PAOLI WILDCAT BASKETBALL

The Paoli Wildcat Basketball League was started in the mid 1960's. In the first year there were only 4 teams using just the gyms at the old Paoli School (currently Delaware Valley Friends School) and New Eagle Elementary School. As the league expanded to 240 boys, more gyms were added to the list. In the fall of 1991 a separate girls division was created. Today over 500 girls and boys participate in the Paoli Wildcats, on over 50 teams. The objectives of the league since its inception are to provide:

• Registration is generally in early October.
• Tryouts are in late October/early November. Tryouts are required for all registered players. They are used to evaluate skills in order to balance teams, not to cut players.
• We are committed to having coaches who are good role models for the players and good teachers of the game.
• The season starts in mid November and runs through mid-to-late February. (There are no practices or games the week of Thanksgiving, or during the Christmas recess.)
• Most teams meet twice a week for practices and/or games.
• Practices/games are generally on either Thursday or Friday evenings and games are generally on Saturdays. Occasionally Wildcat practices/games will be held on Tuesday or Wednesday nights or Sunday afternoons.
• Weeknight practices/games are generally from either 6:00-7:30 or 7:30-9:00.
• Saturday games are scheduled anytime from 8:00am to 6:00 pm, depending on the availability of the gyms.
• Both the boys and girls sponsor tournament teams which will participate in local tournaments in February and March (occasionally April as well).  The selection of the players depends on a number of factors - ask your coach if you'd like more information about this.  (For example:  Some years there are open tryouts, yet some years the teams are formed by coach invitation).   There may be some additional expenses related to tournament play.
  
• Gyms to be used in the T/E School District area include: Beaumont Elementary School (BES), Valley Forge Elementary School (VFES), Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School (TEMS), Valley Forge Middle School (VFMS), and occasionally Conestoga High School (CHS). Gyms to be used in the Great Valley School District area include: Great Valley Middle School (GVMS) and General Wayne Elementary School (GWES). Directions to all schools are available.
• The boys division has 2 age groups: juniors (9/10 year olds) and seniors (11/12 year olds). The girls division has 2 age groups: juniors (9-10 year olds) and seniors (11-12-13 year olds). A player's age on August 31 determines what age group the player is in.
• Rosters are generally limited to 10 players/team. Minimum playing time rules exist for all groups.
• There is limited roster space in each age group. A waiting list will be formed for interested players once the maximum in an age group has been reached.
• Players must reside in either the Tredyffrin/Easttown or Great Valley School District areas. (Players living in these districts can be enrolled in either public or private schools.)
• This is a community league where players of all skill levels are involved. Minimum playing time rules exist for all teams and, unless a team is very shorthanded for a game, all players are required to sit out a portion of the game.
• Each year both the boys and girls divisions create new team rosters. The goal of both divisions is to have evenly matched teams.
• The coaches in the boys division draft their players as determined by tryout results.
• After the girls hold their tryouts, a selection subcommittee considers height, ball handling/shooting skills, general athletic talent, age, prior experience, and grade when assigning the players to each team.
• In order to develop proper basketball shooting techniques, floor spacing, defensive skills and awareness, basket heights used in the various Paoli Wildcat age groups are as follows: 
• Jr boys/ Jr girls use 8 1/2'baskets. 
• Sr. girls use 9' baskets.
• Sr boys use 9.6' baskets.
• In order to foster proper ball handling skills, junior girls use a 27" youth ball and all the boy's teams and the senior and varsity girl's teams use the 28.5" ball.

At all times we must remember that we are guests in the schools and would like to be invited back year after year! Parents, players, siblings, and guests are asked to take note of the following issues:

1. Parking: please follow the signs that designate appropriate parking areas. For example, if the signs tell you not to park in a bus circle - then please DON'T park there!
2. Supervision: please stay in just the gym area. At many schools the gates to the rest of the building are open.Even if the gates are open, it is not appropriate for us to go outside the gym area and into other parts of the school.
3. Food: most schools do not allow food and drinks (except water) to be brought into a gym. Keep the snacks in your gym bag or in the car.
4. Backboards: at no time is hanging on the backboards allowed.
5. Equipment: extra equipment in the gyms is not to be used. There should be NO climbing on extra gym mats, gymnastic equipment, or the rock walls at any of the schools.
6. Displays: please do not touch any of the displays found throughout the schools.
7. Please remember to be a role model for good sportsmanship when you disagree with a call made by the referee, a decision of a coach, or the actions of a player.