Goal

The goal of the Jr. Cougar program is to provide an opportunity for the development of basketball skills for boys in 3rd through 8th grade who will be attending John F. Kennedy High School. The program will introduce elementary and middle school boys to the Kennedy basketball philosophy and teach the fundamentals of the game, along with teaching sportsmanship, teamwork, loyalty and pride in a competitive basketball environment.

In order to maintain a quality program, the following guidelines have been established:

Participation

All Kennedy bound players are eligible for the Jr. Cougar program provided there are volunteer coaches available for each team. Parents are reminded this is a competitive basketball program and may not be for every player. This is not a recreational program.

Player Evaluation

Evaluations for team placement will be held for all players in the program. A panel of past and present Jr. Cougar Basketball Coaches will help determine team placement for players based on performance demonstrated in the evaluations. This panel will consist of objective, non-grade related individuals with significant basketball experience who will evaluate the players based on specific criteria.

The panel will evaluate the players on the individual skills and team play. Points will be assigned based on all areas of the game, with emphasis given to performance during play.  Coaches will evaluate: Court Awareness. Ball Handling. Shooting. Defense. Continuous Play. The panel's ratings will be averaged and totaled for each player.

Players must be present for at least one evaluation session and are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions (if more than one are scheduled) so the panel can get an accurate view of each player's skill level.

Team Placement

Depending on the number of players registered in each grade, multiple teams may be formed with a target number of 2 teams per grade level. The target team size will be 8 players.  In limited circumstances, exceptions may be made to allow a team up to a maximum of 10 players as approved by the Jr. Cougar Board.  Evaluation results will be used to form the teams in each grade as follows:

3RD - 8TH Grade: Team 1 will be formed with the top 8 players based on the evaluation results. Team 2 will consist of the next 8 players based on the evaluation results. .

All Grade Levels: Based on the evaluation results, the Jr. Cougar program will assist coaches in establishing developmental goals for practice, and help guide coaches to appropriate league and tournament competition.

Any player wanting to join the Jr. Cougar program after the evaluations have taken place but before the season has started will be assigned to a team if space is available. If all teams are full, the players will be placed on a waiting list until enough players are available for a new team to be formed.

Once the season has started, the rules above will apply but the final decision to add a player will be at the Board's discretion. Please see the Player Evaluations page in the Events section for more detailed information.

Registration

All players must be registered with the Jr. Cougar program PRIOR TO THE EVALUATIONS. NO EXCEPTIONS. Dates for registering players and ordering practice gear, uniforms (if needed), and other equipment will be communicated on the website.

Any player wanting to join the Jr. Cougar program after the evaluations will be allowed in the program per the criteria explained above in the Player Evaluation and Team Placement section.

Registration for the 2024-2025 season is now open.  The Jr. Cougar program uses an online registration system which can be accessed on our website. Registration is open from May 13, 2024 through June 18, 2024.  All players must be registered prior to the Player Evaluation sessions.

2024-2025 Registration Fees: $225 per player (same as 2023-24)

To better represent the overall cost of participation in the Jr. Cougar Boys Basketball program, Jr. Cougar Basketball registration is $225/player.  The enrollment cost is a combination of registration fees and team participation fees. A breakdown of the $225 fee is as follows:

• Registration Fees - $40. This portion of the fee goes towards covering the numerous Jr. Cougar Basketball program costs including but not limited to practice gear, pictures, facilities insurance, year-end awards and banquet.
• Team Participation Fee - $185. At the beginning of the season, each team will receive $185 per active player to cover league and tournament registration costs.

Jr. Cougar team budgets can very per season. The Team Participation Fee provides coaches with the resources to build a schedule and register for tournaments/leagues at the beginning of the season. Each team will determine if $185/player is sufficient to cover their team budget or if additional funds are required during the season. Coaches may also refund families for any unused team fees. The $225 Cougar registration fee is non-refundable after player evaluations.

The 2024-25 season will require all 1ST TIME Jr. Cougar participants to purchase a new uniform. Uniforms are an additional expense but ordered through the Jr. Cougar program.   2024-2025 uniform costs will be approximately $100 if ordered at the sizing dates. Sizing dates are yet to be determined, and will be posted in the News section of the site.

Competition

The Jr. Cougar program seeks to schedule the toughest possible competition with the goal of developing the strongest possible players. The Jr. Cougar program participates in many tournaments both inside and outside the metro area. Except for school leagues, the Jr. Cougar players are expected to make their assigned Jr. Cougar team their primary team.

