Xavier Youth Basketball Association
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FAQ
 

Q: How does Junior Hawks differ from the program offered at St. Joseph Middle School?

 

A: The Junior Hawks program is targeted for the more serious and committed basketball player.  The ACES Elementary schools have participated in the Appleton Park & Recreation program while St. Joseph School participates in the Fox Valley Area Parochial School Basketball League.  These programs allow all students to participate with their classmates and play as a "school team". While the Elementary and St. Joseph Middle School programs offer a great opportunity for all students in those schools to participate, the Junior Hawks program is targeted at any basketball player considering attendance at Xavier High School (from any area school) with aspirations to play basketball at the High School level.  If your family choice has already been made and is an alternative high school, we highly encourage your student/athlete to participate in the high school developmental program sponsored by that high school.
 
While Junior Hawks is described as "more serious", we do not 'cut' kids.  We prefer to encourage participation.  This is definitely NOT an AAU program but rather a program to encourage and foster development for the future high school program.
 

Q: Can I play both the Elementary/St. Joseph program AND Junior Hawks?

 

A: Absolutely!  The two programs coordinate schedules to allow participants to play both if they desire.  The boys and girls Junior Hawks schedules take into consideration the St. Joseph as well as the APRD schedule.  The two programs do not run concurrently and thus you can play either one or both.
 
The XYBA program is designed to start after school programs complete.  Many of the parochial elementary schools have chosen different leagues over the years but generally they run up to roughly Christmas time (mid-October to mid-December).   The XYBA, or Junior Hawks season usually begins just after the New Year.  Each age level is a bit different and specific timeframes may not be available until closer to the boys and girls season begins.  The best way to determine the rough time frame is to visit the Grade-appropriate page for your son or daughter and evaluate either last year's tournaments or the upcoming years schedule (depending upon when they are posted/updated)
 

Q: When are games played (what days of the week)?

 

A: The Junior Hawks program involves only tournament play; there is no league.  All tournaments are played on the weekend.  While there may be a Friday evening game, nearly all games are played on Saturday and/or Sunday.  The weekends of tournaments cannot be determined until tournament enrollment begins; this differs for each tournament.
Q: When does the season start/end?
 
A: The answer to this really depends and may differ each year.  It also depends if you are speaking of the boys or girls programs.
 
The boys program generall starts after the first of the year.  Generally the 4th, and 5th will begin immediately after the New Year.  Sixth grade will start shortly after the SJMS season completes.  The 7th and 8th grade must wait until after the SJMS league tournament completes which is generally mid-January.
 
The Boys 6th, 7th, and 8th grade season concludes with the "State Tournament" which is typically toward the last week of March.  Recently a 5th grade state tournament has been introduced.
 
The girls program is a bit more complex.  The girls XYBA conducts a split program with a season that begins toward the end of October and runs through December.  In December, the SJMS leagues kick-in and XYBA goes into a state of hibernation until about mid-February.  After mid-February, the XYBA season continues and runs through March.
 
The Girls 6th, 7th, and 8th grade season concludes with the "State Tournament" which is toward the end of March or very early April.  Recently a 5th grade state tournament has been introduced.