BASKETBALL MANITOBA
Provincial Team Selection Policy - Effective November 27, 2023
SECTION 1 – PURPOSE
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This document aims to set out the process that Basketball Manitoba will use to select teams (players and coaches) to represent our province at the annual National Championships and Canada Games every four years. There is a need for a consistent policy to protect the integrity of the Provincial Team program and its coaches.
SECTION 2 – OBJECTIVE
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This selection policy aims to select a group of athletes and coaches to create all Provincial Teams participating in the National Championships. There is one team in each of the following categories:
17U Male
17U Female
15U Male
15U Female
Other potential age categories as set by Basketball Manitoba, Sport Manitoba or Canada Basketball
SECTION 3 – ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for selection, athletes must be:
Residents of Manitoba at least six months before the National Championships/Canada Games
Year of birth restrictions for each category
Members in good standing with Basketball Manitoba
Agree to adhere to all of Basketball Manitoba’s policies, including its Code of Conduct Policy.
Once selected, the team’s athletes will be expected to be training towards and meet the expected physical standards. Basketball Manitoba traditionally hosts the Provincial Team tryouts in May, avoiding much of the club basketball season. Athletes selected for one of our Manitoba Provincial Teams will be expected to fully commit to the program for all practices, training sessions and competitions.
SECTION 4 – SELECTION PROCESS
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All athletes participate in a series of open tryout practices in May. Athletes may be exempted from participation in the practices due to sickness, injury, or other circumstances. These athletes shall still be eligible for selection to the team provided they have a signed letter from a medical professional or approval from Basketball Manitoba. Basketball Manitoba is committed to providing a transparent and equitable team selection process that stays true to the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Model.
Registration: Online preregistration for the tryouts is required. Onsite check-in will begin 30 minutes before the first tryout session per age group. All participants are asked to bring their own basketball (Female size 6 and male size 7). A set tryout fee is due at the point of online registration (credit card and eTransfer payment options are available). All players should arrive at least 20 minutes early, dressed and ready to play.
The Provincial Team Selection Committee will be composed of a member of the Board of Directors responsible for High Performance, the Basketball Manitoba Technical Director and/or the High-Performance Director, and a group of neutral members/coaches from the basketball community approved by the Basketball Manitoba Board of Directors.
To aid the coaching staff during the tryout sessions, a group of coaches will be invited (with Board approval) to help manage the player evaluations and provide feedback to the coaching staff. The Technical Director and/or the High-Performance Director will recruit members in good standing in the basketball community to the Selection Committee.
The Selection Committee will seek to create Provincial Teams with players best able to compete for a national medal for the upcoming summer and, at the same time, to provide opportunities for the development of future talent.
After the final tryout session, the coaching staff will provide a list of their final 15 players to the Selection Committee for consideration. The Selection Committee will provide a final list of 15 players back to the coaching staff. The coaching staff will then determine the final team roster of 12 plus any practice players.
Final roster decisions will be made by a determined date as approved by the Board of Directors.
The final approval of the Provincial Team rosters will rest with Basketball Manitoba through the Technical Director, the High-Performance Director, and the Selection Committee.
Any appeals to this process will be directed to the Basketball Manitoba Board of Directors for their review and a decision.
Unforeseen Circumstances
If unforeseen circumstances arise which do not allow for this selection process to be implemented as outlined in this document, Basketball Manitoba reserves the right to identify an alternate process or alternate timelines. Should this occur, all candidates for selection will be notified of these changes in a timely manner.
Age Advancement
Any athlete wishing to tryout at an older age must contact the Basketball Manitoba Technical Director.
SECTION 5 – AUTHORITY FOR SELECTION
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Basketball Manitoba shall appoint member(s) responsible for managing the selection of all Provincial Teams. The member(s) shall be known as a Selection Committee and are responsible for monitoring the open tryouts and liaising with the selected athletes.
