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Winter League General Information

UpdatedSaturday April 2, 2022 byPaul Young.

Winter League General Information

Welcome to the Winter League general information page! 

Foothill Hoops holds a Winter League every year for ages 3-11 between December - February

 

Quick Info:

Boys and girls ages 3-11 (age as of December 1st)

Registration open online starting in early October

Assessment Days: November

 

1 Practice and 1 Game per week

Uniforms Included

Practices Begin in December

First Games: Early December

Final Games: Early February

 

Winter League Overview:

Our Winter League is open to boys and girls ages 3-11;  we have no "zip code" requirements or priorities. We are a non-profit, 501(c)3 federally recognized youth basketball organization with players from La Canada, La Crescenta, Glendale, Pasadena, Sunland, Tujunga, Burbank, Eagle Rock and Los Angeles. We are based primarily in the Crescenta-Canada area, utilizing gyms in La Canada, La Crescenta, Glendale, and Pasadena. Teams will practice once a week on a weeknight and games are played on the weekends.

 

Who can play?

During the Winter, we offer the following divisions:

     Rookies (coed age 3) – 4′ baskets, “mini” ball

     Dribblers (coed ages 4-5) – 5′ baskets, “mini” ball

     Ballers (coed age 5, previous Dribbler) – 6′ baskets, “mini” ball

     Boys 7u (ages 6-7) – 7′ 6” baskets, 27.5 ball

     Boys 9u (ages 8-9) – 8’6” baskets, 28.5 ball

     Boys 11u (ages 10-11) – 10' baskets, 29.5 ball

     Girls 9u (ages 6-8) – 7’6” baskets, 27.5 ball

     Girls 11u (ages 9-11) – 10' baskets, 28.5 ball

 

When and where are practices and games?

All practices and games will be held locally in the Montrose/La Crescenta or La Canada area. Practices are once per week on either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday after 5pm, and are one hour in length. Games are once per week on Saturday, starting as early as 9:30am, and as late as 4:30pm. Games are also one hour in length. Practices and games are currently scheduled to be held at the ASA outdoor courts in Montrose.

Who coaches?

Foothill Hoops is grateful to our volunteers who coach our ages 6-11 teams. Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, and older siblings are all welcome and may volunteer as either a head-coach or as an assistant. Anyone who coaches will go through our mandatory Coaching Clinic and FHB Staff assistance and support will be provided throughout the season. Crystal Young and the Foothill Hoops staff coaches all Rookies (age 3), Dribblers (ages 4-5), and Ballers (age 5) teams.

Are there any try-outs?

There are no “try-outs” in the traditional sense as everyone is guaranteed to make a team. There will be, however, two Player Assessment Days. Players ages 6-11 must attend one of either the Player Assessment Days. These assessments are necessary to create balanced teams within each division. Players ages 3-5 do not need to attend an Assessment Day.

How are the teams made?

The Foothill Hoops staff does all of the evaluating at the Player Assessment Days. We do not have parent volunteers evaluate, nor do they draft the teams. Instead, our neutral staff will create the teams as evenly as possible based on the skills assessment using a "blind draft" system. Height, age, and number of years experience are also taken into consideration when formulating the teams.

 

Notes on requests and roster construction:

The Foothill Hoops Recreational Leagues are intended for players to sign up as individuals. We do not allow full teams (or groups of friends) to join into any league as a group, nor do we allow coaches to construct their own teams. We do, however, try our best to accommodate requests if it does not effect the balance of the teams. A few notes on requests:

 

  • Players registering for the program are not signing up to be placed on a specific team (nor with a specific friend or coach). Rather, they are signing up for the league in general and may be placed on any team at the discretion of the Foothill Hoops staff with the goal of team balance and equal skill/experience distribution. 

 

  • The only requests that will be honored are from those who attend our Player Assessment Day. Requests from players who did not attend the Assessment will not be considered. We do not accept any in person requests, verbal requests, requests via phone, or during the online registration process.

 

  • Requests from players that do not attend either Assessment Day will NOT be considered

 

  • Requests must be sent to: requests@foothillhoops.org. Sending a request is not a contract or a promise that the request will happen. All request submissions must include the player's full name, date of birth, and specific reason for request.

 

  • Practice night conflicts will always be considered if possible (i.e. if you cannot practice on a Tuesday, tell us this and we won’t place your player on a team that practices on Tuesdays)

 

  • Players may request up to 1 friend. We will not consider any requests that have more than two friends requested to be together on the same team. Putting two friends together is sometimes feasible, but it will ultimately come down to whether or not our staff thinks the balance of the teams won't be compromised by doing so.

 

How much?

Registration fees for our regular seasons is $209. This includes all costs for the season, excluding Picture Day Pictures (which are optional to purchase). Your uniform cost is included in this price, and uniforms are yours to keep after the season is over. Every player also receives an end of the season trophy or award. Pictures are additional, and are available for purchase on the picture day during the season. We will not turn away anyone from the program due to financial limitations. We offer financial aid and payment plan options for those who cannot afford the registration fee. There is also a $20 discount for siblings. Please email info@foothillhoops.org with financial aid questions.

 

Cancellation Policy

If for some reason you need to cancel your registration, requests must be sent to our Program Manager in an email: paul@foothillhoops.org. Our current cancellation policy allows for account credits only. There is a $25 drop fee on all cancellations, and no credits will be given after 2 weeks into the season. Any cancellations after the start of the season, and within the 2 week period, will be subject to the $25 drop fee, plus any pro-rated charges corresponding to the length of the season. 

 

How do I register?

Registration can be completed online starting October 1. Be sure to register early, as people who wait to sign up until just prior to the assessment days sometimes end up on a waiting list. 

 

Why play Foothill Hoops Basketball?

  • A high-quality, well-organized league that has been in the area for 15+ years
  • Our emphasis on FUN, LEARNING, CONFIDENCE BUILDING, and CHARACTER ENHANCEMENT
  • Modified basket heights, ball sizes, scoring systems, and rules for each division
  • All events, practices, and games are held INDOORS
  • TRAINING and SUPPORT provided for all volunteers
  • Players are guaranteed to play at least HALF of every game
  • Every player receives a FULL UNIFORM that is theirs to KEEP when the season is over
  • All players receive an end of the season AWARD