Frequently Asked Questions
- WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PARTICIPATE IN TRAVEL BASKETBALL ...What are the expectations of us, as parents, and my daughter if she is selected for a travel team?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;What organization is responsible for the travel team tryout process?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUTIONS;On what skills will my daughter be evaluated and how are evaluation scores tallied?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;Is there any “subjectivity” involved in the team selection process?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;How many players will there be on a team?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;After the travel team evaluations have been completed and scores have been tallied, who is involved with the team selection process?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;How does the team selection process work?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;Why are the gym doors closed and why am I not allowed to see my daughter being evaluated?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;Who is in the gym with my daughter, who is allowed to be in the gym and why?
- TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;When can my daughter and I expect to be informed of the team selection?
- TRAVEL TEAM INFORMATION;How are coaches selected for the travel teams?
- TRAVEL TEAM INFORMATION;If my daughter makes a travel team and we, or my daughter, have a problem with the coaching of the team, what is the conflict resolution process?
- EMAIL LISTS;What are Team Email Lists and how do they work?
- EMAIL LISTS;What are general email lists used for?
- EMAIL LISTS; Do you sell or share the email lists?
- EMAIL LISTS;Does it cost anything to subscribe to an email list?
- EMAIL LISTS;I signed up for an email list but I am not receiving emails, why?
- EMAIL LISTS;Why am I getting duplicate emails?
- USERID's; Why do I need a userid?
- USERID's;Why are team pages restricted?
- USERID's; How do I get a userid and password?
- USERID's;I can't remember my password, what do I do?
- USERID's;Why isn't my userid and password from last season working?
Q1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PARTICIPATE IN TRAVEL BASKETBALL ...What are the expectations of us, as parents, and my daughter if she is selected for a travel team?
A1:
Practices; you can expect practice to be at least two times per week. Each practice will last approximately 1.5 hours. Practice days & times are set by the coach and are usually in the evening. Practice locations are typically MHS, MMW, MME or one of the district's elementary schools. Practices will usually begin in October.Your daughter will be expected to attend basketball practice BEFORE any other extra curricular activity.
Games;Each team will play in 8-10 tournaments (usually 3-4 games each tournament). Tournaments are scheduled from November through early March. Generally, tournaments are scheduled two weekends per month. All tournaments are located within one hour of Minnetonka with the exception of one out of town tournament. Tournament games are normally on Saturdays and Sundays; Friday night games are possible.
Fees; 2007-2008 Travel Team fees
$92 due at the time of registration (on or before September 17, 2007)
Grade 5: additional $210 due on October 2, 2007
Grade 6-8: additional $260 due on October 2, 2007
note; No child will be turned away for inability to pay. Please contact MCE for scholarship information ~ scholarships are provided by Tonka Girls Buckets Club when needed.
In addition to the Travel Fee charged by MCE, you will incur some additional costs which include;
- Tournament admission fees--normally $2-$6 per day for spectators (parents, siblings, etc.)
- The teams will attend one out of town tournament. Parents and players are given the option of staying at a hotel for this tournament and most players/parents will choose to do this. Depending on your choice, you may incur the cost of a hotel stay.
- The Tonka Girls Buckets Club has uniforms that are used by the Travel Teams. However,the players will be given the opportunity to purchase other basketball apparel (i.e., sweatshirt and sweatpants). Purchasing additional apparel is optional.
- Other incidental costs like spending $ at tournament concession stands, team lunches, parties, etc.
Tonka Tournament Commitment; Parents of travel players will be required to work at two Tonka Tournaments hosted by the Tonka Girls Buckets Club.
Parent/Player Meeting; Parents and players will be required to attend the parent/player meeting on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at MHS. All girls who are selected to play on a Travel Team and their parents should plan to attend this important meeting. This is your opportunity to …
- Meet coach and teammates
- Players will be fitted for a uniform
- purchase travel team apparel (optional)
- receive important information about the travel basketball program
- pay Travel Team fees to Minnetonka Community Education
- have a team meeting to hear the coach’s goals and coaching philosophy for the season
Web Site Communication; Parents and/or players will be responsible for accessing the TGBC web site on a regular basis to obtain important information and documents (including game schedules, maps, etc). Subscribing to the TGBC web site Email list is highly recommended! Information about subscribing to team email lists will be provided at the parent/player meeting.
WRITTEN COMMITMENT REQUIRED; Each player and her parents will be asked to make a written commitment to travel basketball. MCE requests that a signed Travel Commitment Letter be brought with your daughter to the tryouts in order to be considered for a travel team. (Blank Travel Commitment Letters are available on the Registration-Tryout page on this web site. The form will also be available at the tryouts.) If you find the time commitment for travel basketball to be too much, you are encouraged to play in the Rec League.
MORE INFORMATION
• For information about the rec league go to; Rec League
• For information about travel team tryouts & evaluations, please continue reading ~
Questions 2-11 deal with the Tryout and Evaluation process
Questions 12-13 address more issues related to travel teams
• For Travel Basketball registration information, go to; Travel Basketball Registration
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Q2: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;What organization is responsible for the travel team tryout process?
