Practices
We are flip-flopping the practice times this year. Junior high and varsity girls will practice after school from 3:30-5:00 (Coach Catuto may go until 5:30 for the first few weeks). And the boys will practice from 4:30-6:00. Boys will be required to attend a study hall from 3:35 until practice begins in order to help get homework done. This is also an ideal time to talk to teachers. Practices will be held on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays all season long. There will be no practices in the afternoon on game days, unless specifically notified. Due to scheduling, we may occasionally go to another location for practice, but parents will be notified in advance if this is the case. Transportation will also be provided.
Junior high and varsity boys will also have a short practice from 6:50-7:45 am on Thursdays for at least the first part of the season. More info on this later.
Schedule
Unfortunately, I am not able to give a schedule at this time, since our elementary, junior high, and varsity leagues are very slow in setting and confirming districts. As soon as I have a schedule that I am confident in, I will post it on the website.
Fees
All participants will be charged a $65 athletic fee for participating in basketball. This helps us pay for officials and travel expenses. It also helps the basketball budget for new equipment and uniforms. This fee will be charged after the first few weeks of the season.
Commitment
I understand that some players are new to the program and may be unsure about whether or not they would like to compete this season. We do, however, ask that each player commit within the first week to whether or not they will participating for the season. This will help us with setting rosters and submitting them to the league on time. Also, practices are extremely important. Please help our coaches by making sure your athletes are present for every practice. Exceptions are made in emergency situations (to be determined by the coach). If you are going to miss a practice for a prior engagement, please be sure to let the coach know at least a week in advance.
First Week
The first week will be a bit different as far as the practice schedule goes, due to the cross country season being in its last week. The first week will go as follows:
Monday, 10/14 - girls, 3:30-5:00, boys 4:30-6:00
Tuesday, 10/15 - girls 3:30-5:00, boys 4:30-6:00
Wednesday, 10/16 - NO PRACTICES
Thursday, 10/17 - girls 3:30-5:00, boys 4:30-6:00 (boys NO MORNING PRACTICE)
Friday, 10/18 - NO PRACTICES, due to XC state meet
After week 1, everything will begin to operate as normal.
Items Needed
Each athlete should have a VBA athletic shirt, if this has not yet been purchased please let me know. Also, make sure that your athletes have BASKETBALL shoes. Basketball shoes should be mid to high top shoes. Running shoes, cross trainers, and canvas shoes will only lead to injury. When practicing, athletes should wear athletic attire. Girls shorts should come to the top of the knee. Guys may wear sleeveless shirts, but they must be athletic shirts, not undershirts.
I'm sure I've forgotten something, and you're tired of reading. If you think of anything else, or any other questions, please let me know. We look forward to a great season!