FCYBL-is this allowed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The removal of division 3 has created a number of messes, IMO. The division 2 games are very lopsided, and some teams are clearly in a different league than others. Not as fun for anyone.

Yes, I totally agree! What were they thinking? Many of the leagues had no basketball seasons and didn't have travel seasons last year. Other leagues have teams that have been playing year round with no breaks during Covid. This year more than any other year they should have had three divisions.

I don't understand why 8th grade boys has D3 and no one else does. Savvier coaches who pushed for it? 5th and 6th and 7th grade boys all should have D3. 7th grade boys D2 in particular is bad. They have teams that are really A teams (like the McLean B team with all the players who were pushed out to make room for the nova 94 kids) and some teams with kids who are almost all clearly new to travel basketball and should be playing each other in D3. 15 teams in one division is ridiculous.

another 7th grade D2 parent here -- totally agree! Let's all write a letter to the league pushing for a return of the 3 divisions in the future (whether or not it benefits our kids is irrelevant, but this two-division system makes no sense. When my son played in division 2 as a 5th grader, there was one team that was really good but the rest were pretty even and the games were all good. This year we have had way too many blowouts.

Blowouts are common in AAU. Kids are getting ready for the next level. If they don’t want to get blown out, they have to step their game up.

But this isn’t AAU-this is a league set up with divisions (just like high school teams have divisions) and for good reason. Arlington selects a team from 500 kids at tryouts, Gum Springs has 10 show up to try out. Divisions make sense, especially in the younger grades where some teams might never have played travel but other teams have played AAU together for years.

Maybe they should get rid of the zip code requirements and some of these organizations won’t be so limited who they can pick up.

You don't understand the purpose of the league. It was set up because Fairfax doesn't have middle school sports so players could prepare for high school basketball. The teams are fielded from local recreational leagues--some are small leagues and and some are large leagues. The league wants to give as many kids as possible a chance to play more competitively *with their local teams* than rec with high school rules while also keeping competitive divisions.

[Anonymous]

The divisions are all messed up this year probably due to many organizations not playing at all last year and (1) not knowing which division would be a good fit and (2) kids being 'behind' where they normally would be and "behind" other teams because their local leagues didn't play for a year + while other leagues played or kids played in AAU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The removal of division 3 has created a number of messes, IMO. The division 2 games are very lopsided, and some teams are clearly in a different league than others. Not as fun for anyone.

Yes, I totally agree! What were they thinking? Many of the leagues had no basketball seasons and didn't have travel seasons last year. Other leagues have teams that have been playing year round with no breaks during Covid. This year more than any other year they should have had three divisions.

I don't understand why 8th grade boys has D3 and no one else does. Savvier coaches who pushed for it? 5th and 6th and 7th grade boys all should have D3. 7th grade boys D2 in particular is bad. They have teams that are really A teams (like the McLean B team with all the players who were pushed out to make room for the nova 94 kids) and some teams with kids who are almost all clearly new to travel basketball and should be playing each other in D3. 15 teams in one division is ridiculous.

another 7th grade D2 parent here -- totally agree! Let's all write a letter to the league pushing for a return of the 3 divisions in the future (whether or not it benefits our kids is irrelevant, but this two-division system makes no sense. When my son played in division 2 as a 5th grader, there was one team that was really good but the rest were pretty even and the games were all good. This year we have had way too many blowouts.

Blowouts are common in AAU. Kids are getting ready for the next level. If they don’t want to get blown out, they have to step their game up.

But this isn’t AAU-this is a league set up with divisions (just like high school teams have divisions) and for good reason. Arlington selects a team from 500 kids at tryouts, Gum Springs has 10 show up to try out. Divisions make sense, especially in the younger grades where some teams might never have played travel but other teams have played AAU together for years.

Maybe they should get rid of the zip code requirements and some of these organizations won’t be so limited who they can pick up.

