team also have additional priority over others.  Players who reside within the chapter boundaries have priority over those with waivers who do not.  Second graders are only accepted after all qualified third and fourth graders are accepted.  Registration priority will be lost for any of the groups above unless all documents and full payment are not received by the deadline (based on postmarked date).  Families that do not fulfill their volunteer responsibilities will lose their priority for the next season.

 

For new players their relative priority with other new families will be the date and time of their online registration.  It should be noted that any prioritization listed above is only done for players who complete their registration requirements correctly (e.g. payment, and attend evaluations).  There is one exception to the above: high school players do not rely on geographical boundaries; instead they are added to a team based on try-outs.  For new players who do not fall into one of the categories described above, registration priority is based on the time of registration (i.e. the earlier the registration, the higher the priority).  If the Chapter needs an additional coach and one of the parents is eligible to coach, the child will be moved up in priority to secure the additional coach.

 

Q: One of my children played in Foothill last season.  His sister now wants to join.  Does his sister get priority as being a returning player?  Can I register multiple children at once?

A: His sister gets priority, but not as a returning player.  She gets the next highest level which is "sibling of a returning player".  That means that she has priority over any new players, but not over returning players.  All of this assumes that she has fully completed each step of the registration process (e.g. online registration, payment, attends evaluations).  Our registration system allows multiple children in one family to all be registered at the same time.

 

Q: I noticed that I need to provide uniform sizes during online registration. Is there a guide to the sizes of the shirts and shorts?

A: The guide shown below can be used to determine the approximate sizes of the NJB uniforms. The uniform size to specify during registration is given in the blue text.  The typical measurement of the shirt and corresponding shorts is given in the red text.  Measure your child’s waist and chest circumference with a tape measure to determine the best fit. A uniform may consist of different sized items (e.g. it is acceptable to select an AM t-shirt and an AL shooting shirt).

 

Shirt
Size
to Order

Youth
Small

Youth
Medium

Youth
Large

Adult
Small

Adult
Medium

Adult
Large

Adult
Extra
Large

Adult
Extra
Extra
Large

Shirts:

YS

Chest

28-30
inches

YM

Chest

32-34
inches

YL

Chest

36-38 inches

AS

Chest

34-36
inches

AM

Chest

38-40 inches

AL

Chest

42-44 inches

AXL

Chest

46-48 inches

AXXL

Chest

50-52 inches

Shorts
Size
to Order

Youth
Small

Youth
Medium

Youth
Large

Adult
Small

Adult
Medium

Adult
Large

Adult
Extra
Large

Adult
Extra
Extra
Large

Shorts:

YS

Waist

20-22
inches

YM

Waist

24-26
inches

YL

Waist

28-30
inches

AS

Waist

26-28
inches

AM

Waist

30-32
inches

AL

Waist

34-36
inches

AXL

Waist

38-40
inches

AXXL

Waist

42-44
inches

 

 

Q: I forgot to print the player Registration/Medical form when I did online registration.  How do I go back and do that?

A: Go to the Foothill website at www.njb-slam.org.  On the right side of the screen, click on “Check Registration Status”. Login as an existing member on the left side of the screen using the password you created during your initial online registration.  If you have forgotten your password you can also use this screen to find out what it is.  After logging on as an existing member, select the child whose registration form you want to print.  Click on the “Forms” selection on the left side of the screen to print it off.  Don’t forget to print two copies, sign them, and bring them to the player Evaluation.

 

Q: When will I know if my child gets a spot in the chapter? How will I know if my child is put on the wait list?

A: Consult the chapter calendar which can be found on the website.  The wait list will be created about a week after all of the division evaluations have been completed.  At this time both players who have a spot in the chapter and those who do not (and are on the wait list) will be notified of their status.

 

Q: My child is on the wait list for registration, what should I do?

A: Players on the wait list will be notified if there is an opening at any time up to the first game of the season.  After the first game any players still on the wait list will have their payments refunded at 100% (or the checks shredded if they were not yet deposited).

 

Q: What is a shooting shirt?

A: A shooting shirt (or shooter shirt) is an optional part of the uniform that players can wear when they are warming up.  For a picture please go to our website and click on the Uniform photos selection on the left.