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Frequently Asked Questions about ETB Answers to frequently asked questions about the program. Teams How does ETB determine how many teams to form at each gender and grade? Since the tournaments in which our teams hope to play begin taking registrations over the summer, it is necessary for ETB to determine the number of teams which will be offered at each gender and grade level and enter them in tournaments before tryouts occur. To do this, ETB uses registration numbers and past participant numbers at each grade and gender to determine the number of teams formed at each grade and gender. Why do some teams have 8 or 9 players and most have 10? There are pros and cons to having smaller teams vs. 10 person teams. The ETB board has listened to coaches and parents/guardians on this issue, both in person and in the end-of-season parent survey. Currently, ETB plans to continue the practice of forming some 8 or 9 person teams and mainly 10 person teams. In determining the makeup of teams, registration numbers at each grade level are considered with an attempt to balance the number of players we can place on teams with the number of players who may be cut. ETB seeks to accommodate a maximum number of committed participants for whom we can maintain a positive and competitive experience. How are teams selected? See the Tryout section below for details on team selection. back to top Coaches How are coaches chosen? Individuals interested in coaching during the 2009-2010 season are encouraged to express their interest during Spring signups. Otherwise, coaching candidates must contact Gregg or Beth Koenig by July 15, 2009. Candidates will fill out an application and be contacted in late July regarding an interview to be conducted in August. If the candidate has coached in our program in the past, evaluations of that coach are considered. Interviews are conducted by a combination of the Girls and Boys ETB Coordinators, the ETB director, one or more representatives from the Eagan Athletic Association board of directors, and outside evaluators such as former coaches from our program. After the interviews, candidates for each grade and gender are ranked. At tryouts in September players are first placed in skill-level pools A, B, and C. Later during tryouts the director and boys and girls coordinators look at which skill pool the coach candidates’ children have been placed in. Within each pool the position of head coach for each team is offered to the coaching candidate with the highest rank after the interview process. What kind of training and feedback do ETB coaches get? Coaches participate in an informational meeting in early September prior to tryouts, and in a coaching clinic during the pre-season. Evaluation of coach performance will occur mid-season, with feedback provided to coaches by the director and Boys or Girls Coordinators. Summary feedback regarding coaches from the end-of-season parent survey will be provided to coaches, as well. Requests can be made to Gregg or Beth Koenig at etbdirector@eaganhoops.org. During the season, coaches wishing guidance can contact director Gregg or Beth Koenig at etbdirector@eaganhoops.org. ETB wishes to support its coaches and can pair up experienced coaches with new ones for assistance as needed. back to top Tryouts See the Tryout section of our website for specific Tryout schedules and locations (when available) and other general information. How are tryouts conducted to ensure independent, objective, and appropriate decisions? ETB makes use of the following strategies during tryouts: 1) equal opportunity; 2) team play and skill assessments; 3) independent evaluation. 1. Equal Opportunity: All players are asked to wear white tee shirts without their names or past basketball team/camp/clinic participation on them. Each player receives a tryout jersey. Throughout the tryout players are referenced by number only. In addition, team groupings for scrimmages during tryouts are changed several times so that each player will play with and against many different players. An effort is made to equitably distribute height on the scrimmage teams. 2. Team Play and Skill Assessment: Drills are used to provide an opportunity for evaluators to observe basic skills. Scrimmages give evaluators a chance to observe skills, along with a player’s abilities to use these skills in a game-like situation. Scrimmages also allow evaluators to observe a player’s approach to team play. 3. Independent evaluation: An independent evaluator hired by ETB, along with the three top-ranked coaches from a different grade, use the drills and scrimmages to place players into skill-level pools. These pools model the team levels (A, B, C). How are teams formed? Once the skill-level pools have been formed (see above question), the ETB director and boys and girls coordinators look at which skill pool the coach candidates’ children have been placed in. Within each pool the position of head coach for each team is offered to the coaching candidate with the highest rank after the interview process. Coaches then place players onto available teams for the grade and gender based on pool placement. Should parents/guardians observe their child during tryouts? Attending tryouts is a matter of personal choice. The bylaws of the Eagan Athletic Association specify that parents are welcome to view tryouts. A parent/guardian’s presence there in no way affects the outcome of the tryouts or their child’s chance of making a team. Parents who observe tryouts must stay in a designated area and have no communication with players. Why are so many more boys than girls cut at tryouts? As we support and advance the place of girls in traveling basketball, we comply with Title IX and make every effort to allow interested and qualified girls to participate in ETB. The number of girls who try out for ETB teams and who participate on ETB teams is significantly lower than the number of boys. How can I get more information about what tryouts will be like? There will be an informational meeting about tryouts for parents in early September. The time and place will be posted on this website. back to top Practices How many practices can I expect per week? One or two, most at Eagan schools. Why can’t we have more practice time? This is a function of the large number of kids who participate in ETB, and the limited gym time and space available to us. Our program forms around 28 teams, while the Eastview program has approximately 23 and the Rosemount program has approximately 19. Eagan and Eastview and Rosemount all share district 196 facilities. In addition our program competes for gym time with Adult Rec sports, in-house basketball, and other community groups and classes. We do rent some gym time outside of the district and are continually looking for more. Contact us with any leads! back to top Cost Why is