MANILA, Philippines — A new era in grassroots basketball development is set to tip off as the Philippine Youth Basketball Championship (PYBC) launches its inaugural season this August, offering a statistics-focused, analytics-driven platform for aspiring basketball stars.

The tournament will run until June 2026 and feature two conferences played under a single round-robin format, with rotating age divisions. The first conference, set from August to October, includes the Under-11 (born 2014), Under-13 (born 2012), and Under-15 (born 2010) divisions.

Each age group will play a structured competition format: single-round eliminations, quarterfinals, knockout semifinals, and a best-of-three finals series.

Led by PBA legend Benjie Paras as commissioner, WMPBL champion coach Paolo Layug as deputy commissioner, and Momentum PH founder Carl Villanueva as tournament director, PYBC aims to blend tradition with modern analytics to elevate player development.

“I think the most important thing for data and analytics, not only for the youth but basketball players in general, is to make things simple,” Layug said. “It’s important to help the players understand that the data is just there to help them improve.”

The league will feature a robust digital program that includes:

• Halftime analysis for in-game team adjustments
• Post-game performance reports with detailed metrics
• Player performance reviews to highlight strengths and areas for improvement
• Advanced analytics and long-term progress tracking

PYBC also aims to pioneer age-based player rankings, adopting systems used in the US and Europe to benchmark talent development.

Layug emphasized the long-term value of data in youth development: “It’s important, especially at the younger age groups, to be able to record statistics over time so players can track their growth as they mature.”

With its innovative approach, PYBC seeks to reshape the youth basketball landscape in the Philippines—nurturing future stars through a combination of competition, technology, and structured development. (Info from PNA)