2024 McDonald Jones Homes Winter Club Competition

Newcastle Basketball is thrilled to bring you the 2024 McDonald Jones Homes Winter Club Competition! This event is always a hit, attracting many participants. To ensure a fair and smooth registration process, we have implemented some important criteria and timeframes.

First and foremost, we want to prioritise registrations and prevent exceeding capacity limits. Therefore, we will be restricting the number of initial registrations. If you find yourself on the waiting list, we kindly request that you refrain from making any payments for the competition, uniform, or annual membership until you receive an invitation to join a club. Once you receive that invitation, you can go ahead and proceed with the necessary payments.

For the 2024 competition, the fee will be set at $280. It's essential to remember that this fee does not include the Annual Membership Fee, which is mandatory for all players. We want to make it clear that your registration will only be confirmed once we receive the $280 payment, and you have an active annual membership with Basketball NSW & Newcastle Basketball. Upon registration, you'll receive a receipt as proof of payment. If you're unsure about your annual membership expiry date, you can easily check it by visiting member.basketball.net.au.

Now, let's talk about the timeline for registration openings. New players can start registering on Monday, 5th March 2024. However, we anticipate reaching capacity by March 8th, 2024. If this happens, we will proceed with the waiting list and the following timelines:

- First Round Offers: Successful players will receive an email on Friday, 15th March. Make sure to accept the offer by 5pm on Monday, 18th March.
- Second Round and Remaining Offers: Starting from Friday, 22nd March, we will continue to email accepted offers. Remember, once you receive an offer, you must register within 48 hours.

Offers will be sent out every two days until the competition reaches maximum capacity or by the official closing date of registrations on March 27th. After that, clubs will have time to create teams and submit nominations for the competition. It's worth noting that team nominations need to be completed by April 10th. This will allow us to generate the competition fixtures in time.

During the season, we want to give players some well-deserved breaks. Therefore, there will be no games or training sessions scheduled during the July School Holidays (6th – 19th July). Additionally, please mark your calendars for some specific dates when no matches will be played: Tuesday, May 28th, Wednesday, May 29th, Friday, June 7th, and Monday, June 10th.

Lastly, let's talk about age group allocations for the season. We want to make sure everyone is playing at the appropriate level, so here are the birth years for each age group:

- Under 12s: Birth years 2013 & 2014
- Under 14s: Birth years 2011 & 2012
- Under 16s: Birth years 2009 & 2010
- Under 18s: Birth years 2007 & 2008

Clubs have already been assigned specific training venues. While they do have some flexibility to negotiate swaps or alternate training times, any changes must be coordinated with the clubs. Please be aware that training schedules are subject to change based on stadium availability. If your team chooses to train at a venue other than the one allocated to your club, make sure to liaise with your club regarding venue, time, and insurance documentation.

We can't wait to see all the talented basketball players in action at the 2024 McDonald Jones Homes Winter Club Competition! Lace up your sneakers, gather your team, and get ready for an unforgettable season of hoops. Sign up and secure your spot now!