Serving Youth Basketball Teams from Eastern Nebraska & Western Iowa!
Our Story
The Conqueror Basketball League (CBL) was founded in 2003 by Jon Jensen. The name of the league was chosen from a favorite verse of Jon’s from Romans 8 stating, “...we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”.
At the time the league was formed, Jon was coaching three basketball teams, a girls’ team which his daughter and niece played on, as well as his two son's teams. He was frustrated with the local offerings for league play. What existed was limited and seemed to focus on making a profit and not on the kids. Playing at a single venue and charging parents, grandparents and fans admission were just two things that Jon felt took the focus off of the kids. As a result Jon decided to start the CBL to provide an alternative league, one that focused on the kids, would play in local school gyms, keep league fees low, and would not charge admissions.
The league’s first games were in the fall of 2003, with an initial focus on girls basketball teams. That first season there were just five teams participating, all in one grade. The following season the league expanded to three grades. Prior to the third season (2005), Jon was contacted by the Varsity Coaches from Bellevue East and Bellevue West. They had heard of the league, and it’s ‘player first’ approach, and let Jon know they were going to enter their girls development program teams into the league. This expanded the league to five grades with multiple divisions of competitive play. In 2022 the girls program had 7 grades, 20 plus divisions of competitive play for more than 180 teams. The CBL added a boys program in 2021 after three boy’s development programs approached the league and asked that the CBL expand to include boys teams.
Despite growth in the league – and Jon’s daughter exiting the CBL to play high school ball at Elkhorn High School and then college ball at Northwest Missouri State – the approach to the league continues to be the same as if she still was in the league… player first, with games held in schools (like they’d experience in middle school and high school), quality officials, accommodating scheduling – and never charging admissions so the entire family can enjoy the youth sports experience.
Oh – and the girl that was fundamental in the league’s formation – she now has a career, but still finds time to come back and officiate in the league that was started for her and her teammates 20 seasons ago!