Northern Trailblazers Elite teams allow young aspiring athletes to compete against other basketball clubs in a Train-To-Compete format.

Athletes enter the Train-to-Compete stage when they are proficient in sport-specific Train-to-Train athlete development components (physical, technical-tactical, mental, and emotional). At this stage, athletes train all year and compete against athletes in similar program structures.

Key Concepts

• Participants enter this stage based on individual commitment, volume and intensity of training, performance results, and having achieved all the objectives of the Train to Train stage.

• Participate in the year-round, high-intensity, individual-event- and position-specific training within a high-quality training environment.

• Learn to perform skills under a variety of competitive conditions.

• Competition periods include traveling and competing against other clubs and teams.

Our club is based in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Our experienced staff is selected because they love the game and can effectively teach it. All of them have had success coaching basketball at different levels in Canada.

Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity

The Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) “Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity 3.0” is a framework for developing every child, youth, and adult to enable optimal participation in sport and physical activity. It considers growth, maturation and development, trainability, and sport system alignment.  The framework aims to promote both sporting excellence at the highest international level and life-long engagement in health-enhancing physical activity.

The three main goals of “Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity 3.0” are to support the development of physical literacy, strive for excellence, and empower people to be active in life.

Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity is built on four guiding principles:

Quality is key. Every child, youth, and adult deserves a quality experience every time they participate in physical activity or sport. Quality means good programs in good places delivered by good people.

Optimal programming is critical: This means giving every participant in sport and physical activity what they need, when, and how they need it to make the most progress. Optimization is participant-centred and developmentally appropriate.

Conflict of Interest

Purpose:

Ensures our players’ integrity, commitment, and development. It outlines expectations for players and their families to prevent conflicts that may arise when participating in multiple basketball programs simultaneously.

Scope:

This policy applies to all players, parents, and guardians registered with Northern Trailblazers Basketball.

Statement:

1. Commitment to the Program:
   Players registered with NTB must prioritize their participation and commitment to the club’s training, development programs, and competitive activities. Concurrent participation in another basketball club’s program can lead to conflicts of interest and developmental inconsistency.
2. Potential Conflicts:
   Involvement in other basketball programs may create scheduling conflicts, dilute the focus on player development, and result in conflicting coaching philosophies. To avoid such issues, NTB requires exclusive participation.
3. Exceptions:
   In exceptional circumstances, exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis, such as for school programs, provincial programs, and national teams.
4. Violations:
   Any violation of this policy may result in suspension from training sessions, ineligibility for competitions, or removal from the club. Parents and players will be notified in writing if a violation is suspected or confirmed.

Dispute Resolution:

Parents or players who believe they have a unique situation that warrants an exception are encouraged to bring their concerns to the club management for review. Decisions will be made based on the player’s best interest and the program.

Inclusion is non-negotiable: Inclusion is the removal of physical, cultural, economic, and attitudinal barriers to participation and the designing of activities so that individuals are not excluded. Being allowed to take part is not enough. Every participant must feel safe, welcomed, and included. Supports need to be in place to engage and support the diverse needs of participants across all dimensions that make up that individual. Every program and service should be set up to welcome all—inclusion is a topic because our system currently excludes it. We must reframe to: everyone has the opportunity, and exclusion is the exception rather than the norm.

Collaboration improves the system: Individuals and organizations will deliver more quality experiences when working together. Communities, sports organizations, and the health and education sectors benefit from the alignment of programming and collaboration. For example, one participant may participate in sports or physical activities, including recreation or club programs, physical education, and school sports. Good development is less likely to happen if the organizations pull that participant in different directions. Through system alignment, participants are the winners.

For further inquiries about our elite program, please feel free to email us at

CALL: 780-881-2968

EMAIL: INFO@NORTHERNTRAILBLAZERS.COM