25 LEVELS TO BASKETBALL - by Jim Walker
|
Level |
Female |
Male |
Cdn Referee |
US Female |
US Male |
|
1 |
Jr Mini |
House League |
Pre Level 1 |
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|
|
2 |
Jr Mini |
House League |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
3 |
Mini |
Jr Mini |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
4 |
Mini |
Jr Mini |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
5 |
Mini |
Jr Mini |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
6 |
Bantam |
Mini |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
7 |
Bantam |
Mini |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
8 |
Bantam |
Mini |
Pre Level 1 |
|
|
|
9 |
Midget/Jr Hi |
Bantam |
Level 1 |
|
|
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10 |
Midget/Jr Hi |
Bantam |
Level 1 |
|
|
|
11 |
Midget/Jr Hi |
Bantam |
Level 1 |
|
|
|
12 |
Juvenile/Sr Hi |
Midget/Jr Hi |
Level 1 |
|
|
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13 |
Juvenile/Sr Hi |
Midget/Jr Hi |
Level 1 |
|
|
|
14 |
Juvenile/Sr Hi |
Midget/Jr Hi |
Level 1 |
|
|
|
15 |
ACAA/CIAU |
Juvenile/Sr Hi |
Level 2 |
|
|
|
16 |
ACAA/CIAU |
Juvenile/Sr Hi |
Level 2 |
|
|
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17 |
ACAA/CIAU |
Juvenile/Sr Hi |
Level 2 |
|
|
|
18 |
National |
ACAA/CIAU |
Level 3 |
NCAA |
|
|
19 |
National |
ACAA/CIAU |
Level 3 |
NCAA |
|
|
20 |
International |
CIAU |
Level 3 |
WNBA |
|
|
21 |
International |
National |
Level 4 |
WNBA |
NCAA |
|
22 |
|
National |
Level 4 |
WNBA |
NCAA |
|
23 |
|
International |
Level 5 |
|
NBA |
|
24 |
|
International |
Level 5 |
|
NBA |
|
25 |
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|
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|
NBA |
There are a lot of skills required to play basketball and those learned by the higher levels are not usually known and appreciated by the lower levels.
In mini, new players have troubles knowing where in bounds and out of bounds are, how to dribble and how to make a layup. Indeed, many have trouble getting enough force to allow the ball to go above the rim and into the net;-) At Level 25, International players have to learn the rigamarole in the NBA where higher paid players have earned extra leeway in the rules due to outstanding abilities. In between are 1001 skills to learn to play the game well. Factors such as height, weight and conditioning are also big in determining who become better players.
Referees at the different levels also tend to call things appropriate to the level of the 2 teams playing. They don’t always know at the start of the game and often will call at a lower level at the beginning of the game until they understand who the better players are and the overall ability of the teams.
Injured players also drop down a few steps until they become fully recovered.
Many elite players eventually drop down from their highest abilities and will need to readjust to life at lower levels when they try and have “fun”. Some never learn this ability and have to look to other sports.
Coaches every year have to endure tryouts and evaluate who are the best players available to them. Then they have to try and improve each and every player while also getting each player to understand the abilities of their teammates. Each team will usually develop a pecking order of best to worst players and adjust the plays for different players as they come into the game.