Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems really hard to make a team if your kid is just a regular good player.

right?! I thought it would be easier to get on a team after reading on here so much that the county league is just a little better than rec! We went to an open gym for one team and the coach already knew so many of the kids who were there. Our ds was just average in that particular group so it didn't look promising. Went to another open gym (CYA) and there were so many kids there, it seemed impossible that the coaches could notice anyone.

I thought so too. My ds has tried out and made two different AAU teams and I am not confident he will get a spot on his preferred county team.

Most county teams seem to be made before tryouts. It is also a game of who you know. Sad but true.

Don’t get too discouraged. My son who is a very good (AAU) player attended several open gyms just for some extra practice, no intention of trying out.

The best chance to make a team is the one associated with your home zip code, unless a coach approaches you to offer one of his 2 zip code exceptions.

It's the brutal math of basketball teams-only 10 spots.

AAU teams have a profit motive in taking as many as kids as want to pay, then sitting them on the bench. There's no money to be made in county so no pay to play.

Anonymous wrote:It seems really hard to make a team if your kid is just a regular good player.

right?! I thought it would be easier to get on a team after reading on here so much that the county league is just a little better than rec! We went to an open gym for one team and the coach already knew so many of the kids who were there. Our ds was just average in that particular group so it didn't look promising. Went to another open gym (CYA) and there were so many kids there, it seemed impossible that the coaches could notice anyone.

We are used to travel soccer and travel baseball where tbh even if you aren't great, you will make a team somewhere if your parents can pay. It seems like there just are so few spots and teams.

It seems really hard to make a team if your kid is just a regular good player.

The league rules are that tryouts can't begin until the first Monday in October. That's why all the tryouts are that first week.

That's why the coaches started doing open gyms in September. Some will send out emails after the first night of tryouts trying to get kids to commit to their team and not try out other places. Its a little sleazy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. Sounds like your tryout time woild be better spent with orgs that have D3 teams, OP.

How I do find the orgs with D3 teams? Newbie parent here, so all this is useful info to me.

What age, boy or girl, and what's your zip code?

11 yo boy, 6th grader in 22180

FPYC is a little easier team to make usually than Vienna. Try out for both and see if Annandale or Turnpike is having a 6th grade team. They usually have weaker teams
And might be ok with an out of zip player just to get enough kids to play. Herndon, too, although thats a little farther away.

FPYC has a 6th grade team that also plays in summer leagues so that one may be tough to make if the team has stayed together.

Turnpike has a new 6th grade team forming and I think Annandale has a new team as well. Also try Falls Church city (if taking outsiders), Springfield South County and Gum Springs. BRYC may be a good option if it’s fielding 3 teams.

It sucks that all the teams host tryouts during first week of October but probably by design so kids aren’t trying out for multiple teams and shopping around.

Also to add… if your kid is really interested in a team and has a good chance to make it, don’t skip the last tryout day but attend all of them. Last year, my son’s 2 friends skipped final tryout and didn’t make the B team despite playing better than half the team!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. Sounds like your tryout time woild be better spent with orgs that have D3 teams, OP.

How I do find the orgs with D3 teams? Newbie parent here, so all this is useful info to me.

What age, boy or girl, and what's your zip code?

11 yo boy, 6th grader in 22180

FPYC is a little easier team to make usually than Vienna. Try out for both and see if Annandale or Turnpike is having a 6th grade team. They usually have weaker teams
And might be ok with an out of zip player just to get enough kids to play. Herndon, too, although thats a little farther away.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. Sounds like your tryout time woild be better spent with orgs that have D3 teams, OP.

How I do find the orgs with D3 teams? Newbie parent here, so all this is useful info to me.

What age, boy or girl, and what's your zip code?

11 yo boy, 6th grader in 22180

Also, does anyone if McLean B teams have much movement from year to year? Our kid would be happy with B team

Anonymous wrote:Can non-VA residents play for McLean?

No, they have to live in Fairfax County to play for McLean.

Can non-VA residents play for McLean?