A2: Minnetonka Community Education (MCE) is responsible for conducting the evaluating process. MCE responsibilities are coordinated by Christine Best. Contact MCE
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Q3: TRYOUTS/EVALUTIONS;On what skills will my daughter be evaluated and how are evaluation scores tallied?
A3: Independent evaluators will score your daughter based on how she performs in individual skills, basketball drills and team scrimmage situations. The individual skills upon which your daughter will be evaluated are (numerical scores based on a 0-5 scale are given):
- Live Action
- Defense
- Shooting
- Ball handling (Dribbling)
- Passing
Your daughter will also receive an evaluation score (also a numerical score) as a result of scrimmage situations. Independent evaluators will look for things like playing team defense, court awareness, setting screens, etc. during this scrimmage setting. Numerical scores will be tallied for each player by individual skill category and overall total score for both Monday’s and Thursday’s evaluation. These scores are the predominant factor used in making team selections.
Q4: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;Is there any “subjectivity” involved in the team selection process?
A4: To be quite honest, there may be, but only under very limited circumstances. For example, assuming that 10 girls are placed on a team and there is more than one player who had the same composite numerical score for the 10th position, certain “subjective” criteria may be considered as a “tie breaker”. Examples of acceptable “subjective” criteria to be used include:
- “Hustle”
- Floor (court) awareness and spacing
- Basketball knowledge
- Moving without the ball (“cuts”)
- Setting screens and “rolling”
- Team “help” defense
It is important to understand that these or other “subjective” criteria will only be used in limited “tie breaker” situations. The following will not be considered when forming a team:
- Friendships among players
- Car pooling arrangements
- School affiliations, etc.
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Q5: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;How many players will there be on a team?
A5: As a general rule, the maximum number of players on a travel team will be 10. However, MCE reserves the right to vary from the maximum number of players under unusual circumstances.
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Q6: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;After the travel team evaluations have been completed and scores have been tallied, who is involved with the team selection process?
A6: A committee is used to make final travel team selections. This selection committee is comprised of the following people:
- One MCE representative
- The travel team evaluation coordinator (independent nonparent)
- Coaches for the applicable grade level
The independent evaluators who “scored” the players in the tryouts are not involved with the team selection process.
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Q7: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;How does the team selection process work?
A7: The team selection committee members identified above will meet and discuss how many travel teams will be formed and how many players will be included on each team. (The number of teams to be formed and the number of players per team are sometimes dependent upon the number of players trying out.) The committee members will review the evaluation scores to determine how many players’ scores are high enough to play competitive travel team basketball. Particular attention is paid to whether or not there is a clear drop off in composite scores of players to play travel basketball and those who clearly did not demonstrate the ability to play travel team basketball during the evaluations.
After a determination is made as to how many teams will be formed and the number of players per team, the initial placement of players placed on teams is based upon evaluation scores and the ranking of the player’s scores relative to one another (e.g. top ten scores initially on the first team and the next ten scores placed on a second team).
The selection committee will then review the composition of the teams. If there are, for example, nine players on one team who are projected for the guard position, a decision may be made to place some of those guards on a second team and to move taller players to the first team. This decision would be made to “balance” the composition of the team between guards, forwards and post players. It is important for parents to understand that even though their daughter, who is a guard, qualified numerically for the first team, it may not be advantageous for their daughter to play on a team with several other guards. The player may be required to play “out of position” if playing with several other players of the same height, but better skilled. In this situation, it may be better for this player to play her natural position (guard) on the other team.
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Q8: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;Why are the gym doors closed and why am I not allowed to see my daughter being evaluated?
A8: Due to the number of girls trying out for travel basketball teams, it is imperative that the evaluators have complete control of the process. It is also important that the girls concentrate on the drills being conducted so every attempt is made to minimize distractions.
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Q9: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;Who is in the gym with my daughter, who is allowed to be in the gym and why?
A9: As you bring your daughter to the tryouts and as your daughter enters the gym, you will notice certain adults also entering the gym. One will be an independent, nonparent tryout coordinator. This tryout coordinator is responsible for grouping the girls for evaluation drills, keeping the process moving, making sure the girls know what is expected of them, and overall coordination of the tryout process. There will be several (4-6) independent adult evaluators in the gym. These independent evaluators are experienced basketball people. The evaluators are not provided with any names – each girl is identified only by a number.
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Q10: TRYOUTS/EVALUATIONS;When can my daughter and I expect to be informed of the team selection?
A10: Tryout results (travel team rosters) will be posted on the Tonka Girls Buckets Club web site on Wednesday, September 26, 2007. Letters will also be mailed on September 28, 2007.
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Q11: TRAVEL TEAM INFORMATION;How are coaches selected for the travel teams?
A11: All coaches are selected by MCE. Any adult who wishes to coach a travel team must file a Coach Application with MCE which describes the applicant’s basketball and coaching experience, background information and coaching philosophy. Personal references are required with the application and these are checked by MCE. If more than one person applies to coach a team, MCE selects the coach who is best qualified in their opinion. An effort is made to engage nonparent coaches for teams, if qualified. There has never been a situation where all coaching positions could be filled with nonparents, so parent coaches will be used for some teams. Questions regarding the hiring of coaches should be directed to Christine Best at Minnetonka Community Education(MCE)
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Q12: TRAVEL TEAM INFORMATION;If my daughter makes a travel team and we, or my daughter, have a problem with the coaching of the team, what is the conflict resolution process?
