Overview

This webpage is a duplicate of the BALD EAGLE BASKETBALL CLUB page only specifically for registration & information about the D8 League for 5th-8th graders.

THE NEED

Bald Eagle stands against Sport Specialization in youth and we believe kids should be multi-sport athletes.  We strive to create a system where kids can engage in high level basketball year round without having to quit their traditionally in-season sports.  The Bald Eagle Basketball Club allows kids to advance their game 1-2 times a week all year, when it fits their schedule, through high level coaching and competition.  Should their passion and skills grow, we have Bald Eagle Ballers AAU Elite Program available for advancement. 

Don't be fooled, Club Basketball in todays world is frequently misrepresented as some sort of "elite" level of play like it used to be.  The new reality is that 90% of the programs out there are nothing more than an overpriced rec league. 

Signing up for an AAU program and paying a ton of money in no way guarantees you good coaching and quality training.  It doesn't even promise that your child won't hate the sport after the low level of "garbage coaching" rampant at AAU tournaments.  The AAU basketball system is an absolute mess right now with lots of youth players left disenchanted and disappointed, and parents wallets empty. 

THE PROGRAMMING

BALD EAGLE BASKETBALL CLUB is a unique concept creation built to combat the countless AAU club programs that are not developing youth players properly.  The culture of AAU basketball is downright disturbing once you've traveled those roads, with coaches and parents screaming profanities and overall environment falling far short of actually teaching quality basketball. 

BALD EAGLE BASKETBALL CLUB provides a ramp for any level player to develop the skills necessary to become an elite player.  We separate players at every event as best as we can into Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced groups so that proper competition levels are reached at all times. We establish proper player matchups and incorporate various rules as needed to enhance team play, inclusion and even competition. Top players may "play up", and brand new players may "play down" all in an effort to create maximum development, confidence and passion for the game. 

BALD EAGLE BASKETBALL CLUB was founded by local basketball leader and PCA Development Zone Leadership Fellow, Coach Bob McFarlane.  Our club has had Bald Eagle Baller AAU Elite teams for years but with limited roster spots.  With our growing success and a very limited number of choices locally for AAU programs of quality, creativity for something better was needed.

Similar to the NBA model, Coach Bob designed a Youth D-League concept so that players interested in developing their game could get the proper training in a competitive environment.  It also gave our coaches a means to evaluate, assemble and properly place players ready for the next level, to join one of our BALD EAGLE BALLERS Elite AAU teams if that is the players objective. 

We offer the following D-LEAGUE programs in both BOYS and GIRLS Divisions.  At times in certain sessions we merge boys and girls to maximize the opportunity for growth or to manage enrollment.

D8 LEAGUE (5th-8th grade) 

*For 2nd-4th grade visit the D4 LEAGUE webpage

*Strong players for their age group may be allowed to play up to the next level 

*The D-LEAGUES also serve as an ongoing tryout for our BALD EAGLE BALLERS ELITE teams as players evolve their game.  Only the top players are approached and invited to be on our BALLERS ELITE teams, they are not something you can just sign up for. 

THE MISSION 

Coach Bob has seen the AAU circuit riddled with poor scheduling, horrific coaching and mismatched competition.  Of course there are some good programs out there and we are not the only one that stands apart.  However, it's far more common to see a 40 point blowout in AAU than it is to see a close, fair, competitive game where sportsmanship is also honored.  Playing games is fun, but more improvement can be gained in a 2hr practice than 10 one hour AAU games, especially if you are on a team with substandard coaching (which is the norm).

BALD EAGLE is a HUGE proponent of kids NOT sport specializing until high school.  The D-LEAGUE concept also offers a convenient option for multi-sport athletes who don't have the bandwidth to join a full club AAU team but want to work on their game a little bit each week throughout the year.   

Players come 1-2 days a week based on their desires and depending on what we offer that season.  Each day we practice skill development the first half of the session and structured games are in the second half.  The critical learning factors are in matchups and some of the specialized rules we put in to certain games to change the pace and engrain the concepts of good basketball play.  We teach skills and also game strategy, offensive movements and team defense. They have the same highly trained coaches for the entire season, but their opponent changes regularly.  We make sure they get a flavor of having success and also being challenged by mixing up rules, professional drill strategies and defensive matchups. 

Players are separated by age, size, skill, gender and aggressiveness....in varying tactics to create the optimal learning environment that changes regularly for maximum growth experience.  Practices and games are designed to be highly competitive at all times. We teach them how to be more physical and put in a maximum effort while improving their mental and physical toughness.  Basketball is a physical sport and it's important to prepare them properly for optimal confidence and success. 

Don't miss out on this creative D-LEAGUE format to evolve your player, whether it's the only team they play on or just a compliment program to their other AAU team.  The benefits are immeasurable!