Anonymous
10/02/2025 16:06
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Have offers gone out for McLean? We know two families that have theirs already.
Anonymous
10/01/2025 15:36
Subject: Fcybl winter select
We had a freshman on my son’s varsity team who played FCYBL. He made varsity as a freshman and played for Takeover, EYBL
That’s a top level AAU team.
That’s a top level AAU team.
Anonymous
10/01/2025 09:54
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a coach.
I really don’t want more than 10 kids on a team.
We will have 5 starters and probably 2-3 rotational players. The last 2-3 kid so the bench will not get tons of play time. We will try to get them into games as much as we can, but if it’s close, we will keep it to the top 5-7 players.
If we take 11-12 kids, some kids will get little to no play time. In travel, play time is not guaranteed. So it’s not fair to take so many kids where a few of them will not play more than 3-5 minutes per game.
Fcybl is low level travel for 5th-8th graders. If you can't figure out how to get all your players at least a quarter of play time, you are a bad coach.
Most rotational players that play Division 1 and 2 in FCYBL in 7th and 8th grade, (majority of the roster for Division 1, the major rotational players for Division 2) will go on to make their High School freshman teams at minimum the following year if they stay committed to basketball. Division 1 FCYBL is definitely not low level travel.
Anonymous
10/01/2025 08:55
Subject: Fcybl winter select
I wouldn't call FCYBL low level travel. It's a winter-only league for elementary and middle schools kids in Fairfax county that guarantee you 14 games. Lots of AAU teams would love to play in this league rather than Shots Up winter league! In fact, if you look hard enough, most players in Division 1 all play for good AAU teams.
Anonymous
10/01/2025 06:16
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:I’m a coach.
I really don’t want more than 10 kids on a team.
We will have 5 starters and probably 2-3 rotational players. The last 2-3 kid so the bench will not get tons of play time. We will try to get them into games as much as we can, but if it’s close, we will keep it to the top 5-7 players.
If we take 11-12 kids, some kids will get little to no play time. In travel, play time is not guaranteed. So it’s not fair to take so many kids where a few of them will not play more than 3-5 minutes per game.
Fcybl is low level travel for 5th-8th graders. If you can't figure out how to get all your players at least a quarter of play time, you are a bad coach.
Anonymous
09/30/2025 17:41
Subject: Fcybl winter select
And yes,
We do reserve a lot for kids we know will be top tier players that we coach in AAU.
We do not want to lose them to another program.
We know who will be the top 1-3 players note team before tryouts. We will be looking for 6-7 new players out of the pool of kids that come.
We do reserve a lot for kids we know will be top tier players that we coach in AAU.
We do not want to lose them to another program.
We know who will be the top 1-3 players note team before tryouts. We will be looking for 6-7 new players out of the pool of kids that come.
Anonymous
09/30/2025 17:31
Subject: Fcybl winter select
I’m a coach.
I really don’t want more than 10 kids on a team.
We will have 5 starters and probably 2-3 rotational players. The last 2-3 kid so the bench will not get tons of play time. We will try to get them into games as much as we can, but if it’s close, we will keep it to the top 5-7 players.
If we take 11-12 kids, some kids will get little to no play time. In travel, play time is not guaranteed. So it’s not fair to take so many kids where a few of them will not play more than 3-5 minutes per game.
I really don’t want more than 10 kids on a team.
We will have 5 starters and probably 2-3 rotational players. The last 2-3 kid so the bench will not get tons of play time. We will try to get them into games as much as we can, but if it’s close, we will keep it to the top 5-7 players.
If we take 11-12 kids, some kids will get little to no play time. In travel, play time is not guaranteed. So it’s not fair to take so many kids where a few of them will not play more than 3-5 minutes per game.
Anonymous
09/30/2025 16:28
Subject: Fcybl winter select
If your kid was specifically recruited to try out for a team (McLean) are these good odds or does everyone get emailed?
Anonymous
09/30/2025 13:10
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:From my vantage point- as a parent- Players 7-10 ride the bench most of the game. Better off on a B or C team or a club where you are one of top players. It would be incredible to have a great coach but it's always a volunteer/parent coach. Most coaches start their kid and don't care to work on improving the bench.
Fair, especially for FCYBL. Sometimes in AAU, you get luckier as far as coaching, and get some people who don't have kids on the team, and maybe even dual hat as a HS coach. But probably a rarity.
Anonymous
09/30/2025 11:42
Subject: Fcybl winter select
From my vantage point- as a parent- Players 7-10 ride the bench most of the game. Better off on a B or C team or a club where you are one of top players. It would be incredible to have a great coach but it's always a volunteer/parent coach. Most coaches start their kid and don't care to work on improving the bench.
Anonymous
09/30/2025 11:02
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Only ten kids is dumb. That coach will never have enough players for 5v5 work at practice.
10 is perfectly fine. Imagine being the 11th or 12th player. How much playing time will they get in a real game, 1 or 2 minutes? Those players are better off on a B team/rec team. Playing time is super important. In practices, most 5v5 concepts can be adjusted with 3v3, 4v4, 5v4, or even have parents/coaches to fill in the void.
This is only true if the coaching is mediocre or poor. You are much better off being the 11th man on a well coached team with talented players, than being in the rotation on a mediocre/bad team with bad coaching.
Anonymous
09/30/2025 10:33
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:Only ten kids is dumb. That coach will never have enough players for 5v5 work at practice.
10 is perfectly fine. Imagine being the 11th or 12th player. How much playing time will they get in a real game, 1 or 2 minutes? Those players are better off on a B team/rec team. Playing time is super important. In practices, most 5v5 concepts can be adjusted with 3v3, 4v4, 5v4, or even have parents/coaches to fill in the void.
Anonymous
09/29/2025 20:26
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:Only ten kids is dumb. That coach will never have enough players for 5v5 work at practice.
And if the coach or team is weak, better players may start dropping out or not showing up for practices or games, especially those who’ve played for AAU teams.
But even with only 10 players, my son played on a team where coach only played his top 7 (and no they weren’t necessarily the biggest or the best players, just his favorites). My son was playing for his AAU team simultaneously, while traveling for MADE Hoops circuit and Jr Phenom, so he’d basically use the FCYBL team as extra practice. But once the clueless coach finally played my son for more than 5 minutes and realized his talent, my son moved up to a starter.
Anonymous
09/29/2025 17:33
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Only ten kids is dumb. That coach will never have enough players for 5v5 work at practice.
Anonymous
09/29/2025 17:29
Subject: Fcybl winter select
Anonymous wrote:Our kid made a select team last year and is trying out for the same org again this year. No delusions about moving up a level, just hoping to make same level team as last year. Can go to the first two tryouts, but on the third tryout night there is the first tryout for at least two other orgs. If the kid is a returning player, will they get an offer more quickly (assuming the coach wants them back)? Would it make sense to reach out after the second tryout and ask how important it is for them to attend the third one? Our kid would prefer to play with the same team again but doesn't want to miss out on the other tryouts if the old team isn't an option. No idea how many new kids might be trying out this year.
We are in the same boat. Our first choice team will only pick 10 kids so it’s not clear we will make the team. We don’t want to miss out on other opportunities.