Travel Basketball
The Concord Carlisle Youth Basketball Travel Program enters competitive travel teams for boys and girls in grades 4 through 8 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. Travel Basketball is a more competitive offering for players who are serious about improving their basketball skills. For less of a commitment, check out the Concord Recreation Basketball Program.
After reviewing the information, if you have any additional questions please contact:
Chris Ryan, Boys Travel Director, 781-760-5188, e-mail boys_director@ccybasketball.org
Sean Walsh, Girls Travel Director, 203-912-3529, e-mail girls_director@ccybasketball.org
Player and Parent Commitment
The CC Youth Basketball Travel Program is a competitive program. Due to the limited number of players on each team, CCYB expects that parents and players will make basketball the player’s number one sport during the season (November to mid-March). If your player has schedule limitations that need to be considered, such as skiing, futsal, etc. it may be possible to place the player on a different team to accommodate his or her schedule. Please let the appropriate Boys or Girls Director (contact information below) know about this limitation before tryouts. Players who consistently miss practices or games will be removed from the team and refunds will not be provided. For players who want to play in a program with less commitment, Concord Recreation offers a recreational in-town basketball program (registration information can be found here).
Practices for the season begin the second 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 schedule games the first weekend of February break, but families are expected to be available for games the second Sunday of February break. Please plan on travel accordingly.
Players in grades 4-8 are expected to commit to two 60 to 90-minute practices per week and up to two games on weekends. Practices and games are not optional. It is possible for middle-school players to also play on the middle school team if they wish, as the schedules do not conflict.
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 expect a parent volunteer to facilitate communication with the team and act as team manager.
Tryouts:
- Online advanced registration for tryouts is required - there is no on-site registration. If you did not register prior to the deadline, please e-mail the Boys or Girls Travel Director (contact information below).
- Due to significant issues last season with timely payments, we are requiring payment of the season fee prior to the tryout. If your child is not 100% committed to playing, you must inform the Boys or Girls Travel Director in advance of the tryout. Any player who is placed on a team but chooses to withdraw will be refunded 50% of the season fee.
- While we understand that there may be conflicts with other sports, we expect players to prioritize the tryout. There is no perfect time to schedule tryouts, and we believe we can better compare players in a single tryout. Independent evaluators and prior year CCYB coaches will determine team placement.
- In cases in which a player cannot try out because of a documented injury, prior notification must be sent to the Boys or Girls Travel Director (see below for contact information). In addition, the player must be registered for tryouts. We will use our sole discretion in placing that player on a team.
- We encourage all players to participate in some level of fall basketball prior to the tryouts. The CCHS varsity coaches typically sponsor fall clinics in September to prepare kids for tryouts.
Team Selection Process and Team Structure:
- The school grade that a player will be in the fall determines the team on which a player will be placed. CCYB believes strongly in playing with peers and does not allow "playing up" due to skill level.
- We typically have one or two teams at each grade level from grades 4 through 8. Based on registration demand and coach availability we could field additional teams at certain grade levels. 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.
- The selection process for the various grades and teams will begin as soon as each tryout is completed. Team placement is based on a combination of prior year coach feedback, feedback of the independent 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 6 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.
- Teams are typically formed with two skill levels that play in two different divisions in Metrowest. This year, our top level teams will be Maroon and our second level teams will be White, which are the official Concord-Carlisle school colors. In certain age groups, we may have two teams that play in the same division. We do this based on players' skill levels and the alignment of coaches to the players. In certain cases, and especially for those with more than two teams, we may split players equally. CCYB endeavors to place our teams in Metrowest divisions that will be competitive and offer a balance of winning and losing (i.e., a record of 9-9 is a considered to be a successful season).
- You will be notified via e-mail within two days of the tryout as to whether or not your player is selected for a team, and which team the player will be assign to. We do not accept friend requests – spots are awarded based on skill level and ensuring a mix of skill types and heights.
Coaching Volunteers and Coach Selection:
CCYB is actively looking for coaches. Coaching a CCYB team requires two things -- basketball experience and availability -- and oftentimes these skills can't be found in a single individual. We have found that a team approach to coaching works well, with a more experienced basketball player/coach helping to develop practice plans, and a parent who doesn't travel actually running the practices. CCYB also offers coaching clinics and provides materials to help develop practice plans.
Coaching a CCYB team does not require a coach to have a child on the team, so if you know someone who would be a good coach, even if they can't make a full commitment, ask them to reach out.
All coaches must agree to undergo a CORI check in order to participate in our program. Parents who are not CORI-checked are not allowed to act as a coach in practices or at games, so if you are considering helping out here and there please make sure you get your CORI completed.
The CCYB 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: 1) skill level and applied basketball knowledge, 2) attendance at practices, 3) attitude, 4) work ethic and hustle, 5) situations, 6) matchups, 7) foul trouble, 8) fatigue, and 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 game. If a parent feels that there is an issue with playing time, they should address it with the coach, and escalate to the Boys or Girls Travel Director.
Program fees are typically $350 to $425 per player and must be paid in full prior to tryouts (exceptions are made for players requesting financial aid). If we are unable to field a team due to lack of coaches, your fee will be fully refunded. If your player does not make a team, all but the tryout portion of the fee will be refunded. Uniforms are an additional ~$100 to ~$125 and are not paid unless your players make a team. Check out the current season page for further details.
If you are in need of financial assistance to cover program fees, please indicate your request on your registration form and contact the Boys or Girls Travel Director prior to tryouts. We have a limited amount of financial aid available. Aid requests will have no impact on whether your player is assigned to a team or not.
Jersey numbers are assigned by CCYB and remain the same for the duration of the player's involvement in the program. They MUST NOT be changed without coordinating with CCYB administration. We maintain a unique set of uniform numbers for each grade level, so we need to ensure there is no overlap if participants try to get a uniform from an older sibling or friend. This can cause major issues with Metrowest and can be grounds for penalties for us. Your player's assigned jersey number can be found on their profile on the CCYB website.
Each player is expected to have a uniform, indoor basketball shoes, and a mouth guard (highly recommended). A number of basketballs are provided by the program for each team, but many players choose to bring a ball to practice. We encourage families to support Brine's sporting goods by purchasing their balls locally.
If you will be purchasing your own basketball(s), please note the proper basketball size:
Girls grade 4: standard junior 27.5" ball
Girls grades 5 through 8: standard women's 28.5" ball
Boys grades 4, 5, and 6: standard women’s 28.5" ball
Boys grades 7 and 8: standard men’s 29.5" ball
Practices: November - End of Playoffs
3 Preseason Tournament Games: Friday - Sunday before Thanksgiving
12 Sunday Metrowest League Games: December – February
Metrowest Playoffs: March
Total Games: 16 - 20 + Playoffs
