About
Ohtani Basketball includes basketball practices, league games, and post season tournaments, along with community events such as Mochitsuki, the Annual Ohtani Jamboree, and the Ohtani Summer Bazaar. The program fields one team per grade, and the EE division for kindergarteners is instructional and does not include league games, but may enter tournaments. Ohtani recommends all coaches provide minimum playing time for every player in every game.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Practices generally begin in September on Friday nights; league games run December through February on Saturday evenings and/or Sunday afternoons, with many teams in post season tournaments through March
• Price: Each player must submit a $350 participation deposit check dated for the next year to ensure compliance with volunteer requirements
Ohtani Basketball is a church-sponsored community activity for youth and families, sponsored by Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple. The program’s stated values are the importance of family, education, and good moral character. The organization states that it provides a place for players to develop individual skills and emphasizes sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, and appreciation of each individual’s contribution to the team, and every child is encouraged to do their best and to help their teammates do their best.
Ohtani Basketball families form a community whose origins and identity are closely linked to the Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple, and activities involve Temple and basketball families working on the common goal of supporting the Temple and the Ohtani Basketball program. Participation is required in major fundraisers, including Mochitsuki (Sunday, December 14, 2025), the Annual Ohtani Jamboree (Sunday, February 22, 2026), and the Ohtani Summer Bazaar (Sunday, July 26, 2026). Each Ohtani family is expected to complete a family job for the season and to volunteer at three events per season, and families who have only an EE player are exempt from the family job requirement.
Only basketball shoes with non-marking soles are allowed on the courts, and no food is allowed in the gym. Parents are allowed in the gym and may stay during practices, and parents are asked to pick up players inside the gym, where players stay with the coaching staff until they are released to a parent or guardian. Ohtani follows CPDH and local health departments’ guidelines.
Last updated June 15, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Practices generally begin in September on Friday nights; league games run December through February on Saturday evenings and/or Sunday afternoons, with many teams in post season tournaments through March
• Price: Each player must submit a $350 participation deposit check dated for the next year to ensure compliance with volunteer requirements
Ohtani Basketball is a church-sponsored community activity for youth and families, sponsored by Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple. The program’s stated values are the importance of family, education, and good moral character. The organization states that it provides a place for players to develop individual skills and emphasizes sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, and appreciation of each individual’s contribution to the team, and every child is encouraged to do their best and to help their teammates do their best.
Ohtani Basketball families form a community whose origins and identity are closely linked to the Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple, and activities involve Temple and basketball families working on the common goal of supporting the Temple and the Ohtani Basketball program. Participation is required in major fundraisers, including Mochitsuki (Sunday, December 14, 2025), the Annual Ohtani Jamboree (Sunday, February 22, 2026), and the Ohtani Summer Bazaar (Sunday, July 26, 2026). Each Ohtani family is expected to complete a family job for the season and to volunteer at three events per season, and families who have only an EE player are exempt from the family job requirement.
Only basketball shoes with non-marking soles are allowed on the courts, and no food is allowed in the gym. Parents are allowed in the gym and may stay during practices, and parents are asked to pick up players inside the gym, where players stay with the coaching staff until they are released to a parent or guardian. Ohtani follows CPDH and local health departments’ guidelines.
Last updated June 15, 2026.
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