Joy, movement, coordination and first basketball habits.
LOADING THE ABAOne legacy. One league. One world.
THE GLOBAL YOUTH PATHWAY OF ABA INTERNATIONAL
PLAY.
LEARN.
LEAD.
GO GLOBAL.
A connected basketball and life-development system for boys and girls ages 5–22—built for families, coaches, academies and future professionals.
AGES 5–22 · BOYS & GIRLS · LOCAL DEVELOPMENT · GLOBAL CONNECTION
THE DEVELOPMENT PROMISE
BUILD THE PERSON.
THEN BUILD THE PLAYER.
Winning matters—but growth comes first. JR ABA International is designed to help young people become skilled athletes, strong students, responsible teammates and confident leaders.
06
AGE-BASED DEVELOPMENT
ONE PATH. THE RIGHT STEP AT EVERY AGE.
Age bands provide a global framework; local programs can adapt safely for participation level, maturity and national requirements.
Ball skills, spacing, teamwork and confident decision-making.
Positionless fundamentals, game concepts and healthy training habits.
Advanced skill, strength foundations, film learning and competition.
Elite preparation, exposure, academics and next-level readiness.
U23 competition, professional habits and transition opportunities.
THE SHARED CURRICULUM
TEACH THE SAME LANGUAGE.
EVERYWHERE.
Approved academies will work from a common development framework while giving qualified coaches room to adapt sessions to their athletes and culture.
Academy and coach inquirySKILL
Shooting, passing, finishing, handling, footwork and defense.
DECISION
Reading space, advantage basketball and team concepts.
MOVEMENT
Age-appropriate speed, balance, strength and recovery.
CHARACTER
Discipline, accountability, confidence and leadership.
EDUCATION
Academic habits, language, digital literacy and career exploration.
WELLNESS
Nutrition, sleep, mental wellness and injury-prevention education.
04
COACH EDUCATION PATHWAY
BETTER COACHES. BETTER EXPERIENCES.
Every level combines basketball knowledge, age-appropriate teaching, communication and participant safety.
YOUTH COACH
Fundamentals, positive practice environments and ages 5–10.
DEVELOPMENT COACH
Skill progressions, team concepts and ages 11–16.
PERFORMANCE COACH
Advanced planning, film, load management and ages 17–22.
ACADEMY LEADER
Curriculum alignment, staff mentoring, safety and program operations.
THE PROPOSED COMPETITION PATH
COMPETE LOCALLY.
CONNECT GLOBALLY.
Competition increases with readiness, always inside published age, eligibility, travel and safeguarding rules.
YOUTH SAFEGUARDING
NO DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT SAFETY.
Every JR ABA International program will require written child-protection procedures, trained adults, guardian communication and a clear way to report concerns.
Explore ABA International Cares01Background screening where permitted by law
02Coach and volunteer code of conduct
03Two-adult and open-practice expectations
04Guardian consent for travel, health and media
05No private adult-to-minor messaging
06Medical and emergency-action planning
07Age-appropriate travel and lodging standards
08Documented reporting and response procedures
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THE FAMILY HUB
PARENTS SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO GUESS.
The future member portal is designed to place schedules, policies and player information in one secure destination.
CALENDAR
Practices, games, travel and event reminders.
REGISTRATION
Eligibility, fees, scholarships and required documents.
HEALTH
Emergency contacts, medical forms and care information.
CONSENT
Travel, participation, media and privacy permissions.
PROGRESS
Coach-approved development goals and feedback.
SAFETY
Named safeguarding contact and confidential reporting route.
AGE-APPROPRIATE DIGITAL PROFILES
CELEBRATE PROGRESS.
PROTECT THE CHILD.
Youth profiles will be guardian-controlled, collect only necessary information and use explicit permissions for public photos, video and statistics. Private health, school and contact data will never appear on a public player page.
First name or approved display name, team, age band, achievements and consented media.
Guardian contact, health information, eligibility documents, travel records and internal evaluations.
Guardian permissions, role-based access, removal requests and documented retention rules.
04
THE WHOLE FUTURE
BASKETBALL OPENS MORE THAN ONE DOOR.
The pathway supports life inside and beyond professional sport.
EDUCATION
Tutoring partnerships, study habits, language and academic accountability.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Need-based support activated through approved programs and partners.
WABA PATHWAY
Girls progress toward WABA country leagues and WABA International.
PRO PATHWAY
Older athletes connect to ABA, independent clubs and international opportunities.
JR ABA MX · LOS CABOS
THE LOCAL ACADEMY. THE GLOBAL PATHWAY.
JR ABA MX will connect Los Cabos youth programs to the shared international curriculum, coach education, WABA pathway, community programs and future international events.
Explore JR ABA MX08
BUILD THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
EVERY COUNTRY NEEDS A PATHWAY.
Country programs begin with qualified leadership, safe facilities, trained coaches and a sustainable local plan.
MÉXICO
Los Cabos hub
CANADA
Academy partnerships
CARIBBEAN
Island development
CENTRAL AMERICA
Regional academies
SOUTH AMERICA
Talent pathway
EUROPE
Club partnerships
AFRICA
Coach and youth development
ASIA–PACIFIC
Academy connections
PLAYERS · FAMILIES · COACHES · SCHOOLS · ACADEMIES · PARTNERS
HELP BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION.
FAMILY & PLAYER
Join a future local JR ABA program or interest list.
START AN INQUIRY →COACH
Enter the international coach-education pathway.
START AN INQUIRY →ACADEMY
Apply to operate an approved local development program.
START AN INQUIRY →SCHOOL
Create basketball, education and after-school partnerships.
START AN INQUIRY →SPONSOR
Fund equipment, scholarships, courts and youth events.
START AN INQUIRY →COUNTRY LEADER
Build the national JR ABA system with local partners.
START AN INQUIRY →THE FUTURE STARTS WITH THE FIRST PRACTICE
PLAY. LEARN. LEAD. GO GLOBAL.
JR ABA International inquiries are open for families, coaches, academies, schools, country leaders and youth-development partners.
Enter JR ABA InternationalREADY TO PARTICIPATE?CHOOSE YOUR ABA PATH.
THE ORIGINAL ABA · 1967–1976THE LEAGUE THAT TAUGHT BASKETBALL TO FLY.
THE FACE OF THE ABA
Julius “Dr. J” Erving
3× ABA MVP · 2× champion
Image: ABA archive
THE SCORER
Rick Barry
1969 champion · Oakland Oaks
Image: ABA archive
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS
Moses Malone
Utah Stars · Spirits of St. Louis
Image: ABA archive
THE A-TRAIN
Artis Gilmore
1972 MVP · 1975 champion
Image: ABA archive
THE ANCHOR
Mel Daniels
2× MVP · 3× champion
Image: ABA archive
THE FIRST STAR
Connie Hawkins
1968 MVP · champion · Playoffs MVP
Image: ABA archive
THE CHAMPION
Zelmo Beaty
1971 champion · Playoffs MVP
Image: ABA archiveCONNIE HAWKINSROGER BROWNLOUIE DAMPIERZELMO BEATYSPENCER HAYWOODDAVID THOMPSONLARRY KENONMACK CALVIN