Kids sports - basketball - recreational- general info, cost, commitement, equipment, age restrictions and more

*AGE REQUIREMENTS*	AGE GROUP BOYS AND GIRLS 6 - 18. picture compliments of pcscoreboards.com BASKETBALL divisions are based on Birth Date and your child must meet the restrictions to play the division. The breakdown of the divisions will often coincide with your child's school grade but birthdates takes precedence over grade level. You will find that with older children age groups are widened and a division will encompass multiple grade levels. Young Divisions...... In the younger divisions the fundamentals of the game are stressed to teach your child to become a better player. The age 6 divisions are strictly instructional with emphasis on fun. The 7 and 8 year old divisions are semi-competitive with emphasis on teaching. All upper division teams practice competitive rules with emphasis on skill development. The second grade division is often co-ed and then boys and girls are divided into separate teams once they reach 3rd grade. Competitive Divisions.... In competitive divisions coaches can bring their own complete team to the league or players can be placed on a team with kids that they know. If you are new to a league they will have postings for "Free Agents", meaning you need to find other players or are not already on a team. The league will then try and place you with a team in your area. The number of slots that are open on a team vary based on the number of returning players. Normally, as each age group goes up, the number of open spots decreases, so the younger your child gets involved the better chance they will have to get a spot. Teams are selected based on a draft and an even number of children from each grade level for the division will be put on each team. Pre-season tryouts are required so that the child's skills can be assessed. This will allow the coaches to draft accordingly and assist them in setting evenly balanced teams. Often tryouts will consist of dribbling, lay ups, shooting and a short one on one activity.
*REGISTRATION*	The season will run from November to February. Registration deadline is normally mid October. Tryouts are usually done in October and November. Forms for registration can be obtained on the organization's web site or at your local sporting good store. In addition, many schools will distribute flyers for the organizations announcing the registration time frames. Organizations will often give you the option to register on line at their web site. A birth certificate is required at this time to prove the age of your child.
*COMMITMENT*	Practice will begin about two weeks prior to the first game which will usually be in mid November. There will be practice once per week for about 1-2 hours. Your coach will normally talk to everyone on the team and determine a night that is convenient for everyone. Games will begin in early December. The play consist of approximately eight regular season games, once per week on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. In addition, there will be playoff games for 3rd grade and above. Some leagues offer a Spring session which will run from March to June.
*COST*	Registration fee for Recreational soccer is normally between 80.00 - 150.00 for upper age groups. For 2nd grade and younger many leagues will discount and the price range will be 60.00 - 110.00. Many organizations will give a discount for a family with multiple children.
*EQUIPMENT*	Basketball sneakers are required. A water bottle is needed. These items can be purchased at any sporting goods store. A uniform consisting of a jersey will be provided by the league. Shorts, color specified by the league, will be required and are sometimes supplied as part of the uniform.
*GENERAL INFORMATION*	The head coach and the assistant coach positions are usually filled by parent volunteers.