What Happens After Tryouts are Over?

The tryouts data collected contains three components:

1. Objective data: how high the player can jump, how fast they can sprint, with and without dribbling a ball.
2. Players run drills that are assessed for fundamental basketball skills
3. Players play in scrimmage games and their playing ability in game situations is evaluated

After tryouts all of those scores are tabulated in a spreadsheet, weighted, and combined to get a final score. The top 13 players (based on score) are shown to the blue team coach, who then takes the top 7 plus 3 of the next 6 for a total of 10.   The coach sends in selections and receives contact info for those players.  The coach will attempt to contact all 10 players and confirm their commitment to being on the team.   This is usually now done through text messages as it is the most expedient method for quick confirmation.   We cannot move forward until we have 10 confirmations so speed is important since others are waiting for results as well.

If more than one team is planned for that sex/grade, the three not selected for blue become the top 3 for grey and the process repeats.   Because the grey coaches are often parents/relatives of players, they cannot be finalized in advance because we don't know where that player will finish in the tryouts.   So there can be a delay at this point while that is worked out. 

Teams with non-parent coaches who have been selected in advance will practice early-week after tryouts.  Other teams will likely practice later that week if we can complete the process in time.

Once players for all anticipated teams have been confirmed might be mid-late week), an email will be sent to the remaining players with the bad news.  There are a lot of players registered this year so there will be a lot of bad news - please prepare for that.  It is very emotional to be cut but understand that most of these players are in the top 10% in Kettering but we can only keep about the top 7%.   Don't give up on basketball because of a cut.  Enroll in a recreational league and attend camps whenever possible.

Practices are either from 6:00-7:30 or 7:30-9:00 on weekday nights.   Gyms can vary but are Kettering City School gyms.  Changes do happen and are posted on the website and also communicated by the email address on file in the registration.

Questions can be emailed to dave@futurefirebirds.com or you can leave a voicemail at 937-985-6987.   Email is highly preferred as this is a very hectic time.   All of our board members are volunteers with full time jobs.  Do not expect immediate call backs or long chats about results.  If you have not been contacted about making a team or received an email about not making a team by Thu night after tryouts, then check the website for status.   If it says that all teams are final then you can email to confirm your child's status.  We are trying to keep a few additional teams if at all possible but must have gym space and coaches lined up before we do that, so please be patient with us next week.

Go Firebirds!