Arlington travel tryouts?

[Anonymous]

Everything I find is for 23-24…when are tryouts for 24-25

[Anonymous]

We were told ATB tryouts begin week of October 7.

[Anonymous]

Where can you find the information?

[Anonymous]

This isn't that surprising. In the winter of 2020-21, when the decision not to play basketball was made it caused a huge rift in the organization. Lots of the more organized directors left (along with coaches) and the organization has been a walking disaster since. The replacements have been very much driven by the old school political correctness which has transformed into "equity."

Two other tidbits:
1) The 7th and 8th grade teams are basically set. There was no announcements of open gyms for those grades unlike the 5th and 6th grade. Take that for what you will.

2) At least on the boy's side, unless your kid is really tall, he better play Arlington Storm baseball because both Storm and ATB are heavily intertwined with each other. Lots of hand shake deals to get kids on ATB from Storm baseball for boys that have no earthly right to be on the ATB team. And this is coming from a parent that has had 2 sons play or are playing in ATB right now. I would have done almost anything to get them out of this environment but Arlington kids are ineligible from playing on other Fairfax team.

As for coaching with the assumption everything stays the same. The 5th grade A coach is very good. Can really develop talent. 5B coaches are okay. The 6A coach is terrible. He's probably worse than his dad who got fired as HC from Georgetown. The 7A coach is okay nothing to write home about. Seems to always get inside his own head. I'm assuming the 7B coach will move up to 8B because that's the only way his kid (and a couple of his friends) will make the team. He is the epitome of a Dad coach. 8A coach is decent and can build for HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn't that surprising. In the winter of 2020-21, when the decision not to play basketball was made it caused a huge rift in the organization. Lots of the more organized directors left (along with coaches) and the organization has been a walking disaster since. The replacements have been very much driven by the old school political correctness which has transformed into "equity."

Two other tidbits:
1) The 7th and 8th grade teams are basically set. There was no announcements of open gyms for those grades unlike the 5th and 6th grade. Take that for what you will.

2) At least on the boy's side, unless your kid is really tall, he better play Arlington Storm baseball because both Storm and ATB are heavily intertwined with each other. Lots of hand shake deals to get kids on ATB from Storm baseball for boys that have no earthly right to be on the ATB team. And this is coming from a parent that has had 2 sons play or are playing in ATB right now. I would have done almost anything to get them out of this environment but Arlington kids are ineligible from playing on other Fairfax team.

As for coaching with the assumption everything stays the same. The 5th grade A coach is very good. Can really develop talent. 5B coaches are okay. The 6A coach is terrible. He's probably worse than his dad who got fired as HC from Georgetown. The 7A coach is okay nothing to write home about. Seems to always get inside his own head. I'm assuming the 7B coach will move up to 8B because that's the only way his kid (and a couple of his friends) will make the team. He is the epitome of a Dad coach. 8A coach is decent and can build for HS.

NP and on the girls' side, there are a number of excellent coaches listed. I would be very excited if my DD were still that age.

[Anonymous]

I always wondered why Arlington doesn't have 3 teams per level on the boys' side. Its a whole county--surely there are enough players.

In my kid's age group last year our org CYA had 4 teams and we don't have that many zip codes. Its seem unfair to the Arlington kids. I don't get it. They should get more teams if they have the interest.

Anyway, agree with your assess of the 7B coach who I guess wil be the 8b coach. We were surprised that an org as big as Arlington had such a weak bench for the second team. Its makes more sense to know that's the coaches kids and baseball friends. They had 2 players who should have been on the A team, and 4-5 who should have been in house league. It was an odd team with that huge difference in skill, and the coach and one of the assistants freaked out the whole game in a non-fcybl way esp considering they were well ahead most of the game and our coach was laid back.

[Anonymous]

where are the coaches and tryout schedule posted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:where are the coaches and tryout schedule posted

Tryout dates have not been listed. If form holds it will the first week of October.

Presuming all the coaches come back, they can be found on the ATB website under the tab that says "Coaches."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always wondered why Arlington doesn't have 3 teams per level on the boys' side. Its a whole county--surely there are enough players.

