PAOLI WILDCAT BASKETBALL

Who can participate in this basketball league?

Players must reside within either the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District or the Great Valley School District. Players must be at least 9* years old but no older than 12* for boys and 13* for girls in order to participate. If you need to confirm which age group your child should play in, refer to the age chart.
(*age on August 31, 2011)

How long is the season?

Tryouts are generally held in late October/early November. Practices will begin in mid November. Teams will begin playing games in December. The regular season will end in mid-to-late February. There will be no practices or games over the Thanksgiving week or during the Christmas holiday season.

When are the practices and games held?

The majority of the practices and games are on either Thursday or Friday evening, and during the day Saturday. Occasionally practices or games are held on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, or Sunday afternoons.

Where are the practices and games held?

The gyms generally used by the league are (in Tredyffrin/Easttown School District): Valley Forge Elementary School, Beaumont Elementary School, Valley Forge Middle School, Tredyffrin Easttown Middle School, & occasionally Conestoga High School; (in Great Valley School District): Great Valley Middle School and General Wayne Elementary School. The bigger gyms will generally be used for the older players. Directions to the gyms are available on this website.

How do I register my child?

Registration for the Paoli Wildcats takes place in early October. For the 2011/12 season registration will take place at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School on just one day, Saturday, Oct 1, 2011 (8-9:30).  This registration is for new players only.  Returning players for both boys and girls will be registering online this year.   See the Registration Page for information about this process.

If my child is a new player, is he/she guaranteed to participate if I come to registration?

All new players must bring proof of age (birth certificate, passport, etc.). Parents or guardians must be in attendance to sign the registration form as well as a medical release form. Some insurance information and emergency/doctor contacts will be required when filling out the medical release form. All players need to indicate shirt size on the registration form as well.

What if a new player's family can't attend the official registration?

When registration for an age group is first come first served, parents sometimes find themselves with a problem if they cannot be at registration. Any adult (neighbor, friend, etc.) can go to registration to sign up a player. The registration process works as follows:

If the friend or neighbor is a parent who wants to register his/her own children as well, that parent should first present applications for all of his/her own children. Then this adult may present an application for a player who is not his/her child as long as the adult has written authority to complete the application from the player's parents.

If there is a line at registration, only one of these players can be registered at a time. The registering adult must go to the end of the line to register any additional friend's children.

For girls: if you can't come to registration at all, a registration form (and medical form and check) can be mailed. However, please note that these forms will be accepted in the order they are received, and only AFTER the regular registration is complete. 

Can I get the registration pages in advance?

Registration and medical forms can be downloaded prior to going to registration if this is helpful. However, all players, new and returning will register online. If interested in viewing the forms, they can be found on the registration page.  This can be helpful for the girls who come to register. The only reason you would need to download a form would be if you do not have a credit card to register and need to send in a check.

What if I have both a boy and a girl that I want to register?

There will be just one line for all registrations - parents of boys and girls will be in the same line. All those who are registering both a 9 year old boy and a new girl should ask for a numbered form from at least one of the groups in advance, so they can stay in line with the other child. (Remember 10-12 year old boys do not have a first-come-first-serve registration, so your place in line for them doesn't matter.)

Can my child be sure he or she will be on the same team as a friend or a particular coach?

No. In both the boys and the girls divisions the goal is to create balanced competition. Players are selected for teams on that basis. The girls division uses a committee assignment process and the boys division uses a draft system. NOTES: Unless otherwise requested by the parent, children of head coaches are automatically on their parents' teams. Also, parents have the prerogative to determine whether siblings of the same sex in the same age group should be on the same or different teams.

What is the time commitment for players in this league?

It is very important that all players who register have schedules that will permit them to attend the majority of practices and games. Frequent conflicts with indoor soccer, winter swimming, other basketball programs, school plays, etc. is especially disruptive to a team. Substantial unexcused absences may result in limited playing time, or even in being dropped from the team.

Can a player be cut after the evaluations/tryouts?

No. Evaluations/tryouts are just used to evaluate skill levels in order to balance teams. They are never used to cut players.

How can parents get involved?

At the highest level of commitment, parents are needed as coaches and assistant coaches. On a week-to-week basis, parents are needed to help run the clocks at the games, keep the scorebooks, help lower/raise the baskets, organize team parties, etc.

In addition to working on a child's team, we need parents to help out in the administration of either the boys or girls divisions. For example, help is needed updating the database, ordering and distributing game shirts and other equipment, or a variety of other important tasks.

The league appreciates any parents who want to be a sponsor. A minimum donation of $100 is requested for any sponsors.  If you are interested in helping in any way, please indicate this on your child's registration form or contact us.

Are any special uniforms, shoes, or equipment required in order to play?

Each player will be provided with a game shirt. No special practice shirts are required, and no special shorts or shoes are needed for practices or games. Players should wear top quality shoes that provide good support that will help prevent injuries. Each coach is provided with basketballs for the team. If a player wants to bring his/her own ball to practices (no extra balls are ever needed at games), please be sure to have that ball labeled with your name. NOTE: Individual coaches may prefer that players do not bring their own balls to practice.

Are practices or games ever automatically canceled?

Winter snow storms can force practices and games to be canceled. Players will generally be notified of any cancellations by their coaches. In the event that a school is dismissed early due to a storm, there will be no practices or games at that school that evening. Check with your coach following any cancellations for information as to schedule changes resulting from a winter storm.  Please note:  the website will not announce cancellations.

The Upper Main Line YMCA has basketball leagues for area youth (grades 3-4 and grades 5-9). The program is run throughout the winter on Saturdays only, beginning in December. Discounts for Y members. Call 610-647-YMCA or go to www.umly.org. 

The Malvern Basketball League has a winter league for boys and girls from 2nd-8th grades, plus a high school division, with games Saturday and Sunday afternoons and some evenings, Dec.-March. Contact Kevin McCarry at 610-431-6397 or go to www.malvernleague.com for more information.

St. Monica's Intramural Basketball program is for boys and girls in grades 1-4 who live in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District; the program runs from mid December thru mid March. Registration is generally in early October. Go to http://www.smsberwyn.org or call 610-688-8638 for more information.

What if my son is 13 (or older) and still wants to play basketball?

There is a 13 year old division in the Wildcats for girls.  For boys the Wildcats end at age 12, but there is a Valley Forge Basketball League for 13-15 year old boys.  See www.valleyforgebb.com or email fademb@comcast.net for more information.