Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if there is more than one team for my kid’s grade and school?
For grades with more than one team at a school, there will be a draft or “tryout.” Calling it a tryout is a bit misleading because all kids are placed on a team; but all players will be ran through a series of drills where coaches assess and select players in an alternating fashion. This is in an effort to keep the teams as fair as possible.
If I coach, can I select an assistant coach prior to drafting?
Coaches should select their assistant coaches after their school’s draft. In order to keep the teams fair, all players should be available to be selected and not on a predetermined team.
When is the SJAA season?
Registration typically starts around October 1st with games ending the last weekend of February. Games are usually played Fridays or Saturdays.
How can I become a referee?
If you (or your child) wants to be an official you can send us a message through the website under the Contact tab. Scroll to the bottom and you’ll see an inquiry form to submit for interested officials.
Do we provide financial assistance for families that might need it?
Yes we do. Any kid in Snohomish that wants to play basketball with SJAA can, no matter what. Our policy is that kids who are on free/reduced lunch at school automatically qualify for a scholarship with SJAA. Please send this information to the SJAA director for your school listed on our Contact page. The director will register your child for you.
Are select/feeder players allowed to play SJAA?
If your child plays on a select team, typically SBA or Grizzly Select, and is in 7th or 8th grade, they cannot play SJAA. Select kids in 6th grade or below may still play SJAA if they choose. This is to promote fairness and to implement as much parity as possible.
Can I request that my child be placed on a certain coach’s team?
For 1st and 2nd Grade teams yes. Please send this request to your school directors email address. For 3rd grade and above, we do not take note of these requests in order to keep the league as fair as possible.
Can I request my child to be on his/her friends team?
For 1st and 2nd grade, yes. These requests can go to your school director. For 3rd grade and up these requests are not recorded. The tradition of SJAA is that the kids play together with kids from their school, so they’re bound to have friends on their team. It is also best to find carpool arrangements after the teams are formed. If there is only one team from your child’s grade/school, it’s highly likely your child will be on his/her friend’s team.
Can I request that my child play for a different school?
Your child must play for the school he/she attends. If they home school or go to private school then they must play for the school they would attend otherwise. If you have special circumstances, you can email the board at hello_sjaa@hotmail.com
Are there playoffs or tournaments in SJAA?
Yes, for 5th grade and above we run a single elimination tournament at the end of the year. This is typically done the last weekend of February. You can expect to play multiple games that weekend including the possibility of playing on that Sunday.
What happens if not enough kids sign up in a given grade to form a division?
If needed, we may combine two grades together to form a division. This would be categorized as 3/4 and 5/6. For example, if not enough 6th graders registered to form a division, we may combine them with 5th graders and create a 5/6 division.
When and where are practices held?
Teams practice twice per week for an hour each. Games are held on some Friday night but mostly Satrudays. Typically, 1st and 2nd graders will play Friday nights.
Practices are typically held at the school your team is from. They are usually on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. Coaches get a chance to request when practices are held.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide practice info prior to registration and the season beginning.