OVERVIEW OF THE TRAVEL 6th - 8th Grade PROGRAM

For those players, 6th - 8th grade, looking for a playing experience at a higher level of competition can sign up for the RCYBA traveling program. The traveling teams are based on tryouts and will be are formed by skill level and players are not guaranteed to be placed on a team.

Tryouts for the 2024-25 season will be SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

Playing on a traveling team is not only a high level of competition; it is also a larger commitment for the player and parents. Players will be expected to:

  • attend ALL practices each week
  • travel 2-3 weekends a month between mid-November and mid-March for tournaments.

Parents will need make to make sure they can get their players to and from practices and all tournaments (most tournaments are in the Minneapolis area).  

Parents should also be aware that there are additional costs during the season besides the cost of registration and uniforms such as;

  • travel expense to and from the tournaments
  • meals 
  • possibly hotel expenses
  • some tournament charge gate fees for fans 

There is no financial assistance for the ADDITIONAL costs associated with the travel program.

If you are a girl or boy in 6th grade and do not wish to travel please sign-up for the league program.

Season:

approximately 18 week season (no practices over the 2-week Winter break)
Try-outs:

Tryouts/team formation to be determined (at the high schools) and will be conducted by RCYBA and/or Century, JM and Mayo varsity high school girls and boys coaches.

 

Sunday, September 15

Location and times (exact times for each division will be posted by 9/1)

Century- times TBA

JM- times TBA

Mayo- times TBA
2024 Registration Fee: $475
Grades:

 

Girls; 6th - 8th grade
Boys; 6th - 8th grade

 
Equipment provided by RCYBA: NONE
Equipment provided by PLAYER:

1. Players will NEED to purchase their travel uniforms.
There is NO scholarship assistance for the cost of the travel uniform.
2. Clean pair of athletic shoes
3. Basketball:
     Size 6 or 28.5"- 6th grade; girls and boys
      Size 6 or 28.5"- 7th - 8th grade; girls
      Size 7 or 29" (regulation size)-  7th - 8th grade; boys

 
Transportation:

Parents are responsible for getting their player to and from practices and to ALL tournaments.  No transportation is provided by RCYBA.

 
Player Eligibility:

Must live in the Rochester 535 school district OR attend a school in the Rochester 535 district.

 
Teams:

1. Teams will be formed based on the results of tryouts.
2. Each grade level COULD have 1 to 2 teams.  
3. Teams will be made up of 9 to 10 players based on skill-level.
4. Players ARE NOT guaranteed to make a team.
5. What happens if a player does not make a travel team:

     * for 7th & 8th grade players they will be refunded their full

         registration fee (not including the SportEngine service fee)

      * for 6th grade players they will be assigned to a league team and 

          the difference in cost will be refunded. 

      * if a 6th grade player does not make a team and decides

         they do not want to be placed on a league team their registration

         fee will be refunded (not including the SportEngine service fee) 

         and minus the RCYBA administration fee.
 
Playing-up Policy:

Players are NOT allowed to play up a grade, unless approved by RCYBA. If found to be doing so, will result in an automatic expulsion from the program without refund.

 

Please note that a player MUST request the opportunity to tryout for the grade above and this request MUST be approved by RCYBA.  This request and approval is needed each year.

 

See the Play-up policy for more information.

 
Uniform Ordering:
  • Players will order and pay for their own unifroms, online.   It is the parents responsibility to order their players uniform on time.  Scholarships are not given for the cost of the uniform. 
  • The approximate cost for the uniform is $160 (jersey, short & shooting shirt).  If your players purchased a uniform anytime during the last few seasons and it still fits you do not need to purchase a new one. 
  • There will be an option to purchase just a new jersey and/or shorts
  • Shooting shirts are optional
Practices:
  • Each team will have up to two (2) 1.5 hours practice each week.
  • Practice times are: 6:30-8:00pm and 8:00-9:30pm
  • PLEASE NOTE: There will be teams that practice on Wednesdays and each team, NO MATTER the age, will have 1 late practic each week.  There is nothing RCYBA can do about this.  The gym space we have is limited and we take what we can get.
Number of Tournaments:

10 tournaments per team.
Coach Selection: Coaches will be selected by RCYBA with possible input from respective high school coach
Code of Conducts: https://rcyba.sportngin.com/page/show/2021852-code-of-conducts
Rules & Policies: https://rcyba.sportngin.com/page/show/2007703-rules-and-policies
   

Travel Team Formation

  • Teams are formed at 5th ,6th, 7th, 8th grades for boys and girls by high school boundary.  
  • Historically, many 8th grade girls can be called up to the high school programs making it difficult to form teams at that grade.  
  • Occasionally, one or two boys will be called up.
  • Teams are organized as A and B. Hence, the importance of evaluations. The Twin Cities teams split their teams A and B, and, therefore, we do too in order to play their tournaments.
  • Practice time for travel teams is up to 3 hours per week; usually two 1 1/2 hour practice.
  • Travel practices begin mid October to the first week of November depending upon the year. Traveling program ends in early to mid March.
  • A minimum of 8 players is needed to form a team with 9 to 10 being optimal.