Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who/What are the California Stars?
Cal Stars is a Girl’s Basketball Club organized under the auspices of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the United States which is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The Cal Stars has been under the volunteer direction of Kelly Sopak since 2004. During that time Kelly has coached a number of teams at various age levels.
The Cal Stars consists of teams from the 4th grade through high school. Our youth teams our divided into three categories:
ELITE: This is an advanced tournament travel team that will compete in regional and national events. The Elite level will play in the highest bracket/level in all local and regional tournaments. They will also “play up” in certain tournaments to make sure they are playing in a competitive bracket.
SELECT: This is a local tournament travel team that will participate in “Bay Area” tournaments but will also travel to Reno and Sacramento.
FLIGHT: Local League play only. They may participate in a local tournament if the team decides to do so. This is perfect for multi-sport kids that are trying to play multiple sports during the same season.
Our High School Program offers 4-5 teams. The teams are as follows:
ELITE – National Travel Team – The team plays in the highest bracket/level of the most prestige College Viewing Tournaments in the nation. Attendance and commitment is paramount for all of our High School Teams but especially for the Elite Team. Typically all the players from our Elite roster move on to play College Basketball. We can have more than ONE Elite Team.
In 2011 – The Cal Stars plan on having an Elite 2014 (Freshman Team) that will mirror the schedule of the Elite team.
SELECT RED – National Travel Team. This team plays in the same tournaments as the Elite but will play at a level more competitive with the current roster. In the past, this means 50% of the time the Select Red has played in the highest (Elite) bracket and 50% in the 2nd bracket.
SELECT WHITE – Regional Travel – Same as Select Red except we keep the travel to a regional distance.
SELECT BLUE - Local Tournaments Only.
What is the Travel and where are the Tournaments?
These high school teams will take part in spring and summer play and also attended NCAA Certified College viewing tournaments during the NCAA Viewing Periods ( April & July). We only attend the highest quality tournaments that have been in business for several years. We have found that these tournaments offer a quality playing experience along with a proven track record of major college attendance. We play in the events that give our players the maximum exposure and best opportunity to shine.
Regional Travel - Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton, Reno with Regional College Viewing Events for high school teams
National Travel - Regional Travel plus Major College Viewing Events throughout United States.
The 5th-8th Grade travel teams will be Regional Travel teams. During the non “Viewing” tournaments we try to send the younger and older kids to the same events.
We also offer a local option for the younger teams (3rd-5th) called the Shooting Stars where they only play in the Bay Area with no travel to Reno.
Grade Based vs. Age Based
There has been a slight shift in Grade Based vs. Age Based Programs. The Cal Stars will be strictly Grade based. This will allow kids to play with other kids in their same grade as opposed to age based. However, the Stars firmly believe in matching kids with kids of their own level so there will be some slight adjusting to the teams based on talent level.
Who will be coaching the teams?
The Cal Stars are committed to placing quality coaches on the sideline and practice gym so that our Stars' players can be Stars. Coaches will change from season to season. We try to secure High School Level coaches for all of our high school teams and qualified coaches for our youth teams. Many of our youth coaches are high school assistant coaches or CYO.
What kind of team is this?
The Cal Stars are designed to be a competitive yet still developmental club team. That means that it is more than a recreational activity and closer to a competitive team. The teams are composed of 9-11 girls that love basketball and who want to develop their skills and understanding of the game. All activities will be age/grade appropriate and the emphasis will be on basic skills, team work and sportsmanship. While the goals for each team will vary, more focus is placed on the development of the individual player and their impact as part of a team.
Will this team interfere with existing school based teams?
NO! UNLIKE some club teams, we try to make kids available for their school teams, especially during the summer high school tournament period. There will generally be no practices and no league play during the winter basketball season so that girls can continue to play on school based teams with their school friends. There will probably be a few tournaments scheduled during the winter season, but you will have plenty of notice and practices will be few and far between.
What will all this cost?
The cost of playing on the Cal Stars team will vary with the number and types of tournaments chosen. Cal Stars is a Non Profit Organization. While the cost varies from team to team the structure is quite simple: We divide the total expenses for each team (Practice fees, Tournament fees, Equipment/uniform and coaching fees) by the number of players. There are some additional costs associated with playing AAU/Travel basketball such as AAU membership fee. Some of the teams travel and you will share those costs.
All of the fees are disclosed prior to signing up. There ARE NO HIDDEN FEES. We believe in keeping cost to a minimum and maximizing the experience for the kids. The range for the club fees is from $300 - $600 for youth teams and $700-$900 for high school plus coaches travel and uniform/apparel costs. Funds are collected at the beginning of the season after the schedules for tournaments and practices have been confirmed. All player travel costs are in addition to the fees.
How can I participate as a parent?
There are many ways that you as a parent can help out with the team:
· Helping your daughter get to practices and games on time and ready to play is an important part.
· Making sure she has the right equipment
· Make sure she gets the right nourishment
· Make sure she works on skills outside of practices
· Usually there are occasional parent meetings to talk about issues related to the team and make these types of decisions.
· Parents with coaching skills can assist during practices
· Parents and other family members can help keep score or statistics
· Parents can organize social activities or bring snacks if desired
· Parents can help with travel arrangements for tournaments
· Parents and family members can act as role models for good sportsmanship both on and off the court.
· But please, don’t try to coach.
Will there be tryouts?
Yes, there are tryout activities usually lasting 2-4 days and participation on a team will be by invitation of the coach only. That said, at this age level, it is our intention that any girl with reasonable athletic ability, an interest in basketball, and a coachable attitude should receive an invitation to play. Many youngsters don’t even start to develop their abilities until this age or even later so judging on basketball skill alone is not a very effective tool. The team number is a part of this equation; we don’t want our teams to exceed 10-12 players. It is possible, if there is enough interest, to form multiple teams.
What is the future of the team and what kind of time commitment is necessary?
Most clubs build teams that advance in age bracket year after year. This is our intention with this team and with other teams that may form. The time commitment during the year is to attend two practices a week in the spring and summer and to make every effort to play in all scheduled games, including holiday and summer tournaments. In addition, we ask that girls and their families make a one year commitment to the team when they are invited to participate and that leaving a team in mid-year be considered a serious decision. This gives some stability to the program. We hope to make this a positive experience for young girls and that team members continue their interest in basketball through their adolescent and teen years. In truth, about 75% of the participants in youth sports do not continue past the age of 13. Participation in a well run, well coached club team should help keep a girls interest in a sport, not burn her out.
