Trailblazer Rep Program Offerings

The Collingwood Trailblazers Basketball Club thanks you for your interest in our Rep program offerings.

• Tryouts for our Rep teams run each year during the last week of August and the 1^st and 2^nd (or possibly the 3^rd) weeks of September. Each team is allocated a minimum of 2 tryout sessions.
• More tryouts information, and required registration can be found on our Tryouts page.
• The 2024-25 player registration fee will be $900.
• Practices, games, expectations and cost details are explained below.

Where do we compete?

The Collingwood Trailblazers Rep teams compete across Ontario in a combination of the following events:

• Sanctioned tournaments
• Ontario Basketball League games
• Exhibition contests against other Basketball Ontario affiliated Rep teams from various communities across Ontario
• Ontario Cup Provincial Championships games

Our not-for-profit grassroots basketball organization is proud to have our Rep teams coached by an outstanding group of highly trained and certified volunteer basketball coaches from a variety of communities comprising South Georgian Bay. Trailblazer Rep teams may compete in AAA, AA, and A level sanctioned competition. These are the age divisions of OBA teams, but based on the number of players at tryouts and the coaches available, we might need to combine age groups. For example, we might have one U16 team, which would consist of U15 and U16 players.

• U10 (2015/2016)
• U11 (2014)
• U12 (2013)
• U13 (2012)
• U14 (2011)
• U15 (2010)
• U16 (2009)
• U17 (2008)
• U19 (<2006)

Our Trailblazer Rep program coaches provide a fun, safe, and welcoming team environment. Upon this foundation, they provide focused and high level instruction designed to develop our young athletes’ game appreciation, tactical awareness, skill development, and healthy competitive behaviours.

A Trailblazer athlete’s commitment to his/her Rep team

The Collingwood Trailblazers Rep teams are comprised of local and area young athletes who are committed to learning and developing their basketball skills, understandings of transferable sport specific strategies, and healthy competitive behaviours – all of which serve them well within provincial basketball competitions and beyond.

As a member of a Trailblazer Rep team, players and their parents are asked to consider the level of commitment required. A successful Trailblazer Rep team is one where coaches, parents, and players recognize and demonstrate an understanding of the importance of commitment to team activities - regular and consistent participation is necessary for practices and game opportunities across the entirety of the season of play. Given the commitment required, it can be very difficult for some of our young athletes to play competitive basketball and another competitive sport in the winter season. That said, we do have many who successfully manage to balance their competing commitments.

A Trailblazer parent’s commitment to his/her child’s Rep team

All of our Collingwood Trailblazer Rep teams are operated by volunteers (Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, and Managers). At some point during the season, these folks will need parental/guardian support. A team’s volunteer manager will be the point person making requests of parents’/guardians’ time and goodwill when necessary. The club thanks all affiliated parents and guardians for their ongoing support of our program and team offerings.

NOTE: Following tryouts each of our teams will hold a meeting with parents outlining practice schedules, exhibition, tournament, league, and provincial championship commitments.

What does a typical schedule look like?

Practices

Two 1.5 hour practices scheduled each week.

NOTE: Changes may be made in the season due to a variety of factors. All changes will be shared with parents and the community via our club calendar on the website. Rep team managers and coaches will also communicate team schedule changes giving plenty of notice.

Exhibition Games

Trailblazer Rep teams will participate in up to six exhibition games here in Collingwood or at various venues across Ontario (local/area games may occur on weekdays; farther destinations on agreed upon weekend dates).

Sanctioned Tournaments

For teams choosing to pursue the sanctioned tournament route, the club covers the costs and payment associated with participation in up to 4 sanctioned tournaments. Participation in additional tournaments will be covered by a team’s fundraising efforts.

Ontario Basketball League

Some of our teams will choose, as an alternative to the sanctioned tournament route, to participate in Basketball Ontario’s Ontario Basketball League. Rep teams going this route will participate in 5-6 competitive weekends over the course of the season (typically 2 games/weekend). These teams will also have the opportunity to register in at least one sanctioned tournament.

Ontario Cup

Collingwood Trailblazers Rep teams will typically conclude their seasons of play by representing our community at the Ontario Cup Provincial Championships. The 2020 Provincial Championship dates are released in mid-September and can be found on the Basketball Ontario webpage you see below:

https://basketball.on.ca/competitions/ontario-cup/dates-locations/

Typical Length of Season

Costs Associated with Participation:

For the 2024-25 season, our Club has set the rep team player fee at $900. This is an increase over last year's $700 and the  previous year's $800, but all team registration and other fees have substantially increased. For this year, we are again prepared to operate rep teams at a loss, and we are setting this fee lower than most other clubs.

The following is included in the base Trailblazer Rep team player fee:

• Basketball Ontario registration
• Player/space insurance
• Gym space rentals
• Club capital expenses
• Facility agreement expenses
• Referee and exhibition game fees
• Minor officiating game fees
• Approximately 2 weekly (1.5 hours) practices during seasons
• Payment for participation in 4 sanctioned tournaments OR the Ontario Basketball League and 1 tournament
• Provincial championship team costs and registration
• First Aid kit & supplies
• Team equipment (ball bags, cones, team equipment/resources)
• Ongoing training and certification for our team coaches
• Club overhead expenses

The following is not included in the base Trailblazer Rep team player fee:

• Uniform purchase
• Purchase of required Wilson Evolution indoor leather ball
• Travel expenses and accommodations for out-of-town games and tournaments

We are the Collingwood Trailblazers Basketball Club: a not-for-profit grass roots organization run entirely by volunteers. We will continue to strive to share our passion for and love of basketball with children and youth from our local South Georgian Bay communities. We thank you for your interest in our Rep program offerings.