You don't understand the purpose of the league. It was set up because Fairfax doesn't have middle school sports so players could prepare for high school basketball. The teams are fielded from local recreational leagues--some are small leagues and and some are large leagues. The league wants to give as many kids as possible a chance to play more competitively *with their local teams* than rec with high school rules while also keeping competitive divisions.

That doesn’t equate it to a middle school team. If they wanted to do that, they should go by which middle school you are zoned for. For example, CYA travel is able to take kids who are zoned for Fairfax, Chantilly, Centreville, South Lakes, Oakton, and Herndon high schools atleast. Herndon travel can only pull kids zoned for Herndon.
The teams with the largest youth athletic organizations have the advantage under the current system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The removal of division 3 has created a number of messes, IMO. The division 2 games are very lopsided, and some teams are clearly in a different league than others. Not as fun for anyone.

Yes, I totally agree! What were they thinking? Many of the leagues had no basketball seasons and didn't have travel seasons last year. Other leagues have teams that have been playing year round with no breaks during Covid. This year more than any other year they should have had three divisions.

I don't understand why 8th grade boys has D3 and no one else does. Savvier coaches who pushed for it? 5th and 6th and 7th grade boys all should have D3. 7th grade boys D2 in particular is bad. They have teams that are really A teams (like the McLean B team with all the players who were pushed out to make room for the nova 94 kids) and some teams with kids who are almost all clearly new to travel basketball and should be playing each other in D3. 15 teams in one division is ridiculous.

another 7th grade D2 parent here -- totally agree! Let's all write a letter to the league pushing for a return of the 3 divisions in the future (whether or not it benefits our kids is irrelevant, but this two-division system makes no sense. When my son played in division 2 as a 5th grader, there was one team that was really good but the rest were pretty even and the games were all good. This year we have had way too many blowouts.

Blowouts are common in AAU. Kids are getting ready for the next level. If they don’t want to get blown out, they have to step their game up.

But this isn’t AAU-this is a league set up with divisions (just like high school teams have divisions) and for good reason. Arlington selects a team from 500 kids at tryouts, Gum Springs has 10 show up to try out. Divisions make sense, especially in the younger grades where some teams might never have played travel but other teams have played AAU together for years.

Maybe they should get rid of the zip code requirements and some of these organizations won’t be so limited who they can pick up.

You don't understand the purpose of the league. It was set up because Fairfax doesn't have middle school sports so players could prepare for high school basketball. The teams are fielded from local recreational leagues--some are small leagues and and some are large leagues. The league wants to give as many kids as possible a chance to play more competitively *with their local teams* than rec with high school rules while also keeping competitive divisions.

That doesn’t equate it to a middle school team. If they wanted to do that, they should go by which middle school you are zoned for. For example, CYA travel is able to take kids who are zoned for Fairfax, Chantilly, Centreville, South Lakes, Oakton, and Herndon high schools atleast. Herndon travel can only pull kids zoned for Herndon.
The teams with the largest youth athletic organizations have the advantage under the current system.

Cya has access to all those kids and they still suck because they have the wrong people in charge

[Anonymous]

That’s why there are usually three divisions-because Arlington, for example, has thousands of kids play in rec and somewhere like Turnpike has a few hundred. Leagues want to field teams from their own homegrown rec players and coaches.

[Anonymous]

And I think every zip code has two different leagues you can choose from so kids have a chance to make two teams.

[Anonymous]

A couple years ago, an AAU team tried to field a team in FCYBL WITHOUT any zip code restrictions. I cannot remember the loophole they used for this. Everyone went crazy and complained to FCYBL before the season started, and FCYBL was mostly disinterested in standing in their way. But something happened and they never actually fielded the super team.

At least as of two years ago, calling FCYBL a Rec Plus league was not accurate. Almost all the best players from Fairfax County wanted to play FCYBL, because notwithstanding some defects it is still a fun, well-run, and competitive league (particularly the top 3-4 teams in Division 1). Some players would play up a year in order to be challenged, but they still played FCYBL. Darren Harris, for example, played FCYBL (now plays for Paul VI), at least for 2-3 years. Even if your kid plays AAU year round, I would still recommend FCYBL. You can combine it with AAU and PYBL.

