JR Broncos

10/19/2026

So, a parent walks into the gym with some serious swag… 🏀

Jim says, “Hey, Janet! Where’d you get that slick Bronco gear?”

Janet grins. “Ruma! I ordered it so I’d be ready to cheer on my Junior Bronco this year.”

Her kid gives her a look. “Mom, I told you to save the full gear for game day. You’re embarrassing me.”

“Game day? I thought this was game day!”

“It’s practice.”

“Then I’m practicing my cheering!”

“Can you at least wait until the actual games to yell?”

“I can try. But if you make a great pass, I can’t be held responsible for what comes out of my mouth.”

Janet heads toward the bleachers, then suddenly stops to stretch.

Her kid says: “What are you doing now?”

“Getting loose! Parents vs. Kids is coming up and I don’t want to pull something before I drain a 3 over you.”

“You haven’t made a 3 pointer in years.”

“Exactly. You’ll never see it coming!” 😂

Show your Bronco pride and support your player’s team with gear from Ruma!

Click the link to shop and use sales code JRBB26.

What are you wearing on game day?

10/14/2026

Growing the Junior Bronco Community — Together

The gym was officially back in action! Teams from 3rd through 8th grade joined us for our first night in the gym and Monday Skills Night brought plenty of energy, effort and basketballs bouncing in every direction.

Players worked on the skills that will help them grow on the court, while coaches shared ideas and learned from one another. Skills Night also gave the kids a chance to work with multiple coaches, hear different perspectives and pick up new ways to improve. That kind of shared learning benefits everyone—and reminds us there’s always something new to learn, no matter if your a player or coach.

There were focused reps, lots of encouragement and a few moments where the ball had a mind of its own. 😄 It was great to see everyone learning, working together and having fun. Thank you again coaches for the time and effort to help develop all the players in the Bronco community!

09/21/2026

Thank you to all the parents who joined us for Junior Broncos Parents Night!

We appreciate you taking the time to learn more about the program, meet our coaches and prepare for the upcoming basketball season. Your support plays a huge role in creating a great experience for our players even if your most important job is occasionally finding the missing water bottle.

In case you missed it, here’s a quick recap…

What’s Our Goal?

We want players to improve their basketball skills, build confidence and learn teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship.
Parents also play an important role by encouraging their athletes, supporting the coaches and referees, and helping us create a positive environment—yes, even when the whistle clearly looked different from the bleachers!

What Do We Expect from Players and What Will They Learn?

Players should arrive ready to learn, work hard, support their teammates and respect coaches, officials, opponents and spectators. Winning is fun, but development, effort and being a great teammate come first. Our goal is to give every athlete a positive, structured and fun experience—while hopefully keeping the parents’ blood pressure under control in the bleachers.

Season at a Glance

The season runs from late October through late February or early March.
• Monday night fundamentals practices focus on ball handling, shooting, passing, footwork and defense.
• Each team also holds a weekly practice to work on plays, strategy and team chemistry.
• Most teams play two games every other week, depending on age and scheduling.
• We encourage teams to participate in state tournaments. These events expose players to high-pressure situations and create lasting memories.

Where Do Your Fees Go?

Registration fees help cover insurance, league fees, tournament entry fees and practice equipment—but those “must-have” basketball shoes are still between you and your young athlete!

Final Registration Fee Deadline

Final payment is due Friday, September 25.
An email with all the information was sent last week. You can also visit UGJRBroncos.com and click the payment button.

Please don’t wait until the final buzzer! Looking forward to an exciting season!

09/20/2026

Reminder: Parents Night tonight at 6 PM

🏀 Learn important program information
🏀 Break out and meet with your coaches
🏀 Ask questions during our Q&A

📅 September 20, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Union Grove Elementary School — Large Gym

Kids are not required to attend.

See you all tonight!

09/11/2026

🚨 PARENTS’ NIGHT IS COMING! 🚨

• Will there be a T-shirt cannon? Probably not.
• Halftime entertainment? Also unlikely.
• A half-court shot competition? Umm…maybe we will have basketballs with us.
• Helpful information about the upcoming UG Jr. Broncos season? Absolutely! 🏀

Join us for Parents’ Night to:

🏀 Learn important program information
🏀 Break out and meet with your coaches
🏀 Ask questions during our Q&A

📅 September 20, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Union Grove Elementary School — Large Gym

Kids are not required to attend—so enjoy one meeting where nobody asks you for snacks or says, “Can we go yet?” 😄

📧 By the way, final registration and payment information will be emailed by this coming Monday. Please check your inbox—or take a quick peek in your spam folder on Monday, just to be safe!

