Travel Program

OVERVIEW

The Waltham Girls Youth Basketball Travel Program is a competitive league for girls in grades 4 (at times 3) through 8. We play in the MetroWest Travel Basketball League. There are typically one or two teams in each grade level, depending on player interest and availability of coaches. We place teams in MetroWest divisions based on the level of play of the team, and teams can move up or down a division in the playoffs based on their regular season record.

Our travel basketball league is designed for players who are serious about improving their skills and competing at a higher level. With advanced coaching, tougher competition, and the opportunity to travel to different towns for games and tournaments, this league prepares athletes for high school level play and pushes them to their full potential. 

Each travel team will practice twice a week and have Sunday games. Due to the competitive nature of this league, we ask that only athletes who can commit to Waltham Basketball being their priority sport during the season should register (athletes should not be skipping practices and games to attend dance, skiing, etc.).

For less of a commitment, check out the Girls In-Town Basketball Program.

All travel basketball players need to register and play in the In-Town program.

TEAM SELECTION/TRYOUTS

The WGYBA Team Selection process is designed to be a fair and open approach to assembling the best teams to compete in the MetroWest Basketball League. Below are a few key items of note:

• The number of teams and alignment of them are determined by several factors, including the number of players who try out and are capable of playing travel basketball, the amount of available gym space, and the willingness of parent volunteers to coach teams. The final number of teams per grade is not determined until after tryouts.
• Players are strongly encouraged to attend both tryout sessions for their grades. If a player is injured and not able to tryout, the player should still attend the sessions and observe the tryouts.
• A standard tryout format is used for all sessions and is facilitated by members of the WGYBA Board of Directors. Independent evaluators and prior year WGYB coaches will determine team placement. Tryouts will be closed to parents.
• Team placement is based on a combination of prior year coach feedback, feedback of the tryout evaluators, and the position needs of each team. Attributes such as coachability, attitude, and hustle are considered as well as pure basketball skills. 

It is critical that parents and players understand that we do not simply rank players from 1 to X and take the top 10-11 players for team "A" and the next 10-11 players for team "B". Playing time is not equal in travel basketball, especially from grade 5 onward, and it may be more beneficial for a player's development to play more and take on a leadership role of a "B" team. We consider the needs of the team in terms of players at a position, as well as the needs of the player, when making roster decisions.

Each player will be graded by qualified evaluators utilizing a common rating system in various areas of basketball skills and attributes. Physical attributes such as size, speed, quickness, athleticism will be considered as well as fundamental basketball skills such as ball handling, rebounding, shooting, defending and court sense. Team attitude attributes such as hustle, positive team interaction, enthusiasm, communication and fit with team dynamics may also be considered.

Optimal team size for travel teams is 7-11 players depending on the age group. Optimal team size allows for easier and more positive playing time management, team cohesion, and execution of learned skills.

In cases in which a player cannot try out because of a documented injury, prior notification must be sent to the Girls Travel Director. In addition, the player must be registered for tryouts. We will use our sole discretion in placing that player on a team.

The league will notify the players/parents of the tryout results within 5-10 days after the last tryout.

The WGYBA Board works meticulously to plan each tryout session so that the process is as fair as possible. However, no tryout process is perfect and some players may be disappointed with the results. We strongly encourage any players who do not make a travel team to continue playing basketball and try out again in future years.

PRACTICES & SEASON STRUCTURE

Practices for the season begin the first week in November, and playoffs extend into the first two weeks in March, with a break between the Christmas and New Years holidays. We try not to reschedule games to avoid the first weekend of February break, but families are expected to be available for games the second Sunday of February break. Please plan holiday travel accordingly so that your athlete is not missing games. 

Practices will be closed to parents and siblings to optimize focus for the players and coaches, and provide a safe environment for all.

Parents are expected to assist coaches at home games managing the scoreboard and scorebook, and at away games managing the scorebook. Training will be provided for anyone who is unfamiliar. We also encourage a parent volunteer to help facilitate communication with the team and act as team manager.

PLAYING TIME

The WGYBA travel program is a competitive program, and equal playing time is not guaranteed and should not be expected.

Playing time is at the coach’s discretion. There is no set rule, nor set amount of playing time per game, as many factors affect the amount of playing time in any given week, tournament, and/or game. 

The following factors will be considered relative to playing time in each game: 

1. Skill level and applied basketball knowledge
2. Attendance at practices
3. Attitude
4. Work ethic and hustle
5. Game situations
6. Player matchups
7. Foul trouble
8. Player fatigue
9. Injury

Coaches will manage the playing time of each player based on the aforementioned factors. Parents should set this expectation and review these guidelines with their player(s). 

That said, every player should see a minimum of 8 minutes of playing time every regular season game for grades 5 and up. Players in 3-4 should see a minimum of 10 minutes of playing time every regular season game. If a parent feels that there is an issue with playing time, they should address it with the coach, then escalate to the Travel Director if needed.