Tartan Boys Traveling Basketball

Tryout Information 

Basketball Tryouts 

During What do I need to know about the day of tryouts? You should arrive 20-30 minutes prior to the session as the player will need to check in and get uniform sizing information. All players should wear shorts, t-shirts and basketball shoes. 

Players SHOULD NOT wear uniforms from previous years or t-shirts with their names on them. A numbered Jersey will be provided upon check-in. Once checked in, players may need to wait in the hallway before their session begins. Please ask them to be patient. 

Tryouts are closed to parents and coaches. The evaluators and players need to focus on the task at hand. Having spectators is distracting to all parties. It is important that we let them do the job they came to do. Parents that do not respect this rule may cause their player to be removed from the process.

TBTB thanks you in advance for your cooperation.

How will players be evaluated? Your player is required to attend BOTH tryouts sessions for his or her grade level. Independent evaluators will score the athletes based on how they perform in individual skills, basketball drills, and team scrimmage situations. 

Players will participate in a set of drills designed to assess their individual skill level. These individual drills will be followed by a small number of scrimmages. 

Shooting - Form, mechanics, lay-ups, range, accuracy, catch and shoot. Dribbling – Ability to use both hands see floor while dribbling, dribble under pressure, protect ball, speed, change of direction. 

Game Play: 

Each player’s overall evaluation rating will be determined from their performance in these basketball drills and scrimmage situations. These ratings in addition to the coach evaluation from prior year are the predominant factor used in making team selections. 

Team Placement

TBTB will strive to have each traveling team comprise 8-10 players. The number on each team will depend on the total number of players who are rated as ‘travel-ready’ by the evaluators, and on the number of players considered ready to succeed at each competition level (A,B, or C).

Policy on ‘playing up’ to a higher grade.

4th-7th grade athletes attempting to ‘play up’ to a higher grade need to obtain, via email, the approval of the TBTB Basketball Director.

Eligibility for ‘playing up’ on Boys 4th-8th grade.

Players may only ‘play up’ on a higher grade’s A team if the player is ranked amongst the top 3 players at the higher grade level, as determined by the Evaluators. Players ranked outside the top 3 would be placed at their current grade level. Players interested in playing up should attend both the tryout session for their own grade, and the session for the higher grade unless approved by TBTB Basketball Director.

Eligibility for ‘playing up’ on Boys 3rd Grade Team

Since there is not a 2nd grade boys travel team, this ‘playing up’ policy differs from the policy for the boy’s 4th-8th grade teams. 

If we field a Boys 3rd Grade Team 

A 2nd grade or younger player who rates amongst the top 3 players will automatically be placed on the 3rd grade travel team. A 2nd grade or younger player who is rated as ‘travel-ready’, but not in the top 3, may play on the 3rd grade travel team provided that the younger player is NOT displacing a ‘travel-ready’ 3rd grader. For example, if there are 11 ‘travel- ready’ players, and the only 2nd grader is rated 8th, a 3rd grade player will not be cut to place a 2nd grader on the team. 

If we do NOT field a Boys 3rd grade team

This situation would apply if we did not have enough ‘travel-ready’ 3rd grade players to form a team. A 3rd grade or younger player is eligible to play on a 4th grade travel team if the player is rated as ‘travelready’ provided that the younger player is NOT causing a ‘travel-ready’ 4th grader to be redirected to the in-house program. Note that the younger player is only eligible for the 4A team if he rates in the top 3. Younger players rated below #3 would be placed on the B or C team as per their ranking.

Basketball Tryouts – After 

Upon the completion of tryouts and team selection, team rosters will be posted on the TBTB basketball web site as soon as possible. Typically, rosters will appear on the website within 3-5days of the completion of the tryouts. No later than Thursday, September 19th. We will not answer any questions regarding the placement of players on teams for 48 hours following the announcement of team rosters.

What if my son is not selected for an TBTB travel team?

Players who are not selected to play travel basketball will be eligible to play in the In-House leagues. If the player opts to play in the In-House league, the registration fee will be refunded. Thank you for being involved in our basketball community. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

What do we do if our player is too sick or injured to participate in tryouts?

If a player is unable to participate due to illness or injury the parent or guardian of the player must contact the TBTB Director of Basketball, Jose Hernandez (tbtbdirector@gmail.com), BEFORE the tryout session. Players who have registered for tryouts and are not able to participate will be excused for that illness or injury upon submitting a doctor's note describing the player's limitations. The placement of players who are unable to participate will be determined on a case-by-case basis. As an individual try out may be required.