About PYBA
A volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to youth basketball in Pillager.
Building Players, Not Just Teams
Our mission is to support a competitive youth basketball program. We strive to foster a life-long love for the game while representing and supporting Pillager School District 116 in a positive manner.
In practice, that means competitive basketball for 5th and 6th grade this season, with teams selected through open tryouts. Where numbers allow, we field both an A and a B team in a grade so more athletes get a roster spot and real minutes rather than a season on the bench.
The goal is a program that takes the game seriously and prepares players for Pillager School District 116 teams — while keeping it something kids want to come back to.
Our Values
These are the standards we hold our coaches, our board, and ourselves to.
Development First
Fundamentals, effort, and confidence matter more than any single scoreboard. Kids who improve keep playing; kids who only lose stop.
Sportsmanship
How our players treat teammates, opponents, and officials is not secondary. It is the part that lasts after the season ends.
Transparency
Our books, our board, and our decisions are open to the families who fund them. If you ask where the money went, you get a real answer.
Earn It Back
Four volunteer hours during the season puts $50 back in your pocket, for each child you have in the program.
Community Run
Parents and local volunteers run this program. Nobody here draws a salary.
School Supportive
We exist to feed and support Pillager School District 116 athletics, not compete with it.
How PYBA Is Run
PYBA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of parents and community members. Board positions cover the practical work of running a season: president, treasurer, scheduling, coach coordination, volunteer coordination, and communications. Current members and their contact information are listed on the Board page.
Where the Money Goes
Registration fees and sponsorships fund gym rental from the school district, equipment, tournament entry fees, and insurance. There are no salaries and no overhead beyond what a season actually costs. Our treasurer reports at every board meeting, and those minutes are posted on the News & Minutes page.
We use Zeffy for payments specifically because it charges no processing fees — the full amount you pay reaches the program instead of a payment processor.
Coaches
Every PYBA coach is reviewed by a coach selection committee, approved by the board, and background checked before working with players. We would rather have a coach who is willing to learn the right way to work with kids than one with a great playing résumé and bad habits. If that sounds like you, we want to hear from you — start with the coach application.
Our Relationship with the School
PYBA is an independent nonprofit, not a school program — but we rent school gyms, follow district closures for weather, and build our divisions to prepare players for Pillager School District 116 teams. Supporting the school's program is part of why we exist.
There's a Place for You Here
Whether you have two hours or a whole season, we can use the help.
Register a Player
Coach a Team
Volunteer
Sponsor the Program
Questions About the Program?
We would rather answer them than have you guess. Reach out any time.