Club Basketball Travel Teams

SoCal Elite’s Club Basketball teams are a great opportunity for your child to play against the top competition in Southern California. This exposure to the best competition is paramount to a players’ improvement on a grander stage. Our club teams play in 1-2 tournaments per month and practice three times per week in indoor gymnasiums. Playing on a SoCal Elite Club team is a great way to develop camaraderie with fellow teammates, all while playing against top-notch competition. Unique to SoCal Elite, we will assist you with any financial difficulties you have; our main focus is to make sure that those players who CAN play at the club level, DO play at the club level.

SoCal Elite’s club basketball teams have two (2) team practices with their head coach per week. In addition to two team practices per week, club players will also have access to weekly fundamental training at The Academy with SoCal Elite trainers. This system is designed to help your child improve as a basketball player and develop chemistry with teammates, all while allowing them to make time for other obligations. In addition, there is a mandatory ‘open gym clinic’ every Friday night for additional practice before the weekend.

The full Club year runs from mid-September to mid-August and is divided into three seasons: Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer. Each season runs 3-4 months.

Each week there are two 90-minute team practices, with a one-hour clinic practice on Fridays.

There are 8-10 players on each team at all grade levels. In cases where we have enough at a grade level to form two teams, there will be a Black and a Grey team. Players will be placed accordingly at the coaches’ discretion.

Each team will have a Head Coach. Friday clinics will be run by each and every one of our team coaches on a rotational schedule.

Club basketball is different from Recreational League basketball in that there is no guaranteed playing time for any player. Coaches will do their best to get every player in the game, but some players will play more than others.

We play in two tournaments per month. Most tournaments will have games on both a Saturday and Sunday. Some will be over holiday weekends with play over three days.

We realize that every family has schedules outside of basketball and like to plan their weekend in advance. However, tournament schedules in Club basketball are typically not set until the Thursday night before a tournament. Schedules are set by the tournament organizers and not by us, unless it is a SoCal Elite-sponsored event. We send out schedules as soon as we get them to give our families as much notice as we can. Please know that some scheduled dates can/will change due to changes set by the tournament host which are out of our control.

Most of our tournaments will be local. However, we will play in 2-3 out of town tournaments in Santa Barbara, San Diego and Las Vegas. These are scheduled during the Spring and Summer where travel does not interfere with school schedules. Hotel stay is recommended.

Tournament fees are calculated at the beginning of each season and are due with Club fees. However, every tournament charges an entry fee for spectators. Parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. will pay a daily fee and sometimes a parking fee for each car. The fee is set by the tournament host and is not controlled by SoCal Elite.

We ask that every player make a commitment they plan to honor for the entire season. Pulling out of the program mid-season is disruptive to the program and the team process. After one season ends and before the next one begins, each player will be asked to recommit for that upcoming season. This would be the point at which a player can move on to pursue other interests if he/she so chooses.

AAU basketball is the largest governing body of club basketball in the country. While not all tournaments are AAU sanctioned events, we will be participating in several throughout the year. We require that all coaches and players purchase the extended AB membership which not only allows us to play in AAU events, but also gives everyone insurance in any of our events. The membership is valid until September 1st of the calendar year regardless of purchase date.

Club basketball has a higher cost than recreational basketball. We offer a cheaper pay-all-up-front option or a two-pay option. Understand that we have to pay for the following: Gym rent for all practices, coaches, web management, and tournaments, which can add up when it is a small group. For a typical 4-month season, the cost is around $900 per player, which includes 7-8 tournaments and all practices and associated fees.

Uniforms are separate and not included in the fee as most players are returning. We only require players to purchase a new uniform if they do not have a current SoCal Elite club uniform.

If your son/daughter makes a team, SoCal Elite will contact you and set up a team meeting to introduce your entire team and answer any questions you may have. This will be done within the first week of practice. We will announce teams no later than 48 hours after the final tryout.