Wolf Pack Basketball
U9 Player Development Program · Ages 7-8 · Fall 2026

Overview
The U9 Player Development Program keeps the game fun while players start to build real basketball skill and confidence. Through games, small-sided play, and lots of touches on the ball, players deepen their love of the game and begin learning how to play it. This is an early step on the Wolf Pack development pathway, built on Canada Basketball's Player Development Model and Canada's Long-Term Athlete Development framework. We build people first, players second. Person before player.

Objectives
Develop the game of basketball through fun, engaging, and functional skill-building activities and small-sided play, while growing confidence and a love of the game.

What players will develop:
Players will be introduced to the following life skills: having fun, confidence, communication, mindfulness, emotion management, resiliency, teamwork, leadership, concentration, goal setting, imagery, and self-talk. While building these skills, they will develop the fundamental basketball skills of ball-handling, passing, shooting, footwork, and lay-ups, and begin playing the game through 1v1 and small-sided games that build toward 3-on-3. Players will also continue to develop their fundamental movement skills: agility, balance, coordination, and speed.

How we coach
Our sessions are built on fun, activity, and lots of touches on the ball. We teach through games rather than long explanations, using conditioned games and guided discovery so players learn by playing. Every session follows a simple, consistent shape: a warm-up game, a main block of games and skill-building, and a cool-down. We keep coach talk to a minimum, avoid long lines, and lean on small-sided play so every child is moving and involved. Above all, our coaches create a positive, encouraging environment where effort is celebrated, and mistakes are treated as part of learning.

Program details
For: Boys and girls, ages 7 to 8
Length: 9 weeks (9 Saturdays)
Day and time: Saturday mornings, 10:00 to 10:50 am
Location: Canada Games Centre
Runs: Saturday, October 3 to Saturday, December 12, 2026

Session dates (Saturday mornings)
Oct 3 · Oct 10 · Oct 17 · Oct 24 · Nov 7 · Nov 14 · Nov 21 · Dec 5 · Dec 12

Coaching
Sessions are led by NCCP-trained and certified Wolf Pack coaches following our LTAD-aligned curriculum, adapted from the Jr. NBA Ages 7 to 9 program.

Registrations limited to 16 participants