JYO DIVISIONS

JYO fields teams across three divisions, from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Each division is designed to meet players where they are — building foundational skills in the younger grades and introducing friendly competition as players grow.

KINDER DIVISION (GRADE K)

  • Open to boys and girls entering kindergarten in the fall. Teams are co-ed.
  • 8-foot or lower rim height. Size 5 (27.5") basketball.
  • Practices are 60 minutes.
  • Kinder teams do not play in a league. Games are played in jamborees — single-day events hosted by Bay Area Asian American youth basketball organizations, typically consisting of two games. Jamborees are non-competitive with no scorekeeping, focused on early skill development and fun.
  • JYO teams play in 4–6 jamborees per season, depending on player and coach availability.
  • The JYO Jamboree is included in the registration fee. Entry fees for all other jamborees are shared among team families.

INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION (GRADES 1-3)

  • Open to boys and girls entering 1st–3rd grade in the fall.
  • Standard 10-foot regulation hoops. For 1st grade teams, 8-foot extenders may be used at the coach's discretion or per jamboree rules.
  • Size 5 (27.5") basketball for girls. Size 6 (28.5") for boys.
  • Practices are 90 minutes.
  • Instructional teams do not play in a league. Games are played in jamborees — single-day events hosted by Bay Area Asian American youth basketball organizations, typically consisting of two games. Jamborees are non-competitive with no scorekeeping, focused on skill development and team building.
  • JYO teams play in 4–6 jamborees per season, depending on player and coach availability.
  • The JYO Jamboree is included in the registration fee. Entry fees for all other jamborees are shared among team families.

LEAGUE DIVISION (GRADES 4-8)

  • Open to boys and girls entering 4th–8th grade in the fall.
  • Standard 10-foot regulation hoops.
  • Size 6 (28.5") basketball for boys in 4th and 5th grade and girls 4th-8th grade. Size 7 (29.5") for boys in 6th–8th grade.
  • Team structure:
    • Boys: combined 4th/5th grade team; individual teams for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
    • Girls: 4th grade team; combined 5th/6th grade team; combined 7th/8th grade team.
  • League teams play 8 Nikkei Youth Basketball Association (NYBA) games on Sundays, from late November through February. There are no playoffs at the end of the season.
  • Teams may opt into additional tournaments outside of NYBA league play at an additional cost.
  • JYO is part of the broader NYBA, which governs league rules and games for grades 4–8. Participating organizations include San Francisco Associates, San Francisco Taisho, San Jose CYS, and Tri City.