Regional Development League
A Pathway to VJBL for Aspiring Young Athletes
The McKinnon Basketball Association have been invited by Basketball Victoria to take part in a “VJBL Pilot Program” called the Regional Development League.
The Regional Development League has been designed as a pathway for those athletes wanting to join the McKinnon Cougars representative program. It will provide these athletes with an opportunity to learn the skills and McKinnon’s VJBL system and then have an opportunity to apply these into a weekly competition facilitated by Basketball Victoria’s VJBL Development League competition held on Friday nights against other associations regionalised to the South East of Melbourne.
This league will run in alongside the VJBL Competition. Games will consist of 5-Week Grading, 14-Week home and away season and 3 Week Finals. For Season 2025’s Regional Development League, the following year of birth will apply to each age group.
5 Week Grading Process
14 Week Regular Season
3 Week Finals Period
What is the Regional Development League?
The main differences between the Regional Development League (RDL) and the VJBL.
Differences Between RDL and VJBL
| Feature | McKinnon Cougars D-League Team | McKinnon Cougars VJBL Representative Team |
|---|---|---|
| Trainings per week | ONE (1) compulsory training/week | TWO (2) trainings/week |
| Games per week | ONE (1) Game/Week (Regional) | ONE (1) Game/Week (Statewide) |
| Home Venue for Friday Night Games | Brighton Secondary College | Bentleigh Secondary College & GESAC |
| Category | Considered McKinnon Cougars Development Athletes | Considered McKinnon Cougars Representative Athletes |
The Regional Development League runs from December 2024 through August 2025, with weekly commitments.
Mid Week training
All athletes will attend one compulsory mid-week training session per week (except school holidays) at Brighton Secondary College on Monday’s with U12 at 4:30pm-5:30pm and U14 at 5:30pm-6:30pm.
Attending training is compulsory for all Junior Cougar athletes and continual absence can result in removal from the program. Athletes are expected to attend training when injured, but not if they are sick, so they can still be engaged with the program and learn everything that is being taught.
Athletes are expected to arrive at training 10 minutes before the session start in full training gear required; includes training singlet, black shorts, and warm up top
Athletes must notify their coach and team manager of any absences via email. For any regular conflicts please email McKinnon’s Basketball DevelopmentOfficer at bdo@mckinnonbasketball.org
Friday Night Games:
All teams will have one scheduled Friday night game each week
These games will be scheduled by Basketball Victoria (VJBL) on a home and away cycle. All Cougar home games will be played at Brighton Secondary College.
Players are expected to arrive 30 minutes before tip-off in full Cougar playing uniform, warm up top and hoodie.
Tournaments
Participation in tournaments throughout the year are encouraged. Entry is to be approved by McKinnon’s Basketball Development Officer providing a minimum of 8 players and regular head coach is available.
Age Groups & Time Commitments
| Age Group | Birth Years |
|---|---|
| U12 | 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| U14 | 2012, 2013 |
Team Manager: 1 parent per team must volunteer.
Duties: Scoring, shot clock management, filming, and other tasks as required and allocated by the Team Manager.
All Team Managers must hold a valid Working With Children’s and will be required to complete an on-boarding process.
COACHES
Coaches will be selected by McKinnon Basketball Development team and could be:
a parent of an athlete within the team.
a current McKinnon domestic coach.
an aspiring Junior Cougars player/coach.
All Coaches will be provided support and development opportunities with their coaching to ensure all Cougar athletes are provided the best possible coaching at training and games.
The Cougars Basketball Development Officer will conduct all mid week trainings with the team coaches assisting with their teams.
All coaches must hold a valid Working With Children’s and complete the Development League Coaches On Boarding process.
Parent Involvment
Court time will be relatively equal over the course of a season provided athletes are committed to attending trainings and games on time and show continually coachability through the year.
Our focus is on developing the athlete’s skills and understanding of basketball while competing against other Associations.
Court Time
Athlete registration fees will enable the athlete to participate in the weekly training sessions and games for that respective year.
The weekly Team Sheet fees are set by VJBL and covers game day fees and entry to all games. The fee is payable regardless of game time and availability to play each week. Payment of this fee is the commitment required for the entire season. Special circumstances may be considered should an athlete sustain a long term injury.
Uniform
It is a requirement for all athletes to wear their Junior Cougar playing uniform on Friday nights and their training uniform at training.
It is compulsory for all new athletes to purchase the following items in the starter pack:
Cougars Playing uniform – playing shorts and reversible playing singlet
Cougars Training singlet
Cougars Training shorts
Cougars Warm up top
Cougars Backpack
Cougars hoodie
Fees & Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Player Registration | $400 |
| Weekly Team Sheet fees | 19 games + 3 Finals (approx. $15-$20 per player per game |
| Uniform Costs (Starter Pack) | $300 |
| Tournament | Approx. $30 |
All communication will be facilitated and monitored through Stack Team App, which will be set up after the tryout process and team selection.
Your child will be placed into an ‘access group’ which you as the parent will have access to via your account, which can be accessed by the email you use to register your child into the program through PlayHQ.
All communications including injuries, sickness, unavailability and other absences must be made through Stack Team App - no other platform is to be used for team communication.
Communication
Everything that we do, can be linked back towards our culture. The Cougars Culture is based around several key elements:
Respect all - players, coaches, referees, parents, venues, equipment etc.
Commitment - to be committed to the team, the association, and work together as one.
Development & Competitiveness - challenge one another to grow and improve through training and games. We believe long term development overrides short term success, both on and off the court.
The Cougar’s Culture
“Our vision is to be recognised as a leading program nationally for player and coach development.”
Development Focus
Our program is structured to develop players matching the ‘360 Victorian Basketballer’ to maximise their potential for future opportunities. This includes a focus on six key areas:
Competitiveness
Physical Literacy
1v1 Offensive
1v1 Defensive
Shooting Ability
Decision-Making
A seventh focus area - ‘Being a Cougar’ - relates to players living the values of our Association, embracing the mantra of ’Respect All, Fear None’.
This example is set by our coaching staff but driven collaboratively with players, providing a platform for players to develop as leaders and ‘basketball citizens’.
Program Philosophy
The McKinnon Basketball Association’s Codes of Conduct & Expectations are aligned with Basketball Victoria to give participants a guide to the expectations of MBA and BV for their behaviour and conduct.
Basketball is a recreational activity for enjoyment and health. The codes of conduct can be located at: http://basketballvictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/ BV-ALL_Codes_of_Conduct.pdf
As a McKinnon Cougar player and parent, you must be fully committed to abiding by the Player & Parent Code of Conduct & Expectations by signature. It is critical that each player and parent understands the MBA Player & Parent Code of Conduct & Expectations and is familiar with the behavioural and attitudinal expectations of every McKinnon Cougar player and parent.
A breach of the Player & Parent Code of Conduct & Expectations may result in disciplinary action by the MBA Committee, a Tribunal or the VJBL and may result in team omission, suspension or de-registration. Please refer to the attached Player Code of Conduct & Expectations and Parent Code of Conduct & Expectations of the McKinnon Cougars Representative Program and return both signed copies to your coach before your game.
Code of Conduct
RDL Calendar
To join the McKinnon Cougars Regional Development League, athletes must first register and attend VJBL tryouts. The top athletes not selected for VJBL teams will then be offered a spot to register for the RDL in the VJBL Team lists on the Tryout Portal.
How To Join
For any queries related to the Regional Development Program please email Daniel Gianchino at bdo@mckinnonbasketball.org or call the office on 0417 019 949