Hoop Mom: Never Played Select

Teresa advises a mother whose freshman daughter has never played select basketball.

I have a daughter who is a freshman in high school and would like to find a team to play with. She played in grade school and on her freshman team this year in high school, but would like to play more than just during the high school season. She has never played on any AAU team. How can we find teams that we can contact?

A.G.

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Dear A.G.:

The major difference between recreation-league and select sports is a much higher level of commitment, both in terms of time and money. Practices are more intense and last longer. It’s common to play in two or three weekend-long tournaments each month, each consisting of two or three games a day. Players usually have to earn their playing time with hustle, skill improvement and good attendance. Frequent absences are not tolerated.

The reward, however, is great for girls who love to play basketball. They become better because they play more often, against high-quality competition. With good coaching, they develop new skills and fine-tune existing ones.

If that type of environment suits you and your daughter, I would start your search by posting a message on the HoopGurlz.com message board. Go to the “Jump To” box located in the right corner and select “Wanted: Players & Teams.” Or:

Click Here for Players & Teams Forum

Once you have found teams with openings in geographical areas that are acceptable to you (important if you are driving your daughter to practice!), do your homework on the team and the coach. Attend a practice and/or a game and talk to team parents. Also talk to coaches and parents on other teams.

Observe the way the coach and his or her assistants treat the players during practice and during games. How much time is spent on individual skill development? Do a few players play all the time or is playing time distributed somewhat evenly among all girls?

After your daughter has attended a tryout and has been offered a spot, talk with the coach about expectations and goals before you agree to join the team. What role does he or she see for your daughter – as a starter or coming off the bench, playing one position or several? If the team is very high caliber and plans to compete for a regional or national championship, what does that mean for your daughter in terms of playing time? In addition, if family schedules and/or finances are tight, that type of commitment may not be what you are looking for in terms of time and money.

Your goal is to make sure that the coaching style is a good fit with your daughter’s personality and expectations. Once you’ve made the decision, sit back, have fun and be prepared to watch a lot of basketball!

Hoop Mom

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Teresa Wippel is team manager of the Warriors Basketball Club, a 6th Grade girls' team from the Seattle area, and mom to Warriors post player Amanda Waldron. In her other life, she is a freelance writer and editor. To ask Teresa a question, email her at

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