Menlo Park Academy 2011-2012 Boys Basketball Team INFO

In case you missed the recent meeting and have a son interested in trying out for the MPA basketball team this year, here's the information that was given out at the meeting.

Tryouts:

Dates:             Wednesday 10/12                    Friday 10/14
Wednesday 10/19                    Friday 10/21
Wednesday 10/26                    Friday 10/28

Time:              4:30pm-5:45pm

Location:       Kamm’s Corner YMCA (Down the street from the School) 

Go to the Front Desk at the YMCA and Check-in.  The students will need shorts, Gatorade or water, and a Ball. 

They are encouraged to attend as many try-outs as possible.  We may go into the first Wed/Fri of November if necessary.  During tryouts I will have the students run a number of drills so I can observe the following skills:  Ball Handling, Passing, Shooting, Rebounding, Offense/Defense Moves, and Sportsmanship.   The more tryouts your son attends, the more opportunity I have to observe their skills and their chances increase of making the team.

Team:

The team will be made up of 8 to 10 players.   Those who make the team will play in every game as long as they are consistent with attending practice, keep up with school work and have parent’s permission.

All parents will be notified by email on your son’s status at the end of tryouts. 

We will have (about Three to Five) 4^th graders on a Basketball Mentor Program.  They will come to every practice and games and will receive team shirts, but will not play in all of the games.   The purpose of this program is to groom them for a spot on next year’s team. As the season progresses and depending on circumstances, these 4^th graders may get to play in a game during the season.

Practice:

Practice will start on Friday November 4^th and be held every subsequent Wednesday and Friday from 4:30-5:45 at the YMCA.  As we get closer to the Holidays, I will notify you of changes or cancellations via email.  

If practice or a game is canceled due to inclement weather, I will notify you via email or text message unless other arrangements are made ahead of time.

Once the team is established, it would be helpful to have parent volunteers with vehicles to help transport the team members from MPA to the YMCA for Practice. 

In case of injury, we will have all parents complete Emergency Contact Information.  Also, you may be required to sign an injury waiver.

Games:

The 2011-2012 season schedule has not been released yet, but I will notify you and MPA when it is available.   The season lasts from November to early February. It is normally a 10 game season.   If we qualify for the playoffs, the MPA team will be placed in the single elimination tournament that starts right after the regular season to play for the league championship. Dates and times would be announced later.

Since MPA doesn’t have a gym, our “home” games will be at Midpark High School in Middleburgh Heights and we will play at least 5 games there.  Other possible cities we could play as the road team are North Olmsted, Brook Park, and Berea.   The games are mostly on Saturdays. Most games start between 10:00am and 3:00pm and last about 75 minutes.   No jewelry of any kind can be worn during the games as well.

Team members (including the 4^th grade mentors if possible) need to arrive 30 minutes before the game start time.   Parents are encouraged to stay and cheer the team on (other family and friends may attend as well).  Please respect the Coach and the Referees and don’t make inappropriate comments towards the opposing team or the Game Officials.

If anyone is interested in assisting me on Game Day as my Assistant coach, let me know – you would need to sit on the bench during the game and help me with calling plans and tracking the team statistics.

Team Photo:

I will be speaking with the league director and try to get us placed in the picture rotation with the city of Middleburg Hts. On Picture Day, the whole team is required to show up in full game uniforms. You will pay for the pictures that day with an order form I will provide. You may purchase a team photo or pay to take a solo photo of your child.

About the Coach:

I have been involved with this league for the last six years as a coach for the City of Middleburgh Heights.  I have coached both 3rd & 4th grade teams and 7th & 8th grade teams.   Prior to that, I spent four years as a basketball coach for the City of Maple Heights.

Last season my 7th & 8th Grade Boys team had a record of 9-1 and went on to win the league championship.  I was also named Coach of the Year for the Basketball League. 

I am looking forward to working with you and your children and hopefully starting a winning tradition at Menlo Park!

If you have any other questions before tryouts begin, please feel free to contact me at wbl8305@sbcglobal.net or 216-287-8786.