Many parents ask what are the differences between the Toronto Lords Jr. NBA / Mini-Baller program and the many houseleague basketball programs found around the city. While both have some benefits, we think our program is superior for a number of reasons. Below you can see an easy explanation of the similarities and differences between the two programs, and why we think ours is the better choice.
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Houseleague |
Jr. NBA/ Mini-Baller Program |
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| Philosophy | -Let everyone have fun, but play games so kids “just go play and learn” | – Follows the Basketball Canada and Long-term Athlete Development Model, which focuses on specific skills to be developed at key points in a child’s development |
| Amount of Playtime | 1 hour usually, with them playing half a game – usually about 16 minutes of court time in a 32 minute game, where they touch the ball less than 1/5th of that. | -1 Hour of Court time, with the young athlete working and learning for most of the session, usually with their own ball for multiple repetitions of skills |
| Coaching | Various levels, usually a parent volunteer, no real accountability | Program headed by a fully certified National Coaching Certification Program Level 2 Basketball coach, and all coaches are at least NCCP 1 |
| Fit with Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Model | Does not follow suggestions on properly developing skills | Follows the LTAD model of 80% skill development and fun games, 20% scrimmaging and team thinking situations, which is appropriate for this age level |