Backyard Basketball Academy
HOME OF THE
Our Vision
Vision
Backyard Basketball Academy Inc. is a grassroots Nonprofit Organization created to inspire our community of young athletes and build a lifelong connection to sport. We are a Canada Basketball Verified Club that is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for athletes to strive for excellence and become better versions of themselves. We are humbled by our responsibility to our community and work to provide opportunity for all youth to play basketball without limitation or barriers. We show up to lead and serve with courage and compassion, to work hard at improving our whole selves, and to contribute to a meaningful work in the lives of our athletes.
Mission
To provide quality coaching and play a significant role in the skill and character development of our next generation of athletes. To empower our athletes and create space to learn, grow, and build confidence so that together we can accomplish incredible things on and off the court.
Core Values
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Have Fun on Purpose.
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Treat everyone with dignity and respect, be kind to everyone we encounter.
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Commit to ongoing excellence and develop our diverse talents, initiative, and leadership.
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Act with uncompromising honesty and integrity in all that we do.
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Provide quality programming to all in our community and limit barriers for participation.
"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."
-John Wooden
Acknowledgment of Traditional Territory
Backyard Basketball Academy is home to a diverse and welcoming community. We celebrate our Indigenous heritage, including the ancestral lands on which our Academy is located today.
We acknowledge that the land we are situated on is the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 6. We respect the histories, languages and cultures of the First Nations, the Métis, the Inuit, and all the First Peoples of Canada who share a history and deep connection with this land. And all those whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries and whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
To acknowledge the traditional territory is to recognize its longer history, reaching beyond colonization and the establishment of European colonies. As well, as its significance for the Indigenous peoples who lived and continue to live upon this territory, whose practices and spiritualities were tied to the land and continue to develop in relationship to the land and its other inhabitants today.
Excellence Takes Time
Athletic Development
Physical Literacy: The cornerstone of both participation and excellence in physical activity and sport, physical literacy is a priority prior to a child’s adolescent growth spurt. Physically literate individuals are more likely to achieve sport success and remain active for life.
Specialization: Late-specialization sports (like basketball) require athletes to play other sports until they are over 12-years-old. Early specialization can cause overuse injuries, burnout, early retirement, and limit fundamental skills. Coaches should develop “global players”, where every player learns the skills for every position.
Developmental Age: Physical, mental, and emotional maturity refers to one’s development age — and not everyone matures at the same rate. Sport often uses chronological age (i.e. years) for distribution, pushing early-maturing athletes into elite streams prematurely (limiting their fundamental skill development) and late-maturing athletes out of competition entirely (limiting their opportunities to advance in the sport system).
Sensitive Periods: Specific windows in maturation create conditions for optimal development for a specific skill or physical capacity. If these windows are missed, a child may never reach their greatest athletic potential.
Holistic Development: Coaches should focus on all areas of athlete development, finding a complimentary balance in mental, cognitive, and emotional development. Quality sport programs aim to develop well-rounded and self-reliant individuals and athletes.
Periodization: A time management approach to athlete development, periodization gives a framework for the frequency, intensity, and volume of training to ensure optimal efficiency.
Competition: Adult competition models are often imposed on youth sport. In childhood, the focus of all activities should be on fun first, with limited structured competition. As athletes mature, competition should still be no more than 30% of one’s sport participation.
Excellence Takes Time: Research suggests it takes at least 10 years of training for a talented athlete to reach an elite level — elite is defined as when an athlete specializes in one sport. Development is a long-term process, and there are no shortcuts to achieving excellence.
System Alignment: Pathways for sport participants must be clearly defined with multiple entry points. There is an interdependence between physical education, persons with disabilities, school sport, competitive sport, and recreational activities. Program connections across these channels must exist to ensure smooth transitions between stages.
Kaizen: Continued improvement (Kaizen) refers to an ever-changing sport climate, and the need to stay in touch with relevant issues and trends. To optimize the sport system, basketball uses sport science, medical plans, and integrated support teams.
