Northern Suburbs Basketball Association is based at the North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre in Crows Nest, and its rep teams are the Norths Bears. Trials for the 2027 season run from 18 October to 8 November, at $70, and 2027 rep fees are published as ranges, from $300 for a train on place to $1,300 to $1,500 for a regular player.
Last updated 9 October 2026.
Northern Suburbs Basketball Association (NSBA), which calls itself Norths Basketball, is based at the North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre (NSISC) in Crows Nest. Its rep teams play as the Norths Bears. The rep program runs junior teams from Under 12 to Under 18, and in seniors a Youth League and an NBL1 team for both men and women.
The junior rep structure is large. Norths' 2027 trial handbook describes 24 teams across four age groups, three per age group for each of boys and girls, colour coded by level: Black is the top team, then Red, then White. Every team has 10 regular players, and the handbook lists one or two reserves on top.
Norths' trials for the 2027 season run from Sunday 18 October to Sunday 8 November. Most sessions are at NSISC, with some closed trials at Galuwa Recreation Centre in Lane Cove. Registration costs $70 and covers up to two open trials before any cuts are made. Registration for each age group shuts at 5pm on the day before that group's first trial, and the association must approve any late registration.
Open trials are for players who have not played rep before and for rep players coming from other associations, who count as transfers. Closed trials are for returning Norths rep players plus those who get through the first cut of open trials. Under 16 and Under 18 girls have only one open trial, and everyone who attends goes straight into the first closed trial.
The 2027 age groups are Under 12 for players born 2016, 2017 or 2018, Under 14 for 2014 or 2015, Under 16 for 2012 or 2013, and Under 18 for 2010 or 2011. As examples from the handbook, Under 12 boys open trials are Sunday 18 October from 8am to 9:30am and Thursday 22 October from 5:20pm to 6:40pm, and Under 12 girls are Sunday 18 October from 9:30am to 11am and Sunday 25 October from 8:30am to 10am. Check your child's own group in the handbook.
A few rules are worth knowing before you go. A child not selected after the first cut cannot continue to closed trials, players cannot trial for the age group above, and Norths says previous rep players are not prioritised over new players.
No representative gear from any association, and no Basketball NSW uniforms, may be worn at trials. Players who represented any other Basketball NSW club in 2026 must complete the Intent to Trial form, which Basketball NSW's rules require before a registered player trials with a new association. The handbook warns that Basketball NSW is reviewing transfer rules for 2027.
| Page | Link |
|---|---|
| 2027 trials page and handbook download | Norths 2027 Representative Trials |
| Trial registration (Humanitix) | North Bears Representative Trials 2027 |
Norths publishes its 2027 rep fees as ranges in the trial handbook: $1,300 to $1,500 for a regular player, $875 to $1,075 for a reserve, $300 for a train on or development player, and $600 to $800 for a Future Stars player. The fees cover team registration, Basketball NSW game fees, entry to the State Championships and State Cup, hire of venues for midweek training, the coach's honorarium, and payments to referees and supervisors. They do not include annual NSBA and Basketball NSW membership, uniforms, extra training, pre-season and season tournaments, or travel.
The handbook also mentions a possible 10% sibling discount, which it says comes off the first child's fees. Norths' 2026 rep handbook adds that genuine cases of financial hardship can be raised with the association, and fee relief is handled in confidence, case by case.
Norths' teams compete in the Metro Junior League (MJL), Basketball NSW's home and away rep league, or the Junior Premier League (JPL), and the handbook's team table marks the Black team in Under 14, 16 and 18 as JPL or MJL. For 2027, Basketball NSW's Waratah Junior League Rules of Operation list a league called the Waratah State Championships alongside the MJL and do not mention the JPL.
The 2026 handbook also lists Summer Slam, a pre-season tournament on the last weekend of January run by Hills, Norths, City of Sydney and Sutherland, as the only external tournament compulsory for all Norths teams.