The Selection Committee must be free from actual and perceived conflict of interest. Where a conflict of interest may exist, the committee members must identify the conflict and excuse themselves from selection decisions where there is a conflict. Parents of athletes or other individuals deemed by Basketball Manitoba to have a special interest in the selection process are not permitted to be members of the Selection Committee.
Using the criteria outlined in Section 4, the Selection Committee will select athletes for each team category and designate alternate athletes/practice players.
SECTION 6 – DISMISSAL FROM A TEAM
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An athlete may be dismissed from a team if the athlete:
Fails to remain a member in good standing with Basketball Manitoba
Fails to meet performance expectations
Fails to train toward or meet the physical standards expected
Exhibits conduct that is detrimental to the image of Basketball Manitoba
Is unable to perform due to injury, illness or other medical reasons as determined by Basketball Manitoba’s medical staff
When necessary and appropriate, an athlete may be replaced by an alternate (provided the alternate is still eligible) from among the alternates or practice players designated by the Selection Committee. Replacement athletes are selected at the discretion of the Head Coach.
SECTION 7 – APPEALS
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Appeals of any selection decisions will be heard and decided in accordance with Basketball Manitoba’s Appeal Policy.
SECTION 8 – INJURED and REPLACEMENT ATHLETES
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The coaches and/or the Selection Committee may apply to Basketball Manitoba‘s Board to remove any athlete from any stage of the selection process. Reasons for removal can include becoming no longer eligible for participation (under Section 3), injury, illness, or misconduct. The reasons for removal will be communicated by written letter to the athlete from Basketball Manitoba.
The Selection Committee shall designate alternate athletes/practice players in each category. Alternates may be selected if one or more of the originally selected athletes are dismissed or injured before the National Championships.
If the alternates have not kept up their physical fitness or are unavailable or uninterested, the Selection Committee may approach other athletes who attended the tryouts to be named alternates. Alternate athletes may be included in any training or competitions taking place prior to the competitions so that they are prepared if called upon.
SECTION 9 – COACH SELECTION PROCESS
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Basketball Manitoba has the authority to select the coaches of all Provincial Teams.
Basketball Manitoba shall appoint member(s) responsible for selecting all Provincial Team coaches. The member(s) shall be known as a Coach Selection Committee. The Coach Selection Committee must be free from any actual or perceived conflict of interest. Where a conflict of interest may exist, committee members must identify the conflict and excuse themselves from selection decisions where there is a conflict. Parents of athletes or other individuals deemed by Basketball Manitoba to have a special interest in the selection process are not permitted to be members of the Coach Selection Committee.
The Coach Selection Committee shall select head coaches and assistants to attend the National Championships. The Coach Selection Committee reserves the right to select coaches from outside the pool of applicants.
The timelines for Provincial Team coach applications will be posted on the Basketball Manitoba website, email communications and all Basketball Manitoba social media sites.
Coaches may apply individually or as a team.
All applicants should submit the completed application form, a cover letter and a coaching resume listing all previous coaching experience and education.
Interviews will take place in late December or early January. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
For all teams (male and female), a Head Coach and an Assistant will be selected.
For Canada Games years (male and female), a Head Coach, an Assistant Coach, and a Manager will be selected.
Male head coaches of female teams must have a female assistant coach or manager, and female head coaches of male teams must have a male assistant coach or manager.
All selected coaches must complete the Respect in Sport and the Safe Sport online programs.
All selected coaches will undergo a Canadian Police Records check.
Basketball Manitoba will provide successful coaches with the required levels of NCCP certification to meet the Canadian Basketball National Championships requirements.
All Head and Assistant Coaches are to be NCCP Train to Compete certified by year 3 of their involvement in the program and must be “in training” in year 1, “trained” by year two and “certified” by year 3. In addition, the head coach should have at least five years of experience as a basketball head coach or equivalent experience, and the assistant coach should have at least three years of experience.
The Coach Selection Committee reserves the right to dismiss a coach if, in its estimation, the coach is not sufficiently preparing the athletes for the competition or if there are other legitimate reasons, as determined by the Coach Selection Committee and the Basketball Manitoba Board of Directors, for dismissal.