ROCKY RIVER TRAVEL BASKETBALL BYLAWS
Purpose:
The purpose of Rocky River Travel Basketball (RRTB) is to provide young athletes with the opportunity to learn and play competitive basketball, in an atmosphere that fosters teamwork, sportsmanship, and a love for the game while preparing players for what they will encounter at interscholastic levels.
Rocky River Travel Basketball Goals:
The goals of RRTB are to:
- Create an environment in which children and adults have fun with basketball
- Teach basketball skills, rules and strategy to our players
- Model and teach competitiveness with an emphasis on good sportsmanship
- Promote increased self-esteem among children and adults
- Safety is of utmost concern to the Board, coaches, and players who will strive to avoid injury whenever possible.
Teams:
RRTB will consist of up to two (2) teams at each grade level starting in grade 3 and ending in grade 6. At the third grade level the teams will be equally split insuring both teams are competitive. Starting at grade 4 the teams are to be split into “A” team and a “B” team. The “A” Team will be placed into a higher league division. The exception to this rule will be if determined by the RRTB Executive Board (the “Board”) that the particular group of players has not adequately developed to compete in an “A” league then the teams will be split evenly. The Board will determine which league(s) RRTB teams will participate in.
Team Selections:
The RRHS basketball coaches and staff will be responsible for selecting the players for the respective teams.
Coach Selection:
The Board will decide who will be the head coach and assistant coach(es) for each team.
Player Requirements:
In order to participate on a RRTB team a player must first meet residency and grade requirements. The player must reside in Rocky River or attend a primary or middle school located in Rocky River.
Further, the player must be in the grade associated with that team. A player may play ‘up’ one grade, but they cannot play down, no matter what the age. Simply stated, as an example, a 5th grader can play on a 5th or 6th grade team, but could not play on a 4th grade team even though he would qualify based on the age requirement.
Playing Time Guidelines:
RRTB encourages coaches to play players as close to equal playing time in each half as they can. At a minimum, each player must play the following minutes in each half as outlined below:
3rd & 4th Grade 8 Minutes/half
5th & 6th Grade 6 Minutes/half
Playing time below the minimum requirements on a regular basis can only be allowed if the coach is experiencing issues with the players attitude, effort or practice/game attendance and has discussed it with both the player and parents in advance.
Teams with more than 10 players will do their best to hit the minimum minutes per player with the understanding that it may not always be possible.
It is also encouraged that coaches rotate starters each half so that every player gets a chance to experience starting a game. Each player should start the first half of at least three games during the season, including RRTB paid tournaments. A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t start the first half you are starting the second half.
Note: This rule will be enforced by the honor system. Birth certificates are not required as a prerequisite to play. However, if an age challenge is made by an opposing coach, the player MUST provide proof of age prior to the next scheduled game. It is highly recommended that for players that appear older, that the coach obtain proof of age in advance and has the documentation ready if an informal inquiry is made by an opposing coach at game time. This is just a common sense recommendation that will avoid controversy and additional leg work in follow up
RRTB requires all players to attend at least one tryout session to be selected to a team. Special unforeseen occurrences, such as injury, family emergency, etc. will be seen by RRTB as an extenuating circumstance, at which time it will be up to the discretion of the Travel Coordinator to make a decision as to that player being selected for a travel team.
