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Mercer Island Boys Basketball – Youth Select Program
(5th-8th Grade Teams)
Mercer Island has multiple options for 5th thru 8th grade boys interested in playing competitive basketball.
The key goals of the Youth Select Program are for the kids to have fun, improve their basketball skills,
knowledge and self-confidence, and learn sportsmanship and teamwork.
Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club (MIBBBC) organizes and sponsors Youth Select teams for 5th
thru 8th graders to compete in ETL, and Cascade leagues. All competitive teams have try-outs to select the
players for their rosters. The try-outs are conducted by experienced coaches and are generally held in
September at Mercer Island High School. The dates, times, and locations are announced in late August on
the MIBBBC website www.mibasketball.org and are also advertised via email and on A-boards across the
community.
A brief description of various teams, their goals, expectations from players, and logistics is provided below.
Eastside Traveling League Teams (ETL)
ETL is the highest caliber of youth basketball available on the Island. ETL is the best choice for kids who are
seeking more competitive play, and are willing to prioritize the ETL team over other sports or teams during
the basketball season. Players on the ETL teams must be willing and able to devote material time to
practices, training, games and tournaments. The ETL teams will have up to 12 players on a team.
Participants on an ETL team will not all get the same playing time, but they will have fun, compete and
develop solid fundamental basketball skills. Details can vary by team/coach but the ETL teams generally
include:
1. Practices at least twice a week starting in November. To support kids who play fall sports
such as football or soccer, coaches will try to arrange non-conflicting practices or figure out
other solutions.
2. Three tournaments including at least one in the pre-season.
3. Pre-Season League: The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ETL teams will participate in the PEAK Fall
League. Games are played on Sundays. This year, the season starts on October 4th and runs
through the end of October. Cost per player is $55 - $75 depending on the number of ETL
players participating in the league.
4. League games & playoffs (Dec/Jan/Feb). Generally the ETL teams will have games on most
Saturdays and Sundays. Half of the games will be at home on Mercer Island (at the high school)
and half will be at other Eastside locations such as Bellevue, Mt. Si, Redmond etc. Playoffs
typically end in the beginning of March.
5. League Games begin in early December. The league tries to schedule games only when school is
in session, but sometimes there are games at the very beginning and or very end of the holiday
breaks. The actual schedule is usually finalized by the league administrators in late November,
and will be communicated to each team ASAP.
6. Other Tournaments or games - Depending on the interest of players and the availability of the
coaches, there may be other tournaments or games. For example, most teams play a
tournament on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and some will play over Thanksgiving. Games
and scrimmages are sometimes set up with area teams, such as Rotary, that are not in ETL.
7. Out of town tournaments – The season ends with an out of town tournament for the 6th and 8th
grades teams in mid to late March. Locations have varied over the years, and often include air
travel. More details on this are provided later in this document under the section “Post- Season
Tournaments”.
Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club
www.mibasketball.org
August 26, 2015
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8. Post-Season Play. Sometimes teams have stayed together after March and played in off-season
leagues and tournaments. That is optional and up to the coaches and families. Some teams have
also gone to Reno for a Memorial Day weekend AAU tournament.
9. Fees for participating in ETL for 2015-2016 have not yet been finalized but will likely be in the
range of $700-$850 per player. The final fee, once determined, will include the coaches’
stipends, ETL league fee, PEAK league fee, gym rental costs, uniforms if applicable, Little
Dribblers, and three tournaments. Additional tournaments and skill training sessions are extra.
A limited amount of financial assistance is available strictly on the basis of demonstrated need,
to help families in cases of financial hardship. See the section on Financial Assistance later in this
packet.
Cascade League Teams (Cascade)
The Cascade teams are the next highest caliber teams available. These teams are best for players who want
to play competitive basketball, but are also seriously pursuing interests in other sports, arts etc. during the
season. Though not as rigorous as ETL, the Cascade teams are still very competitive. The players on these
teams are expected to spend a considerable amount of time on practices, training, games and tournaments.
The Cascade teams will have up to 12 players on a team. Details can vary by team/coach but the Cascade
teams generally include:
1. Practices are twice a week starting in November.
2. One pre-season tournament in November
3. League games and playoffs (Dec/Jan/Feb). The Cascade team will play in the PEAK League.
The Cascade teams will usually play two games each weekend, and these may be on either
Saturday or Sunday. Typically there are no games during holiday breaks, but sometimes there
are exceptions. The league generally finishes in mid-March. The actual schedule is finalized by
the league administrators, and is communicated to each team ASAP.
