PARENTS GUIDE TO FRAMINGHAM TRAVEL BASKETBALL

Framingham Travel Basketball provides the highest level of competition for youth basketball players in Framingham and is designed for players interested in developing all aspects of their game via participation in the most competitive leagues.

Framingham Travel Basketball is part of the Metrowest Basketball League (http://www.metrowestbball.com). The Metrowest Basketball league has over 400 teams from 50 different towns in Eastern and Central Massachusetts. Becausse of this, the competition level through Framingham Travel Basketball is the best in town and in the area.

This is a travel program and families should anticipate traveling on Sundays for games. Towns in the league are as close as Wayland, Sudbury, and Southborough; and as far as Woburn, Mansfield, and Foxborough. The Metrowest program places towns in sections (North, South, Central) but at times, based upon number of teams per division, teams within the same town can be placed in different sections. There are five (5) divisions of play in the Metrowest league and teams are placed into divisions according to reported ability.

Framingham Travel Basketball practices in gyms throughout Framingham and plays one half of its leagues games at home , typically the Framingham Metrowest YMCA.

Framingham Travel teams selects boys and girls teams by grade level (see FAQ tab on home page for details).

The details and commitment level for participation in our travel teams include:

2-3 practices per week (players are expected to attend all practices)
1 game per week (typically Sundays) with 12 total games for winter season.
Tournament play ( coaches discretion) during Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas school break and possibly February vacation week. Additional cost per tournament is around $25.00)
Players must be resident of Framingham or student in Framingham school system
Season start with practices in mid-November through mid-March. Every team makes post-season tournament regardless of record and tournament brackets are developed based on regular season record to make tournaments competitive. Families should expect practices and games through mid-March.

Players interested in trying out for teams must attend tryouts. Tryouts typically occur in late September and early October . In order to allow for full evaluation, all players are strongly encouraged to attend all tryouts. Not every player who attends tryouts will make a team. Teams consist of 10 players.

Grade Based Information

Framingham Travel Basketball will try to field two teams per grade level (boys and girls)

4th and 5th Grade Teams

Framingham Travel Basketball believes it is in the best interest of player development to have two equally skilled teams in both of these grade levels. This means, if the number of participants warrant, there would be two (2) 4th grade teams and two (2) 5th teams. The Metrowest rules at this age mandate only man-to-man defense and no full court defense except in last two minutes of half and last 4 minutes of game.

6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Teams

Teams at these three levels employ high school rules (pressing, traps, zone defenses). Framingham travel teams at these levels are grouped by ability and placed into appropriate divisions within the Metrowest League. Every effort will be made to place two (2) teams per grade level.