CTBBALL

Connecticut Basketball Conference

Teaching Winning Habits · ctbball.org
20th Winter Season · 2026–27
Grades 4–8 · Girls & Boys
Coaches & Club Presidents
The CTBBALL Manual
Everything a coach or Club President needs in one place — who we are, what we expect of each other, how the season runs, and how to do each thing on this website.

Contents

  1. I. CTBBALL’s Mission
  2. II. Our Code — What We Expect of Coaches and Parents
  3. III. Our Program
  4. IV. How to Use This Website

I. CTBBALL’s Mission ↑ contents

The goal of our program is to teach winning habits — since no school offers a class called “perseverance,” “grit,” or “drive.” We view the basketball court as a classroom that happens to have lines painted on the floor, where kids learn the lessons that endure a lifetime.
The Connecticut Basketball Conference will tip off its 20th season in December 2026, making it one of the oldest — and largest — travel and high school basketball leagues in New England. It plays more than 2,000 games each winter season, providing town/travel, high school, and AAU basketball opportunities for girls and boys who are qualified, both by ability and desire, to compete in a competitive basketball environment.

II. Our Code — What We Expect of Coaches and Parents ↑ contents

Connecticut Basketball emphasizes that good conduct and competitive sports can co-exist, while maintaining the highest standards of conduct at all times.
The Prime Directive
We work together to resolve issues off the court — and compete intensely on the court. We strive to address issues without having to escalate them to the Club Presidents or the League.
We communicate with respect. We disagree without being disagreeable. We don’t yell or scream at each other — or write unproductive emails. In fact, when we communicate, we like to start it with, “We all really appreciate everything you do for our kids and community… but”
We play every possession like the 7th game of the WNBA or NBA Finals — because the most important winning habit is that success demands maximum effort at all times.
Coaches
Coaches should emphasize skill development, sportsmanship, and learning over winning. Problem coaches have been and will continue to be expelled from our League — model adult behavior takes priority over any argument over a basketball technicality. Coaches must remain composed, provide equitable praise, adapt to individual learning differences, and maintain safe playing environments.
Parents & Spectators — what undermines the mission
  • Directing insults at athletes.
  • Offering sideline coaching during games.
  • Entering the court during play — which triggers forfeiture under League rules.
Parents & Spectators — what advances it
  • Modelling respect for all participants.
  • Valuing effort over outcomes.
  • Cheering for all team members equitably.
  • Avoiding confrontation with officials.
  • Prioritising player safety.
Players
Players must arrive punctually, develop skills, respect all participants, support teammates, and demonstrate sportsmanship through post-game handshakes.
Referees
Officials must exercise impartiality, uphold professional standards, cooperate constructively, maintain punctuality, and remain alert to hazardous conditions requiring notification to coaches and the League.

III. Our Program ↑ contents

Regular Season. Play begins the first week of December and runs until the third week of February. We typically play on Fridays (junior divisions only), Saturdays, and Sundays.
Post-Season. Our post-season, the “Conference Tournament,” begins the final week of February and runs two weekends, ending the first weekend of March. All teams qualify for this single-elimination tournament. Teams finishing the regular season with a winning record are placed in an “NCAA Bracket”; teams finishing below .500 are placed in an “NIT Bracket” and battle for the NIT crown.
Tournament Play. Three in-season tournaments, all New England Championship qualifiers: the Pre-Season Turkey Shoot, Santa’s Shootout, and the MLK Day Classic.
All-Stars. Our Annual All-Star Classic for all grade levels is played on President’s Day in either Berlin or Middletown.
Community Service. Mandatory for all member Clubs: the Annual Food Drive in December, Coaches versus Cancer in February, and Shoot for a Better Future Scholarships in March.
Eligibility. All players from a Club or team must be from the same town. Players may not “play down,” but are encouraged to “play up.” Clubs must hold insurance in good standing and execute a League waiver each season.
Rosters lock on 1 January. Up to that date any coach or Club President may add or remove a player on their own team, directly on the team page, and the change is made straight away. From 1 January the roster is locked and a change needs the League’s approval: the same short form on the team page goes to the Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner, who approve or decline it. An approval is applied to the roster automatically. Nothing is ever deleted — a player who leaves is marked as no longer playing, so a mistake can always be put right.

IV. How to Use This Website ↑ contents

What follows should help you execute the coach-related tasks you need through the season. Everything here describes this site.
1. How do I sign in?
Sign-in is by email, with no password. You type the email address the League has on file for you from registration, we send you a one-time link, and clicking it signs you in. There is nothing to remember and nothing to reset.
Not built yet. Until sign-in exists, contact details and rosters are visible only on the League’s own machine. Nobody can sign in yet.
2. How does registration work?
  • New Clubs use Apply to Join. We respond within 24 hours, though we cannot accept every Club that applies.
  • Returning Clubs use Returning Teams Registration to confirm teams, gym and Club President.
  • On both, tick each division you are entering, say how many teams, and give each an A, B or C skill level. We power rank every team on this season and last, so your placement may be adjusted.
  • The deadline for both is 31 October 2026.
  • Tournaments have their own forms on the Registrations page. A tournament is billed after its bracket is filled, not when you enter.
3. How do I upload my roster?
  • Rosters are due Black Friday — 27 November 2026, 12:00.
  • Go to your team’s page (from Teams & Standings, click your team) and use the Roster panel.
  • There is no limit on squad size, but we recommend no more than ten — it is hard to get more than that into a game.
  • Players are shown publicly as first name and last initial, e.g. “Nathan C.”
Uploading is not built yet. Rosters currently display from the League’s roster export. Continue to upload on ctbball.org for now.
4. How do I add or remove a player?
Same place — your team page, Roster panel. Removing a player marks them inactive rather than deleting them, so a mid-season change never loses the record of who played.
Not built yet, for the same reason as uploading.
5. How do I message the other teams in my division?
This one works now. Go to your team page and press Message the division. It opens your own mail app with every coach in your division already addressed — your own team left out, everyone in Bcc so no address is passed around — and a draft asking who can fill your date. Edit it and send.
6. How do I enter my score?
Go to your team page and use the Enter Scores panel. Scores are what drive the standings and the power rankings, so please enter them promptly after each game.
Not built yet. Continue entering scores on ctbball.org. The panel is built and will say plainly that nothing was saved rather than pretend.
7. How do I change a game?
  • Step 1. Please do not cancel on your opponent — first try to find some way to play, even with five. Cancellations cause extreme consternation (and kill Leagues). They are also the number one reason teams are not invited back.
  • Step 2. If there is truly no way to play, contact your opponent and your Club President — who is always managing the Club’s home gym — as soon as possible.
  • Step 3. Try to agree another date with your opponent. Gym time is our most precious resource, so this is not always possible. Use Message the division on your team page to find a replacement quickly.
  • Step 4. Tell the League so the schedule is corrected. Only the League changes a scheduled game.
8. How do I add or change a team?
Only the League can add or change a team. Contact your Club President, who will in turn contact the League.
Onward Together
Keep Rebounding
Connecticut Basketball Conference