4. Other Tournaments - Depending on player interest and coach availability, there may be one or
two additional tournaments during the season.
5. Fees for participating in Cascade for 2015-2016 has not yet been finalized, but will likely be in
the range of $500-$650 per player. Fees may be higher than last year, based on the league fees.
The cost will include coaches’ stipends, the Cascade league fee, gym rentals, uniforms if
applicable, Little Dribblers and one pre-season tournament. Additional tournaments are extra.
A limited amount of financial assistance is available strictly on the basis of demonstrated need,
to help families with financial hardship. See the section on Financial Assistance later in this
brochure.
Boys & Girls Club (B&GC) Recreational Teams.
The Boys and Girls Club offers recreational boys basketball teams for 5th - 8th graders. There are no tryouts;
everyone who wants to play can get on a team as long as space is available. See www.mi.positiveplace.org
for details.
Parent Information Meeting
An important information meeting is held before the tryouts to provide the parents of the new and
returning players an overview of Youth Select Basketball program. It covers ETL and Cascade leagues,
tryouts and the selection process, expectations from players and parents, volunteer opportunities and
basketball booster club information. It is followed by a Q&A session with MIBBBC board members. Apart
from getting useful information about the program you will also have an opportunity to meet the high school head
coach and the select youth league coaches.
Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club
www.mibasketball.org
August 26, 2015
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Tryouts for ETL and Cascade Teams
All select teams have try-outs. They are conducted by experienced coaches and consist of two separate
sessions. The selection is based on player skills, potential, attitude, and effort. Making a team one year does
not guarantee that a player will make the team next year. Historically there are always roster changes from
one year to the next.
All players need to attend both try-out dates for their grade level if possible. There is no fee for attending,
but all players must be registered online and the parents must sign a Medical Release and Waiver form
before their child can participate in the tryouts. The players should arrive dressed ready to play. They do not
need to bring basketballs. There are no scheduled make-up days, but coaches may grant a waiver in cases of
extenuating circumstances.
The results will be posted on www.mibasketball.org on the evening of the day following the conclusion of
the second session. Since the tryouts end in the evening, an additional day to post results is needed. No
phone calls will be made to any players. If a player wants to speak to a coach, they should follow the
instructions on the website.
Parents should arrive a few minutes early to drop off and register their player(s) at the sign-in desk. Parents are
not allowed in the gyms during the try-out process. This is to help the process run smoothly and efficiently with
total focus on the kids. Players will be given a brief description of the tryout process at the start of the session.
Parents should attend the information meeting to learn more about the process. Please pick up your kids
promptly at the end of the tryout.
Tryouts are held at Mercer Island High School. The dates and times are announced in early September. The
details are made available on www.mibasketball.org and are also advertised in the community in advance.
Post-Season Tournaments
Mercer Island Basketball had a long tradition of taking 6th and 8th grade teams to Texas to play in the Little
Dribblers Tournament. The main attraction was that 6th grade teams were coached by the MIHS head coach,
and players stayed with host families in a small town. This allowed them to have a different cultural
experience than their own, gave them a chance to compete with kids from another part of country, and
above all, experience coaching from a highly respected coach. MI basketball alumni almost unanimously
recall their Texas trip as one of the highlights of their basketball careers. Due to scheduling conflicts it
became increasingly difficult to continue.
MIBBBC and Coach Cree have maintained the tradition of post-season play for 6th and 8th grade ETL teams.
In March 2016 the teams will once again be returning to Palm Springs for the ARC Duel in the Desert
Tournament. The key elements of this experience are:
• It is for 6th and 8th grade teams only. The 6th grade team is coached by MIHS head coach Gavin
Cree.
• The main goal is for the kids to bond, have fun, and compete well in the tournament.
• The tournament date is March 12-13. Players trying out for ETL in 6th and 8th grade should plan
on attending this tournament.
• The teams will stay together in a hotel along with a few chaperones. If parents and siblings
travel to the away destination, they are expected to let their player bond with the team during
meals and hotel time, as this is part of the overall experience.
• There will be some fundraising activities focused exclusively for this trip, and all 6th and 8th
grade ETL players and parents will be expected to participate.
Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club
www.mibasketball.org
August 26, 2015
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•
Each team will designate a parent to help-coordinate the trip (fundraising, budgeting, travel
arrangements, etc.).
