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Getting Started in Basketball
By Julia Cantone // usolympicteam.com // April 15, 2004
Getting Started in Basketball
Children interested in basketball can become involved through intramural leagues affiliated with their schools or through leagues sponsored by the YMCA and YWCA. The Amateur Athletic Association also runs boys and girls leagues. As children continue playing basketball, they can join summer leagues as well as their junior high and high school squads. To find local leagues, contact school officials or search the organizations’ Web sites.
For more advanced players, the Amateur Athletic Union sponsors national tournaments and highly competitive leagues. USA Basketball Select Teams also participate in international junior tournaments. Young men and women can learn more about qualifying for USA Basketball teams on USA Basketball’s Web site.
Major Events
The USA Basketball Youth Development Festival features the top 48 high school players entering their junior or senior years. The Junior National Teams, for youths 19 and under, compete at the Junior World Championships held every other year. Both teams are selected by committee with the help of high school and college coaches, but players can fill out an availability form with their statistics and awards to be considered as well. The World Championships for Young Men and Women are for players 21 and under. The FIBA World Championship team is composed of professional players selected by committee.
- World Championship for Young Men, 2005
- Women’s FIBA Junior World Championship, July 2005
Becoming a U.S. Olympian
USA Basketball does not conduct trials to select its men’s and women’s Olympic teams. USA Basketball utilizes professional NBA players on their Olympic squad, and encourages young players to progress through the sport in hopes of getting drafted by a pro team to eventually be eligible for selection by USA Basketball’s Olympic team.
Selection procedures vary greatly from sport to sport. Please contact your sport’s National Governing Body for complete selection criteria.
Contact Information
web: USA Basketball
email: fanmail@usabasketball.com
phone: 719-590-4800
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