Garden City Basketball – Travel Considerations

When thinking about travel basketball there are a few things to consider.  In response to the numerous questions on travel basketball we receive, we hope you find this subjective information useful.   

We think of basketball as being recreational, developmental, competitive, and/or elite.  

Travel in any sport requires a commitment.  Generally about 8-10% percent of an intramural program can play and have a positive experience at a competitive level. 

There are many options available;

* The Island Garden (IG) is located nearby at Cherry Valley Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike.  There are boys and girls programs offered year round.  The IG has developmental programs, individual training, Super League which is competitive (with different levels of competition), and AAU tournament teams (Long Island Lightning teams going to AAU division 1 and 2 which are elite and division 3 which is competitive).  The Lightning teams have tryouts generally around Martin Luther King weekend in January.  You can also pay to play travel/Super League without tryouts on an IG “FE Hoops” team.  Most games are local at the IG but other locations like SUNY Westbury are also used.  Visit the www.islandgarden.com website for more information.

* St Anne’s and St Joe’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) has an A, B, and C level of play.  Typically a CYO “A” team would play in divisions 1 or 2 in the IG Super League or AAU divisions 2/3 tournaments.  CYO A/B is competitive CYO C is more developmental.  Tryouts are usually late fall/early winter.  A good approach to travel basketball is to play for a CYO A or B team where the coach also enters the team into the IG Super League.  In this occurrence, your child is on one team with more games (a dozen CYO games plus another 12-18 Super League games) as well as being on a team with more/”double” the practice. The alternative is two different teams with two different coaches with potentially different styles practicing with different kids.

* The focus of Garden City Basketball is our intramural program which is recreational and developmental. 

* The GCAA has intramurals that are developmental/competitive and travel which is competitive.  Travel tryouts are in the fall in late September/October.   

* Forming independent teams with friends and pre-selected players is a more difficult undertaking.  These teams generally bypass the tryout process.  A major consideration is to form the team before the tryouts of other teams so that players (and usually better players) are available/committed.  Purchase of uniforms and equipment needs to be done.  Obtaining insurance and practice space can be an obstacle.  Playing in the off season (summer league in the IG, Rockville Center or Valley Stream ) an insurance certificate is still needed.