HYAA BASKETBALL

 

TRAVEL vs. REC - Which is right for my child?

 

RECREATION

-         The Recreational Program is for boys and girls in grades K-12. 

-         Your child plays against other children from Hooksett only.

-         The recreational program atmosphere is less competitive and more emphasis is placed on having fun while learning the fundamentals. 

-         All players in grades 3-12 attend evaluations so that teams can be created equally.

 

TRAVEL (Please see more extensive Travel Overview below)

-         Kids at all levels are encouraged to try-out for the travel teams. 

-         Tryouts are held and individual players are selected based on ability. 

-         Any player who tries out for the travel program and does not make the team is automatically enrolled in the recreational program.

-         The Travel Program broken out for boys in grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and Girls 5-6, 7-8. 

-         These teams compete against other towns in the area in the Manchester Suburban League such as Londonderry, Bedford, Brookline, Concord, Goffstown, Hollis and Pelham. 

-         If your child makes the travel team, there is an additional fee of $60.00 which is used for league fees and officiating fees.

What is "travel" basketball?

Travel basketball in Hooksett is an opportunity for your son or daughter to represent Hooksett and play in the Manchester Suburban Basketball League (MSBL).  This is a competitive basketball league with a focus on skill development and preparing players for play at other levels (middle school/high school).  While the coaches will work to make it fun, the teams are representing Hooksett and competing to win.  MSBL breaks down the divisions by sexes, pairs of grades, skill level, and sometimes by geography.  From Hooksett, we are trying to form the following teams:

 

Girls 5^th & 6^th Grade

Girls 7^th & 8^th Grade

Boys 3^rd & 4^th Grade

Boys 5^th & 6^th Grade

Boys 7^th & 8^th Grade

 

The region covered by MSBL is roughly southern NH.  While the exact teams played will vary from division to division, the region may be as far north as Concord/Epsom, as far west Milford, south to the NH border on the Nashua side and to Pelham down I-93, to the east Hampstead.  Recently, some of the boys divisions have included teams from Lowell, MA as well.

 

Teams generally have 10 players per team, though some coaches may opt for more.

 

What is the time commitment?

• Practice for the travel teams will start the second week of October with one or two times per week.  Realizing that most of the players have fall team commitments already, your coaches will try to work the schedule to accommodate the players as best they can. 
• Once the season starts (right after Thanksgiving), you should expect on average 2 games per week (one home one away) and one to two practices per week.  Hooksett¡¦s home games are on Saturdays (somewhere between 12PM & 6PM) and Sundays (between 1:30PM and 6PM).  Game time slots are allocated 1 ¼ hours and for the most part your team¡¦s home game time will be the same every week.  Game slots have not been picked yet for each team.
• Teams will play about 14 games total (7 home and 7 away),  +/- depending on the division.  There are league playoffs for each division and typically all teams make the playoffs, with variations in the number of games played before elimination. The season usually ends before the first weekend of school vacation in February (about mid-February).
•  If Hooksett has 7 travel teams this year (up from 6 last year), then gym time will again be a premium so practice schedules may vary week to week.
• Policies will vary from coach to coach; however, attendance at practice will be required to play more than the minimum required minutes in the next game played.  Many of the teams will change strategies game to game to prepare for their next opponent.  If transportation is your only concern, please talk to your coach and often there are other parents or the coaches who will help out.

 

What kind of playing time will my child see?

In a game, every suited player is required to play 8 minutes minimum (or ¼ of the game), unless they foul out, are injured, or ejected from the game.  Philosophy will vary from coach to coach, but generally the coaches try to have equal playing time over the season.  Attendance and attentiveness at games, practices, skill level, game situations, foul trouble, and your satisfaction with their schoolwork all contribute to amount of playing time.

 

Should my child play both Cawley MS (Hawks) team and travel?

They will see competition at a similar level to the Hawks and it will give them an opportunity to further hone their skills.  However, please be mindful that your child is making a commitment to the travel team before the Hawks are picked.  The coaches will schedule around conflicts with Hawks games as best they can and we realize that commitment to the Hawks comes first.

 

Should my child play both REC and Travel?

You are free to have your child play in both programs.  However, realize that there will likely be conflicts between the two programs throughout the season.  Also, realize that the level of competitiveness is much different in the two programs.  Historically, we have found that bad habits are not corrected during REC play and therefore it is harder for the player to break them.  Please note, if your child makes the Hawks, they are not eligible to play in the REC program.

 

Why does it cost an extra $60 to play travel?

With 10 players on a team that is $600 per team.  Officials for 7 home games costs $420, the MSBL league fee is $175 per team.  This is above and beyond the regular league costs (insurance, weekend building monitors, and HYAA basketball¡¦s share of the floor maintenance at Cawley).  The fee also gives your child a uniform to use during the season and which must be returned at the end of the season.

 

How competitive are the games?

This will vary greatly based on the division that the teams play in.  For almost all leagues there are A& B divisions (and in the 5^th & 6^th Grade Boys division there are 4 divisions).  To start the season, the first Hooksett team in a division are required to play in the highest division to start, unless they are all the lowest grade for a division (i.e. all 5^th graders in a 5/6 league).  If that is not the proper level, the teams are adjusted after Christmas.  However, even in lower division play, you will see physical and aggressive basketball played.  3^rd & 4^th grade boys division does not allow full court presses, but the rest of the divisions do.  Those players making the transition from REC basketball will struggle a bit at first, but the coaches should be able to assist them in making the transition.  However, some lessons are only learned by experience.

 

Other tournaments

Throughout the season, the team may decide to play in one or two additional tournaments.  This would require an additional fee from every player (usually $15-25/player).  One such tournament would be the Bedford Invitational, which is held during the first couple of weeks of November.  We are anticipating at least some of the teams playing in this tournament as it is used for seeding in the MSBL divisions).  Your coaches will have more info at the first practice.

 

You should hear from your coach within a day or two after tryouts whether or not your son or daughter has made the Travel team.  Those players not selected are automatically passed to the Recreation league and will still have to attend the evaluations for REC in early November.  If your son or daughter is selected, please tell the coach what their schedules are for their fall sports so practice can be planned around those schedules. 

 

If your child's team does not have a coach yet, and you are interested, please see Alex Wilson after the tryout, or you have any questions, contact him at 641-5914 or wilsonat@comcast.net