Other Camps and Programs
The MIBBBC also organizes and coordinates several other basketball related programs. The key programs
are described below. The dates and sign-up information for all upcoming sessions are routinely published
on the MIBBBC website www.mibasketball.org and are also sent out via email. More details will be
provided at the information session.
1. Little Dribblers (LD)
Keeping with the tradition, the famous Mercer Island Little Dribblers program will continue on
Saturday mornings from December through early February. This program gives primary and middle
school kids the opportunity to get some extra instruction, but mostly to just play and have fun while
being coached by MI High School basketball team members. Little Dribblers is open to all kids. The
cost for 2015-2016 is expected to be around $85. All ETL and Cascade team players are expected to
participate in this, and their fee is already included in the team membership fee.
2. Island Summer Hoop Camp
These camps are organized shortly after school closes for summer. They consist of 4 Comprehensive
Skills camps, and 2 Specialized Skills camps. The camps are open to players from 1st to 8th grade
and are directed and overseen by the high school head coach. The players are grouped according to
their grade and skills as determined by the coaches. The camps are held over two weeks to enable
players with busy schedules to take advantage of at least one. Many players attend both weeks.
Details of the camp are announced around April.
Financial Assistance Program
The Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club provides a limited amount of financial assistance for programs,
camps, and costs of team travel strictly on the basis of financial need and the availability of scholarship funds.
The amount provided may not be sufficient to cover all of the costs.
Applications for financial assistance are evaluated on the basis of a family's financial situation and need. The
player must be a student in the MI School District. The parents/guardians of the player seeking assistance must
submit the completed and signed application to the board directly or through the coordinator of the event. The
assistance is typically 50% of the total amount needed, and parents/guardians are expected to provide the
remaining amount or explore other sources if at all possible. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis.
More details about the application process and the application forms are available on
www.mibasketball.org.
Volunteering
Much of the work required to organize and coordinate league and tournament play, practices, gyms, etc. is
done by volunteers. Most often these are the parents of the players in the program. Our coaches have other
full time jobs and careers and need a lot of help with logistics and coordination so they can concentrate on
coaching basketball. All parents of the players on ETL and Cascade teams are expected to volunteer for
activities that include, but are not limited to, helping with procurement and distribution of uniforms,
helping with concessions at games, organizing team parties, keeping scorebooks at the games, manning the
clock, helping with planning and travel for post-season tournaments, booster club fundraising dinner etc..
Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club
www.mibasketball.org
August 26, 2015
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Each family with a player in the program is expected to volunteer. You will be contacted occasionally to
help with these activities by booster club members, coaches, or other volunteers. Please step up and do
your part to help.
Boys Basketball Booster Club
MIBBBC is dedicated to promoting basketball programs and activities for boys K-12 and providing them
with the opportunities to learn and develop basketball skills and enjoy this wonderful game. We engage
community members, players, and coaches who are passionate about basketball and create opportunities
for our youth to pursue their passions to the fullest. The booster club organizes competitive league play and
tournaments, makes it easier and affordable for players to participate and travel, and arranges for
knowledgeable coaches.
We rely on the generosity of the community to raise money that we invest in all facets of the program to provide a
rich and meaningful experience and opportunities to boys at all grade and skill levels. We raise money primarily
through membership, annual fundraiser auction, concessions, fan wear sale, and the Basketball Program Guide.
The money is spent primarily as follows:
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Scholarships – All league/tournament fees, travel costs for players with financial hardships
Equipment – Concussion Software, Video cameras, Video editing software, DVDs, Basketballs,
etc.
Coach Development – Clinics, Training material and aids, Training
Travel Costs for Coaches – Out of town trips and tournaments
Coach Stipend – Youth Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Summer & Little Dribblers Camps Coaches
Misc Subsidies – Conditioning Program, Summer Camps, Off Season Leagues, etc.
Administration – Website, Online Registration, Tax returns, etc.
We invite all of you to become members of the booster club by joining at one of 5 membership levels ranging
from $100 to $1000. Families of players in the program are expected to and are strongly encouraged to join the
booster club, volunteer and participate actively in fundraisers.
More information about the booster club and how you can help is available on www.mibasketball.org.
Exposure to MI High School Basketball
All players in the youth program are encouraged to attend the MI boys high school basketball games throughout
the high school season (December through March). The 6th graders in the program are selected for the privilege of
being varsity ball boys, which includes joining the team in the locker room before and during halftime of the
games. Varsity schedule is available on the website. Games take place typically on Tuesdays and Fridays during
the season.
Mercer Island Boys Basketball Booster Club
www.mibasketball.org
August 26, 2015