Practices

Jr. Cougar players are expected to attend all scheduled practices and games. It is the intent of the program to have teams practice twice a week. Players involved in school leagues for basketball or any other sport should attend a minimum of one practice a week during the school league season.

Playing Time

To develop all players in the program, Jr. Cougar coaches of all grades strive to have equal playing time for all players on their team over the course of the entire season. This does not mean equal playing time during any given game.  However, over the course of the entire season, total playing time should be similar for all players on the team roster.  Jr. Cougar teams play to win, but that is balanced with the program goal of developing the skills and abilities of ALL players on the roster.

Coaches

Coaches are volunteers and may be parents of current players. The Jr. Cougar program expects each team to have two coaches. The Jr. Cougar Board will also coordinate an annual coaching clinic with the Kennedy High School staff. This clinic is to guide the Jr. Cougar coaches in teaching skills and fundamentals to develop players for the Kennedy High School program.  

A head coach is responsible for the overall development of the players, preparation for the next level of play, and the actual coaching of the team from the bench during the game. Coaches are expected to teach the fundamentals of the game, along with teaching sportsmanship, teamwork, loyalty and pride. Coaches are also expected to follow the Jr. Cougar Program Guidelines.

With an increased focus on concussion awareness, head coaches are also required to complete an online concussion awareness training prior to the start of practice.  This is the same concussion training that our high school coaches utilize.

Assistant coaches are responsible for assisting the head coach during practices and games, as deemed appropriate by the head coach.

Board of Directors 

The Jr. Cougar program is governed by a Board of Directors.

The Board represent all Jr. Cougar players and parents and are responsible for developing and monitoring program guidelines, coordinating fundraising, planning and communicating all program related activities, and making necessary purchases.

The Board of Directors will be responsible for coordinating player evaluations, assigning teams based on the evaluation results, and securing coaches for each team.

Players and families not meeting Jr. Cougar guidelines or displaying inappropriate conduct may result in suspension or termination from the program and will be addressed by the Board of Directors. Termination by the Board of Directors will result in loss of fees.

The Board of Directors reserves the right to make exceptions to the Jr. Cougar Program guidelines in the best interest of the players and the program. Special situations need to be approved by the Board of Directors.

Program Funding and Program Support

The Jr. Cougar program is funded by:

1. A registration fee for each player will be established each year to cover some of the costs of program expenses, team equipment, and other miscellaneous expenses.
2. Jr. Cougar Fundraising Tournaments for 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grades.

Because volunteerism is a key ingredient to the Jr. Cougar Program, it is expected that all parents support the program by participating in one of the following activities:

• Jr. Cougar tournaments volunteer spots.
• Team support activities (Assisting team coach).
• Jr. Cougar Board position or Parent Representative.
• Committee or other administrative duties for the Jr. Cougar Program.

2024-2025 Registration Fees: $225 per player. 

To better represent the overall cost of participation in the Jr. Cougar Boys Basketball program , Jr. Cougar Basketball registration is $225/player.  The enrollment cost is a combination of registration fees and team participation fees. A breakdown of the $225 fee is as follows:

• Registration Fees - $40. This portion of the fee goes towards covering the numerous Jr. Cougar Basketball program costs including but not limited to practice gear, pictures, facilities insurance, year-end awards and banquet.
• Team Participation Fee - $185. At the beginning of the season, each team will receive $150per active player to cover league and tournament registration costs.

Jr. Cougar team budgets can range from $1,000-$2,000 per season. The Team Participation Fee provides coaches with the resources to build a schedule and register for tournaments/leagues at the beginning of the season. Each team will determine if $140/player is sufficient to cover their team budget or if additional funds are required during the season. Coaches may also refund families for any unused team fees. The $225 Cougar registration fee is non-refundable after player evaluations.

Uniforms are an additional expense and are ordered through the Jr. Cougar program.   2023-2024 uniform costs will be approximately $100 if ordered at the sizing dates. The 2023-2024 season will introduce a new uniform requiring all participants to purchase a uniform this season.  Sizing dates are yet to be determined, and will be posted in the News section of the site.

PLEASE NOTE: The Jr. Cougar Summer Camps are run by the KHS Men's Basketball Staff, and are NOT included in the Jr. Cougar Basketball registration fee.  You must sign up separately for the camps.  Please see the Camps and Clinics page in the Events section for more information.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available on a needs basis. Scholarships cover the cost of the Jr. Cougar registration, game shirt and shorts. Requests for scholarship eligibility must be submitted to the Board of Directors in writing.