In my kid's age group last year our org CYA had 4 teams and we don't have that many zip codes. Its seem unfair to the Arlington kids. I don't get it. They should get more teams if they have the interest.

Anyway, agree with your assess of the 7B coach who I guess wil be the 8b coach. We were surprised that an org as big as Arlington had such a weak bench for the second team. Its makes more sense to know that's the coaches kids and baseball friends. They had 2 players who should have been on the A team, and 4-5 who should have been in house league. It was an odd team with that huge difference in skill, and the coach and one of the assistants freaked out the whole game in a non-fcybl way esp considering they were well ahead most of the game and our coach was laid back.

This issue isn't boys that want to play but number of coaches. Prior to COVID, ATB had a strict no Dad coaches on the boy's side. Girls were a little more lax on Dad/mom coach issue. As stated above, COVID had a bunch of coaches walk away, retire, or move on to AAU type coaching. That resulted in more Dad coaches (see the 7B coach as an example) And, yes, the 7B coach is as much a piece of work as you think. One of my sons and his son are the same age so I've been dealing with him for 8 years (and coaching against him various sports and not just in basketball but other sports). He's as annoying in real life as he is in coaching.

As for the 7B team, I know exactly what 2 players you are talking about. The bigger kid (I think was named the player of the division) is one of the best athletes in Northern Virginia - if the 7th grade B all league is to be believed, he carried that team because not a single other kid on the ATB 7B made the league team which says something for a team that finished 3rd. Honestly, I think I have never seen a kid that athletically gifted with a worse sports IQ. He just doesn't understand the ins and outs of the game. He is all "me." He can make some awesome athletic play but will then force 3-4 bad TOs, take a bad shot or just dribble down the court (because of course he plays PG) and will huck the ball up. He won't listen to coaches and they deal with it for the year. His been passed back and forth between coaches every year he's been in ATB. My guess is that if the 7B coach becomes the 8B coach, he'll be back on the ATB A team with a coach that's never dealt with him.

The smaller kid will pick up 2 quick fouls because he's overly aggressive and then just spiral. Funny enough, I've coached him in the past, he's gotten better but still gets in his own head.

But, yes, most of the rest of the team is not very good and are on the team because of who they know v. playing basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:where are the coaches and tryout schedule posted

Tryout schedule is not up but assume first week of October.

https://arlingtontravelbasketball.sportsengine-prelive.com/page/show/8218132-profiles

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always wondered why Arlington doesn't have 3 teams per level on the boys' side. Its a whole county--surely there are enough players.

In my kid's age group last year our org CYA had 4 teams and we don't have that many zip codes. Its seem unfair to the Arlington kids. I don't get it. They should get more teams if they have the interest.

Anyway, agree with your assess of the 7B coach who I guess wil be the 8b coach. We were surprised that an org as big as Arlington had such a weak bench for the second team. Its makes more sense to know that's the coaches kids and baseball friends. They had 2 players who should have been on the A team, and 4-5 who should have been in house league. It was an odd team with that huge difference in skill, and the coach and one of the assistants freaked out the whole game in a non-fcybl way esp considering they were well ahead most of the game and our coach was laid back.

The bench is weak because most kids who are actually serious about basketball quit ATB because of the politics and daddy ball. You’ll find very few kids on either team that play year round basketball which is at odds with all of the other county team profiles.

[Anonymous]

THIS is why some of the better players in Arlington avoid ATB in favor of year-round AAU teams. My son, a former div-1 ATB player, prefers to play AAU and winter house league basketball in DC or MD on very competitive teams.

[Anonymous]

Its a shame when adults ruin something that's supposed to be fun for kids.

[Anonymous]

Just sent an email. And in typical ATB fashion lists no dates (says 4 nights) so I guess you have to assume it is Monday through Friday?

4 nights is absurd number of days to hold a tryout. Many of these kids are in other sports and have practices...

[Anonymous]

Do they have to go to all 4 nights? Usually places just require attending 2.