traveling basketball so expensive? The largest portion of the ETB fee goes to renting gym time. The other major expense is tournament entry fees. Fees for ETB are in line with metro-area traveling basketball associations. ETB supplements the fees paid by ETB participants with the Eagan Basketball Tournament in early November, and the sale of ETB clothing items during tryouts, signups, and our tournament. These revenue sources ensure that ETB can continue to offer quality basketball experiences for its participants. Beyond the registration fee and deposit, what other costs can I expect during the season? Just as the Eagan Basketball Tournament is a fundraiser for our program, so are the other tournaments attended by our teams fundraisers for the host organizations. Therefore fans, including parents and siblings, can expect to pay an admission fee for each day that they attend any given tournament. This is usually $3-4 per person; less for students and seniors. In addition, many families find that the time and distance demands of tournaments lead to additional driving and convenience food expenditures. Most ETB teams participate in the Rochester Tournament in late February or early March. Many families stay in a Rochester hotel for the weekend, though this is not required. Some teams may opt to play in additional tournaments. Cost of these tournaments are the responsibility of the team’s parents/guardians. back to top Eagan Tournament What’s the deal? After years of exceptional tournament director leadership, the Eagan Basketball Tournament has become tremendously popular with teams from all over the metro area. It is known for being well-run and competitive. This year the Eagan Basketball Tournament will be held in November 13-15, 2009. This is ETB’s major fundraiser. In order to maximize profit for this event and keep ETB registration fees under control, the tournament is staffed as much as possible with volunteer parents/guardians/friends of the program. This is why the $100 deposit check collected at tryouts is cashed if a parent/guardian does not work the allotted shift(s) and does not secure an alternate adult volunteer. This money is then used to hire teenagers to fill in. back to top Weekend Tournament Schedules What can I expect regarding schedules for weekend tournaments throughout the season? At the beginning of the season, coaches know most or all of the tournaments in which their team will participate and will provide this information to each family. Games may take place any time from Friday evening to Sunday evening on tournament weekends. Coaches generally receive the brackets for each individual tournament anywhere from 10 days to 2 days before that tournament. Since most tournaments use a bracket format, the first game time and location will be identified, along with the possible times for the remainder of the tournament games based on wins and losses of the team. Sunday morning games are a fact of life in traveling basketball. Tournament hosts all face the challenge of fitting in the required number of games in the gym space and time which is available to them. back to top Getting Involved How can I get involved helping ETB? Other than coaching, there are several ways to become involved in ETB. Each team benefits from having a team parent. This person is responsible for distributing information throughout the season, gathering information as necessary, making calls and emails regarding changes or updates to the team’s schedule, organizing the volunteer workers for the Eagan Tournament, etc. Talk to your child’s coach about this opportunity. Prior to and during the Eagan Tournament, November 2009, there are many “special jobs” which need to be filled in addition to the regular shifts filled by parent volunteers. These include: Site Coordinators, Concessions Coordinator(s), and Site Concessions Coordinators, as well as other positions. People who volunteer for these jobs generally work most of the weekend and therefore do not have to work a regular shift to fulfill their commitment to the program. Directions and information about this is provided, and these volunteers attend a meeting prior to the tournament to go over specific job responsibilities. This is an exhausting and fun weekend! Interested folks should contact Doug Gaedtke. Anyone with an interest in becoming a member of the ETB Board of Directors can make their interest known to ETB Directors Gregg or Beth Koenig. back to top Spring AAU I’ve heard that some kids play on AAU teams in the spring. How do I find out about this? ETB does not sponsor or organize spring AAU teams. However, many of our participants do play AAU in the spring, either on club teams which draw from the entire metro area, or on teams formed by local parents/guardians for their kids. Ask around. For information on forming your own spring AAU team check out the MYAS website at www.myas.org Refunds My child didn’t make a team, or has decided not to tryout. How do I get a refund from ETB? Refunds of all fees paid will automatically be issued for players who do not make a team. Refunds of all fees paid will also be made, if requested from ETB Treasurer, by September 1, 2009. For players that make a team, no other refunds will be issued after tryouts are complete. back to top Playing Time How is playing time distributed in the ETB Program? Eagan Traveling Basketball has been established as a developmental sports organization. To accomplish this mission, all players in our program, at every age, gender, and level, should be given fair and approximately equal playing time over the course of the season. In order to clarify this position for both parents and coaches, the Board of Directors has established the following guidelines: 1. Actual time each player is on the floor may vary from game to game but should be approximately equal over the course of the season. 2. All players should start and finish an approximately equal amount of games over the course of the season. 3. Coaches can deviate from the guidelines under “extenuating circumstances or situations,” such as a player repeatedly missing practice, player behavioral problems, player injuries, etc. During the Traveling Basketball season, basketball practices and tournaments take precedence over activities other than family, church or school functions. If a player misses practices or games due to participation in another sport or activity, the coach is not required to abide by the fair and equal playing time guidelines. We believe our mission of developing players requires that all players be given fair and approximately equal playing time throughout the season. By adhering to the spirit of these guidelines, our basketball program should provide exciting and competitive opportunities to all participants who invest time and energy into the development of their skills. |
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