NSISC is the hub: the kids programs, after-school programs and most trials are held there, and the Hume Street car park next door offers two hours of free parking. Junior local competition spreads across the venues below, and the Miniball competition is played across five venues on the lower North Shore.
| Venue | Address |
|---|---|
| North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre (NSISC) | Level 5, 36 Hume Street, Crows Nest, NSW, 2065 |
| Galuwa Recreation Centre | 180 River Road, Lane Cove, 2066 |
| North Sydney Boys High School | 127 Falcon Street, North Sydney, 2060 |
| Redlands Dunnet Hall | 2 Allister Street, Cremorne, 2090 |
| Willoughby Leisure Centre | 2 Small Street, Willoughby, 2068 |
| Marie Bashir Mosman Sports Centre | 1 Cross Street, Mosman, 2088 |
Junior competition is 5 on 5 for ages 12 to 17, with boys and girls divisions for Under 14, 16 and 18 and two 20-minute halves. It runs two seasons a year, February to July and July to December. The current Spring season runs from 24 July to 13 December, with 17 rounds of weekly games outside school holidays. In Spring 2026 there was a Thursday and Friday competition and a separate Saturday competition, graded separately.
North Shore Ford Miniball is for ages 5 to 13. Under 8s play 3x3, and Under 10, 12 and 13 play 5 on 5 in two 18-minute halves, refereed by trained coaches. Miniball runs three seasons: February to April, May to August and September to December.
Club teams register through their club's portal on PlayHQ, and independent teams use the association's nomination form. For Spring 2026, the junior team entry fee was $150, non-refundable, paid with a deposit of three rounds of game fees. Every player also pays an annual NSBA and Basketball NSW fee. If your child has no team, the Find a Team form matches players with teams, though it does not guarantee a spot.
Norths runs its own after-school programs at NSISC, Monday to Thursday during school terms, for ages 5 to 17. Kindy to Year 2 is a game-based introduction using the Funino model, from 4pm to 4:40pm. There are Year 3 to 4 and Year 5 to 6 groups, a girls-only program for primary school girls on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Bears Shooting Factory for advanced players. Holiday Hoops Camps run every school holidays for first-time players through to rep athletes aged 5 to 16.
Norths lists several in-between options for players who miss a regular spot. Reserve players are full members of the rep program: they train with the team and buy the full uniform, but play only when a regular player is unavailable, with no guarantee of game time. Train on and development places, at $300, are offered at the discretion of the High Performance and Development team, and those players attend both weekly team trainings.
Future Stars is a new squad for talented double bottom-age players, born 2018, who want to prepare for reps. They train once a week and play up an age group in Norths' domestic competition and in external tournaments. For Under 12 and Under 14 players, Prep for Rep is the after-school program built to teach the skills and habits rep coaches look for. For girls aged 14 to 20, the Diamond League is an elite girls-only competition that runs in October and November.
For local competition, join through a club team, enter an independent team, or use the Find a Team form. Competition enquiries go to competitions@nsba.com.au or 02 9906 7877.
For the Bears, register through the 2027 trials page before 5pm the day before your child's first trial, and complete the Intent to Trial form first if your child played rep for another Basketball NSW club in 2026. Trial questions go to reps@nsba.com.au.
From Sunday 18 October to Sunday 8 November, mostly at the North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre in Crows Nest, with some closed trials at Galuwa Recreation Centre in Lane Cove. Registration is $70.
The 2027 trial handbook lists $1,300 to $1,500 for a regular player, $875 to $1,075 for a reserve, $300 for a train on or development player and $600 to $800 for Future Stars. Membership, uniforms, tournaments and travel are extra.
A reserve is a full member of a Norths rep team who trains with the team and buys the full uniform, but plays only when a regular player is unavailable. There is no guarantee of game time.
No. Norths says previous rep players are not prioritised over new players, and selection is based on comparative skill at a representative level.
If you have a question that you want answered and it isn't here - talk to head coach Cameron and he can talk you through the question that you have.
Other associations in Sydney's north shore and northern beaches
Next questions parents ask
Facts on this page were compiled from the official sources below and written up in our own words. Dates, fees and venues change every season, so confirm anything you are relying on with the association directly.
This page was last updated October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