A12: First of all, hopefully your daughter would feel comfortable discussing an issue with her coach. However, at your daughter’s age, she may not feel comfortable approaching her coach with her feelings. Oftentimes, equality of playing time among team members, positions played, and roles of players on the team become issues throughout the course of the season. As a parent, you should make a point of asking your daughter how she feels about what is going on with her team. If your daughter does not feel comfortable approaching her coach with her feelings, or you do not agree with the coach’s approach, you should first contact the coach and discuss the situation with the coach. If, after discussing an issue with your daughter’s coach and you are still not satisfied with the coach’s response, you should contact MCE with your concerns.
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Q13: EMAIL LISTS;What are Team Email Lists and how do they work?
A13: TRAVEL PLAYERS & HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS ARE RECOMMENDED TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TEAM EMAIL LISTS! The team email lists will be used to send information (tournament schedules, hotel information, schedule changes, coach announcements, etc.) to the travel teams and High School Teams. If you have provided your email address to the TGBC or high school coaches, you will automatically be added to the team list. You will receive an email indicating your email address has been added to the team list. Note: team email lists will not be set up until after teams are formed. If you do not receive an email regarding your daughter’s team list and/or you want to add additional email addresses, please go to, Team List Email Subscriptions
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Q14: EMAIL LISTS;What are general email lists used for?
A14: When you subscribe, you will receive important updates and information from the Tonka Girls Buckets Club. These lists will receive year round information about Minnetonka Girls Basketball including; summer workouts, camps, tryout dates, etc. If you are interested in Minnetonka Girls Basketball, we highly recommend subscribing to the TGBC's general email lists; tbcgeneral (for general basketball information) tbchighschool (for general high school basketball information)
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Q15: EMAIL LISTS; Do you sell or share the email lists?
A15: NO! We do not sell or share email addresses. We respect your privacy. The email lists are ONLY used by the TGBC and recipient's names are not disclosed! See our Privacy Statement for more details. You can unsubscribe at any time. Don’t miss out on receiving important information – SIGN UP NOW!
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Q16: EMAIL LISTS;Does it cost anything to subscribe to an email list?
A16: NO. It is free.
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Q17: EMAIL LISTS;I signed up for an email list but I am not receiving emails, why?
A17: Some email service providers automatically reject large group mail unless you add the sending email address to your address book or safe senders list. For instructions on how to do this, please go to; How to add safe senders You will want to add these "safe senders" to your list;
tbcgeneral@tonkabuckets.org (general list)
tbchighschool@tonkabuckets.org (general high school list)
tbc5blue@tonkabuckets.org (team list)substitute your team name in place of 5 blue
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Q18: EMAIL LISTS;Why am I getting duplicate emails?
A18: Your email address is probably subscribed to more than one list; The tbcgeneral list is used to send general information that pertains to K-8th grade girls basketball (i.e., travel tryouts, 3-8th rec league, etc.). The tbchighschool list is used to distribute information that pertains to 9-12th grade girls basketball (i.e., high school tryouts, high school rec league, etc). If the information pertains to both, the same email is sent to both lists. If you look closely at your "duplicate" emails you will see that one was sent to you from tbcgeneral@tonkabuckets.org and the other one was from tbchighschool@tonkabuckets.org. Unfortunately there is no way to avoid receiving duplicate emails if you are signed-up for both lists. If you need/want to receive information about K-8th AND 9-12 you will unfortunately have to put up with receiving some duplicate emails. The same is true if you have more than one daughter playing on a travel and/or high school team. Sometimes the same email is sent to all teams. If you are subscribed to multiple team lists, you will receive multiple emails.
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Q19: USERID's; Why do I need a userid?
A19: Userids and passwords are required to access Team pages. Team pages provide important information pertinent to each specific team (i.e., names, phone numbers, game times, etc.). The ability to view information on team pages is restricted to rostered players and their families.
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Q20: USERID's;Why are team pages restricted?
A20: The Tonka Girls Buckets Club privacy policy prohibits displaying private information on public areas of the web site. Therefore, in order to provide team rosters and contact information, the team pages have been made "private".
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Q21: USERID's; How do I get a userid and password?
A21: go to Request Userid and complete the form. You will receive an email when your access has been granted.
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Q22: USERID's;I can't remember my password, what do I do?
A22: If you lose your password, you can request to have it emailed to you by going to;Lost Password
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Q23: USERID's;Why isn't my userid and password from last season working?
A23: Userid's are granted for specific team pages. Last year's userids expired upon the completion of the basketball season and team pages were deleted. The team pages will remain empty until after the teams have been formed for the current season. After the teams are formed, the team pages will be constructed and requests for new userids & passwords will again be granted. Travel teams will receive information about userids & passwords at the parent meeting in October. High School Teams will receive information from the high school coaches.
Because the team members change from year to year, it is necessary to request a new userid each season for access to the appropriate team page
