SYBL will be resuming this Saturday February 21st, 2009. Please check the schedule to find out what time your team is playing.

SYBL Travelling Team

The Somali Youth Basketball League (SYBL) all-star travelling team: is a team that consists of some of the most talented players from the league. Youth (ages 16-18) from different communities across the city were invited to try-out for the all-star team. The two coaches were faced with the daunting task of selecting only 12 players out of 84 players to represent SYBL. "An all-star team like this one will help the youth build confidence, teamwork and discipline", said Abdullah Deria assistant coach for the all-star team. These are just some of the attributes the league strives to instill in youth to help them develop as players as well as leaders in the community.

In the past, the all-star team would only travel to Toronto, Canada for one annual tournament in March, but because of the high demand for quality basketball, the league reached out to other established club teams in Ottawa and in the USA to give SYBL players the opportunity to compete at a higher level.

This past summer, SYBL participated in two tournaments in New York State (CAN-AM HOOPS classic tournament at Potsdam New York and the Mark Schmidt tournament at St. Bonaventure University in Olean New York). Both tournaments were very competitive as AAU teams from Buffalo, Rochester, Jamestown, Greater New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland areas all attend the tournaments. SYBL players played pronominal finishing in the quarterfinals in both the tournaments. League organizers and coaches from other teams were impressed with the talent, positive attitudes and work ethic of our players.

These two tournaments were a huge stepping-stone for the players as well as the league. It gave players the opportunity to compete with some top AAU teams as well as the chance to build character, teamwork and the work ethic needed to be successful on and off the court.

This summer was a great learning experience for SYBL, the coaches and most importantly the players. With the consistent support from the parents and community members SYBL looks to continue this project for the years to come.

For more info please contact info@sybl.ca