Aspire Basketball FAQ

Is Aspire a competitive or a recreational program?  First, let's cover the question - Is Aspire a competitive program?  We absolutely are a competitive program that will provide boys and girls with quality training to build competitive teams, but we have more goals than just winning.  We won’t be satisfied unless every single athlete grows their God-given athletic gifts, develops character and confidence, and enjoys using their talents to contribute to team success.

 

With that in mind, Aspire's core mission is to support Christian families who have chosen to educate one or more child at home.  We mention this here because when it comes to Athletics, different kids and families will need different kinds of teams.  Based on the athletes that register, we will evaluate player quantity and skill level, and seek to form teams of players with similar skill level and desired level of commitment.  If we have a group of kids that are less experienced and are looking for a more recreational option, we are prepared to support those teams just as we will our more competitive teams.

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What age groups can participate?   We are accepting registrations for grades 3-12, boys and girls.  We will form as many teams as needed, assuming we have enough kids and a volunteer coach (note: JV/Varsity coaches are paid positions).

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How many practices per week, what days, and when will they start?  Official practice schedules are not ready for release yet, but here's a general guide.

• 10U and 12U - 2 practices per week on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, starting late September or first week of October. 

• 14U - 3 practices per week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, starting mid-September.

• JV and Varsity - 3-4 practices per week starting early September.  Practice days will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. 

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What is the game schedule or how many games will there be?  We don't have a game schedule yet, but we will release information as soon as it's available.  Here is some general information:​

• 8U, 10U and 12U - these teams will play in a local league, which will likely consist of a few games in December followed by 1-2 games per week in January and part of February.

• 14U - 14U teams will also play in a local league, which will likely consist of a few games in December followed by 1-2 games per week in January and part of February.  Our more experienced 14U teams will also play games outside of league play alongside our JV and Varsity teams, which will add additional games.  These are generally against other homeschool programs as well as small Christian Schools.

• JV and Varsity - We will put together a custom schedule for our JV and Varsity teams, consisting primarily of home and home games against homeschool groups and small private Christian schools.  We will also schedule with some public schools for additional games to gain experience (scrimmages for them) and participate in some local tournaments that are a good fit for our team.  Expect around 40 games total.

• End of Season NCHBC Tournaments - Aspire will participate in the NCHBC, which is a national homeschool basketball organization, which organizes and runs post-season tournaments.  There are a large number of homeschool groups that participate in these tournaments, and a very good range of competition levels so that all teams have good experiences.  Having attended these for many years, we can say that these tournaments are an awesome experience for everyone.  Kids and families get to hang out and cheer for all the teams in the program, and it's a blast!  Our 14U and up teams will participate in these tournaments, and our 10U and 12U teams will as well if the families involved would like to participate.  High level info on the tournaments:

  • Districts - Weekend tournament in Dallas or Kansas around the end of January or early February.

  • Regionals - Weekend tournament in Dallas or Kansas towards the end of February.

  • Nationals - Weeklong tournament (Monday-Friday) over Spring Break (mid-March) in Springfield, MO.

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What will the program cost?  Below is the general cost Aspire is trying to stay at or below.  We are working to firm up all costs in August to give families the specific cost for each age group.  Estimated Fees below:

• 8U - $200

• 10U - $200

• 12U - $250

• 14U - $300

• JV (16U) and Varsity (18U) - $550

• Uniforms - $75-$150 - older teams will have 2 uniforms

Notes on fees:

• Aspire is a nonprofit organization with zero balance budget.  Fees are dependent on cost and will be kept as low as possible.

• Aspire offers an option of paying fees over 10 monthly payments.

• Aspire has a robust fund-raising program (offering 8-10 fundraisers per year which go directly to family fees), which will be available to any family that would like to utilize it to lower their fees.

• Please do not let cost prevent participation.  Please reach out to our leadership committee, and we will partner with you and work something out.  We want everyone who desires to participate to get the opportunity.

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Where will practices and games be held?  We are working to finalize our facilities for practice and games and anticipate adding additional gyms before the season starts.  Here is the list of facilities we have plans to utilize at this point.

• Eastwood Baptist (West of Garnett on 11th street in Tulsa) - Aspire will be installing an upgraded basketball floor in the Eastwood Baptist gym.  Eastwood will serve as our primary location for hosting home games, and many teams will use it for practice. 

• Christian Family Center (SE BA, 193rd and Creek Turnpike).​

• Note: 14U and up teams will sometimes travel for regional games, but we try to keep those close (1-2 hour drive one way).  Also see above note for end of season NCHBC travel tournaments.

 

How much skill and experience is required for players?  To form teams, our first practices will be used to evaluate player skill and experience level so that we put players on teams that will fit them best.  If your student desires to play, but doesn't have a lot of experience, please have them come to these practices.  We will do everything we can to find a team for every student that fits them well and will provide them a positive experience.  In some cases, there may not be enough students for a given age range and skill level to form a team, but we hope that is rare and will work to find everyone a place.