| Question | Answer |
| When does registration begin? | Look for registration to open each year in the first week of June. Registration usually closes in August when our programs have filled up. We recommend registering early to secure a spot. |
| My child has never played basketball before. Is there a program that will be a good fit for them? | Absolutely! CNWB will have teams of all skill levels at all ages for both boys and girls. |
| How are the teams formed? | For the u11, u13, u15 and HS u18 age groups, evaluations are scheduled in September to place players in their appropriate skill category. Players will go through a number of drills and skill tests including scrimmaging. Players with similar ability will be placed on the same teams. All placements will be final. Players should make every effort to attend these evaluations as it is the only way players can be placed on the right team for their ability. It is the player's ability that determines what team they will play on, not the parents of the player. Tykes do not have player evaluations. |
| What communities are part of CNWB? | To check if you live within our boundaries, go to the CMBA site for general information or hit up the Zone Finder to check by address. Yes we know the Zone Finder is kind of terrible and the search doesn’t work, but you can manually zoom in to check the map... we have faith in your ability to see the boundaries and sort this out. |
| My zone is full, can I register with CNWB instead? | NO! You must still register on the waitlist with your own zone. Do not register with CNWB unless you reside within our boundaries. Calgary Minor Basketball rules state that zones must give priority to players residing within their boundaries. If CNWB is full, you must register to our wait list (no trying to register directly with another zone). You then have a choice of a) staying on the CNWB wait list in the hopes that a spot opens up through player withdrawals; or b) requesting a transfer from CNWB to another zone; Calgary Minor Basketball will decide which zone to transfer you to - this is to address the issue of players intentionally registering late to their home zone's wait list, then requesting a transfer to a specific zone. Once registrations have closed, Calgary Minor Basketball (CMBA) will be distributing as many waitlisted players into vacant spots in other zones as possible. The zones are not responsible for this, and no requests can be made. All waitlisted players will be designated to another zone by CMBA. |
| When does the program run? | More information on the program including format at dates can be found on our website: http://cnwb.ca/content/general-overview |
| I don't think I am receiving emails from CNWB even though we registered for the upcoming season. What can I do? | Typically when registrants do not receive our emails, it is because they have Unsubscribed from RAMP in the past. Even if it was for a different sport you will not receive emails from us as they come through a RAMP mailing system. If this is the case, you will need to contact RAMP directly at 1-866-607-7267 and ask them to add you back on. For privacy reasons, we are unable to do this for you. Please also go into your account and ensure that your contact information and email addresses listed are correct. |
| What time/where will my practice be? | Practice times are determined after teams have been selected and coaches assigned (end of September/early October). Most practices are between 5 and 10pm Monday through Friday (earlier time slots are given to our younger teams as often as possible). CNWB uses a combination of school gyms and private facilities in the NW. Every year is different based on gym permit availability. There are over 15 different gyms we use as we have over 600 players. Teams will typically practice once a week. We do not guarantee any practice times or locations and will NOT provide refunds if the practice schedule does not work for your athlete. Gyms and practice times are determined only AFTER evaluations are complete, teams are set, and coaches have been assigned. |
| Interested in signing my 10 year old son up. He is brand new to basketball but interested. He already competes in Biathlon Tuesday and Thursdays in the winter so was wondering what the chances are for practices on Monday or Wed? This will not be an issue in the fall but could be a problem in the winter. Thanks. | Unfortunately, practice days are not determined until teams are formed in the fall. Gym and Coach availability are the biggest factors in determining practice times. There would be an equal probability of practice ending up on Tues/Thurs as Mon/Weds. We will NOT provide refunds based on practice day/time conflicts. |
| When will I know the schedule for my CMBA games? | Game schedules are typically posted ~5days prior to the beginning of the season (starting mid-October). CMBA will post on their website https://www.cmba.ab.ca/ which weekends games are to be scheduled on as soon as they have this information. Any questions about game times should be directed to your Coach or Team Manager at CNWB, NOT CMBA. |
| When and where are games? | Games are played on Saturdays at facilities throughout the city of Calgary. Games begin mid Oct and run through to early December, breaking for winter holidays and then resuming in January for play until early March. |
| Does CNWB give players a uniform for the games? | Yes. All players are given a uniform (shirt and shorts) that must be cared for and returned at the end of the season. Uniforms are ONLY to be worn for games, not for practices or as pyjamas. |
| Can I request to play with my friend? | We do not guarantee any friend requests and we provide NO refund if you are not put on a team with a “friend’. We appreciate that athletes want to play with friends. If friends are similar in skill, we do allow opportunities for athletes that are the same skill level to play with a friend. Players can request to play down a division to play with their friends, but we will not move players up to a division they did not evaluate to. As we are part a larger league group, we need to adhere to skill levels being similar on teams. Player requests can be sent to Kevin at kjohnstonbball@gmail.com. |
| What size of basketballs are used? | Tykes and u11 play with a size 5 ball (27.5"). |
| Who coaches the teams? | All coaches are volunteers; they consist of parent coaches and volunteer coaches from the community. Coaches are only assigned to teams after evaluations as players are first placed and then volunteer availability is assessed and assigned. Teams are greatly benefited when two coaches can work together, sharing the responsibility and the time commitment. Coaching is a very rewarding, challenging and fun experience for those who take on this commitment. |
| How do coaches get training? | CMBA provides coaching clinics for first year coaches. |
| What do my registration fees pay for? | Fees you pay cover the following expenses: CMBA (Calgary Minor Basketball Association) fees, player/coach insurance fees, gym rentals, coaching clinics, uniforms, equipment, first aid kits, and basic administration costs. For Tykes, the fees are less as this is a house league and we do not pay CMBA or ABA fees. The cost for Tykes includes a basketball and a uniform shirt which the player gets to keep. |
| Are my registration fees decreased if I volunteer? | The volunteer fee is charged if you do not volunteer, it does not reduce your registration fee. We are a volunteer run organization so the expectation is that all parents volunteer, but if you choose not to, you are charged an additional $200. |
| Is CNWB the same as CMBA? | No. CNWB (Calgary Northwest Basketball) is a zone comprised of specific communities in Northwest Calgary. We are proud members of the Calgary Minor Basketball Association (CMBA), who organizes schedules and arranges games involving community based basketball teams throughout Calgary. CMBA (Calgary Minor Basketball Association) is the governing association for community basketball in Calgary and it is comprised of numerous zones. CMBA provides: gyms, schedules, refereeing and training for referees for all age categories. They maintain a website for information as well as game schedules and results. They provide a disciplinary component to the leagues to enforce fair play and compliance. They work with Alberta Basketball on training, Provincial playoffs, and referee and player development issues. |
| Does Calgary Norwest Basketball (CNWB) have an office and employees? | CNWB is strictly non-profit and volunteer driven. We depend completely on volunteers for all aspects of our operations. We have no formal office space. Without volunteers there is no community basketball. Please show appropriate respect and patience for these hard-working individuals. |
| How do I register if I'm applying for Kidsport (or other) funding? | If you are applying for funding, please contact the registrar (cnwbball@gmail.com) for more information prior to completing your registration. |
|
|