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine how that would work with the way the zip code rules are written now. Maybe they redrafted them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple years ago, an AAU team tried to field a team in FCYBL WITHOUT any zip code restrictions. I cannot remember the loophole they used for this. Everyone went crazy and complained to FCYBL before the season started, and FCYBL was mostly disinterested in standing in their way. But something happened and they never actually fielded the super team.

At least as of two years ago, calling FCYBL a Rec Plus league was not accurate. Almost all the best players from Fairfax County wanted to play FCYBL, because notwithstanding some defects it is still a fun, well-run, and competitive league (particularly the top 3-4 teams in Division 1). Some players would play up a year in order to be challenged, but they still played FCYBL. Darren Harris, for example, played FCYBL (now plays for Paul VI), at least for 2-3 years. Even if your kid plays AAU year round, I would still recommend FCYBL. You can combine it with AAU and PYBL.

Where did Harris play?Herndon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple years ago, an AAU team tried to field a team in FCYBL WITHOUT any zip code restrictions. I cannot remember the loophole they used for this. Everyone went crazy and complained to FCYBL before the season started, and FCYBL was mostly disinterested in standing in their way. But something happened and they never actually fielded the super team.

At least as of two years ago, calling FCYBL a Rec Plus league was not accurate. Almost all the best players from Fairfax County wanted to play FCYBL, because notwithstanding some defects it is still a fun, well-run, and competitive league (particularly the top 3-4 teams in Division 1). Some players would play up a year in order to be challenged, but they still played FCYBL. Darren Harris, for example, played FCYBL (now plays for Paul VI), at least for 2-3 years. Even if your kid plays AAU year round, I would still recommend FCYBL. You can combine it with AAU and PYBL.

Problem now is that FCYBL is no longer enforcing the zip code restrictions. Started with covid year last year but then inexplicitly continued this year. Teams did NOT have to provide proof of zip code for their players. So you're seeing more AAU teams playing in FCYBL in their near-entirety.

The spirit of FCYBL is supposed to be how a PP described it - basically middle school basketball for Fairfax County kids, where they can play competitive basketball pre-high school with kids from their community. Not sure why the league is allowing a few coaches to essentially include their AAU team in the proceedings (by not checking zip codes) and blow everybody out. Also not sure what the AAU team gets out of it other than shiny trophy at the end.

[Anonymous]

The fee is very reasonable to play on this league compared to AAU tournaments and it is way more organized than AAU tournaments. And good competition. That’s why AAU teams are cheating their way into the system.

[Anonymous]

Which teams are secretly AAU teams and cheating on the zip code rules? Besides the McLean D1 7th grade team.

[Anonymous]

I wish our AAU team played FCYBL!!

[Anonymous]

I believe the Reston 7th Grade Boys D1 is mostly or entirely Nova Cavs AAU players. I recognized most of them from when they played my son's team in the summer. The problem with collecting all the good players for your AAU team and then playing in the FCYBL is there aren't enough good players left for the other teams to give you any good competitive games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe the Reston 7th Grade Boys D1 is mostly or entirely Nova Cavs AAU players. I recognized most of them from when they played my son's team in the summer. The problem with collecting all the good players for your AAU team and then playing in the FCYBL is there aren't enough good players left for the other teams to give you any good competitive games.

Yes just need to look at standings. Any team that is undefeated, winning by crazy margins etc. after 10-12 games is undoubtedly AAU and/or existing team. Would bet if you google coaches name as well it would show up under aau/year-round team.

Takes new basketball team 2 months or so to really get in flow of game speed and execution. Pretty unfair to expect competition versus teams that have been playing together all year round for last few years. In addition to those teams already having the best, basketball-centric players (i.e. not playing other sports in spring/summer).