Have a great weekend!

08/23/2026

Back at it today !! See you all soon!

08/17/2026

The Future of Broncos Basketball Starts Here 🏀

A HUGE thank you to all the players, coaches and families who came out for the first round of tryouts! After the success of all our teams last season, we were excited to see that momentum continue — and yesterday we possibly set a NEW PROGRAM RECORD with 140 kids that signed up for tryouts! At this point, we’re not sure if we’re running tryouts or hosting a small basketball convention. 😂

More importantly, we saw what Junior Broncos Basketball is all about: kids working hard, competing, listening, encouraging one another and giving their best effort. Our coaches were extremely impressed with the energy and effort on the court.

🎤 COACH’S CORNER: Boys High School Coach Cody McClelland & Girls High School Coach Jason Vermeer

Bronco News first caught up with Union Grove High School Boys Coach Cody McClelland, who helped throughout tryouts on the boy’s side and got his thoughts on the first round.

“I thought it was really exciting and encouraging to see the number of kids who showed up. We had players with all different levels of experience and ability, but what stood out to me was how hard everyone worked. Kids were diving for loose balls, leaving the gym with sweaty T-shirts, and most importantly, there were a lot of smiles. Those are all great things to see from a high school coach’s perspective.

We want the Jr. Broncos program to be the foundation of the new winning culture we’re building for basketball in Union Grove. It starts with getting kids excited about basketball, teaching them how to compete and creating an environment they want to be a part of. Yesterday was really encouraging.”

Next, we caught Girls High School Coach Jason Vermeer in the parking lot as he was leaving the gym — because apparently that’s where the best basketball journalism happens.

“When I look at the 3rd and 4th graders out here today, I can’t help but think back to when our current 7th and 8th graders were just starting out. I had the opportunity to run tryouts for both groups, and it’s amazing to see how much those girls have grown — not just as basketball players, but as teammates and competitors.

That’s what makes this program so special. The success of our program has been built one age group at a time. Seeing the younger girls starting their journey while watching our older girls continue to develop is a pretty cool thing to be a part of. It shows what’s possible when you give kids the opportunity to grow within a program and keep building year after year.”

Round 2 is next week. Bring your basketball, your energy and maybe a spare T-shirt. 😂

08/16/2026

One last reminder!! We can’t wait to see you at UGES today!

JUNIOR BRONCOS TRYOUTS ARE TOMORROW!

We can’t wait to welcome back our returning players and meet all of the new athletes ready to hit the court. Here's the details.

TRYOUT DATES: August 16 & August 23
LOCATION: Union Grove Elementary School
BOYS & GIRLS: 3rd–8th Grade
TRYOUT TIMES:
11:00 AM–12:00 PM - 3rd & 4th Grade
12:15 PM–1:15 PM - 5th & 6th Grade
1:30 PM–2:30 PM - 7th & 8th Grade

👉 Please arrive 15 minutes early so players have time to check in and be ready to go at their scheduled time.

08/15/2026

JUNIOR BRONCOS TRYOUTS ARE TOMORROW!

We can’t wait to welcome back our returning players and meet all of the new athletes ready to hit the court. Here's the details.

TRYOUT DATES: August 16 & August 23
LOCATION: Union Grove Elementary School
BOYS & GIRLS: 3rd–8th Grade
TRYOUT TIMES:
11:00 AM–12:00 PM - 3rd & 4th Grade
12:15 PM–1:15 PM - 5th & 6th Grade
1:30 PM–2:30 PM - 7th & 8th Grade

👉 Please arrive 15 minutes early so players have time to check in and be ready to go at their scheduled time.

08/06/2026

🏀 TRYOUT TIMES ARE SET! 🏀

We’re excited to get another season of Union Grove Junior Broncos Basketball underway! We can’t wait to welcome back our returning players and meet all of the new athletes ready to hit the court.

📅 TRYOUT DATES
August 16 & August 23

📍 LOCATION
Union Grove Elementary School

👦👧 BOYS & GIRLS
3rd–8th Grade

⏰ TRYOUT TIMES

11:00 AM–12:00 PM
3rd & 4th Grade

12:15 PM–1:15 PM
5th & 6th Grade

1:30 PM–2:30 PM
7th & 8th Grade

👉 Please arrive 15 minutes early so players have time to check in and be ready to go at their scheduled time.

We encourage players to attend both tryout dates if possible. Tryouts give our coaches the opportunity to evaluate players, build teams and create the best environment for athletes to develop, compete and enjoy the game of basketball.
GO BRONCOS!