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CYO Basketball Announcement

At this time, we are opening registration for basketball to get a firm commitment from those who want  to play in CYO basketball – IF WE HAVE A SEASON. The CYO has not yet made a decision as to whether  there will in fact be a basketball season and, if so, what that season will look like. There is a ton of back office planning happening right now by the CYO at the diocese level and, as part of that effort, we need  to let them know how many teams STM would have IF WE HAVE A SEASON.  

To that end, registration has been opened on Sports Pilot. If you want your child(ren) to play CYO  basketball this season, YOU MUST REGISTER IN SPORTS PILOT BY MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 via  this link: https://reg.sportspilot.com/106558 

This is not an indication that we are going to have a season for all grades, or any grades at all, but is a  necessary step to determine whether or not we can play. These registrations are critical as they will give  CYO at the Diocese level more concrete numbers with which to work in terms of gym space  assignments, and in turn will determine how many teams will be able to participate and how many  games those teams will be able to have.  

I do thank those of you who emailed me with interest already – that was a helpful step in this  complicated process – but that is separate from this request, which now requires additional action on  your part.  

To hopefully help in making your decision, please note the following:  

  1. Minimum team size is 10 players (in previous years it had been 8). In an effort to get as many  teams as possible the opportunity to play, CYO is increasing team size. This may impact playing  time.  
  2. The starting goal is to give each team at least 5 games (this is a goal, not a guarantee). The hope  is to have more but that is the tentative starting point.  
  3. To manage game times to ensure there are as many game slots as possible, the following  restrictions will be placed:  
  4. Games will be a maximum of one hour.  
  5. There will be no overtime for any games.  
  6. Games must start on time and there will be very little warm-up time prior to the start of  the game so there may be a need to warm up outside.  
  7. Next game up cannot enter the gym until the prior game has completely vacated so  there may be wait times outside or in the car.  
  8. There will be no make up games scheduled for any reason (weather, COVID-related reasons,  etc).  
  9. There will be no end of season tournaments for any grade. As of now, that includes 8th grade but  that may change (and there is a strong hope that 8th graders will indeed get a tourney).  6. Driving distances may be increased based on gym availability. 
  10. COVID-related requirements:  
  11. All coaches, spectators and visitors are required to wear masks at all times while inside  the school buildings. This includes parents who volunteer to be officials at the scorers  table and is enforced for all regardless of vaccination status.  
  12. Student athletes are required to wear masks while on the bench. The strong preference  is to keep them on while playing.  
  13. The COVID risk acknowledgment is a required form that must be submitted prior to a  student athlete participating in any practices or games.  
  14. Anyone who has symptoms of, has tested positive for, or has been exposed to COVID-19  must follow the appropriate guidelines for quarantine or isolation.  
  15. Additional guidance/requirements may be provided/enforced at any time during the  season.  
  16. Costs:  
  17. The per-player registration fee has been $90 for all grades in the past. This may be  tweaked depending on the actual composition of the season but please use that  number as a baseline figure for now.  
  18. Depending on the number of teams, we may look to have players purchase their own  uniforms. This would be an additional cost (not included in the registration fee). The  ballpark price for uniforms is $75 per player. This is not yet confirmed but I wanted to  put that on your radar. The uniforms would be owned by the player and may be used  year-over-year for the duration of the player’s CYO career (for as long as they fit). If we  do not have every grade playing this year, we can use the STM uniforms we have had in  the past (at no additional cost to the players).  
  19. YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED AT THIS TIME. You must select a method of payment when  you complete your registration in Sports Pilot and the system will reflect an automated  message saying that your FACTS account will be charged but please be assured, there  will be no charges made until things are locked and loaded.  

I thank everyone for their patience as we continue to sort this out. Basketball is always complicated to  set up but with the added challenges due to COVID, I cannot begin to explain just how extremely  difficult this process is. While every little step towards getting our kids back on the court raises hopes, I  must continue to stress that there are no guarantees as of yet. It’s been a difficult line to toe in terms of  needing to gauge interest versus raising hopes that may be dashed.  

Again, if your child(ren) would like to play basketball, with every finger and toe crossed that we can,  YOU MUST REGISTER IN SPORTS PILOT BY MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22. You will not be charged at  this time but this is a commitment to play if we do have a season.  

https://reg.sportspilot.com/106558 

Please email me with any questions at [email protected]  

Thank you, and GO ROYALS!