TRAVEL PROGRAM

The Bedford Basketball League (BBL) continuously refines programming to promote the development of our players and meet the needs of our BBL community. Every year the BBL Board of Directors (BOD) performs a critical evaluation of the travel season in terms of player development, team performance and feedback from players, parents and coaches.

Travel Team Coaches:

The BBL Program is dependent upon volunteer coaches within the recreation and travel programs. The process begins with BBL BOD evaluation of travel coach candidates in September and the travel coach role extends throughout the MSBL travel season – generally October to March. At the conclusion of the travel season, the coach will relinquish the title and the selection process will be repeated for the next season.

BBL actively seeks new travel coach candidates on an annual basis and will continue to solicit the BBL community and publish announcements in the local Bedford newspapers.

In recent seasons, there have been no more than a single candidate for travel coach in nearly every grade/gender division. At this time, the BBL BOD has decided that term limits for travel coach roles are not necessary.

B-Teams in the Travel Program:

During the 2011-12 travel basketball season, the BBL launched a ‘B-Team’ within the Boys Travel Division. Feedback from players, parents and coaches was overwhelmingly positive and the team was competitive within their respective divisions.

BBL will continue to offer ‘B-Teams’ at grade/gender divisions where there is deemed to be sufficient player demand and threshold talent to play at a competitive level. BBL BOD reserves the right to determine if and at which grade/gender division(s) a B-Team may be offered. The decision will be rendered as soon as practical during the October timeframe following an initial evaluation of player candidates for travel teams at each grade/gender division.

Player Participation in Travel and Recreation Programs:

Over the years, BBL has received varied feedback from BBL coaches and parents regarding the participation of travel players in the recreation program. The original intent was to allow BBL travel players to continue to develop and participate with their friends within the BBL recreational program. However, there have been instances where a significant skill difference negatively impacted the relative parity that is intended among and between teams in the recreation program.

In addition, travel players face scheduling conflicts which often render them unavailable for practices or games with their respective recreational team. This has been especially disruptive during the playoffs for the recreational program.

Therefore, by default, travel players are excluded from playing in the recreation progrm. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the appropriate BBL recreation and travel director.

Number of Players on Travel Teams:

Travel team rosters will be limited to ten (10) players at all gender/grade divisions. This is intended to promote increased playing time (minutes) across a travel team roster of ten players. In accordance with the BBL, each player is required to play a minimum of 8 minutes to ensure overall team development and yet remain competitive in the MSBL league. 

This guideline is consistent with the BBL decision to offer ‘B-Teams’ where demand/skills dictate and to restrict travel players from participation in the recreation program.