Ready Set Sports

​​​​​​RSS Fall 2024 - Three Month Off Season

Skills Training Program

September - December 2024​​​​

Tryout Dates: 

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 6:30 P.M.

Location: 13020 Telegraph Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22192

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RSS Travel Basketball Fall Program Includes: ​

• Boys and Girls 

• Grades 4th - 8th (depending on interest)

  • 4th - 8th grade boys​​​​

    • 7th grade girls​

• Training Starts Tuesday, September 17, 2024

  • Ends Tuesday, December 17, 2024.​

• Practice/training is once a week​ for a hour and a half

  • 6:30 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. ​

    • Tuesdays ​

• Registration also includes access to open gym which will allow kids to free play and work on game skills. 

  • Wednesdays from 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. ​

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Registration Cost Includes:

• $99.00 a month​

  • Skills Training / Practice (Gym rentals)

  • Off season training

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Program overview: 

Skill development in youth basketball is essential as it establishes a foundation of fundamental skills like dribbling, passing, and shooting, which are crucial for long-term success. By progressively introducing advanced techniques such as pick-and-roll execution and defensive strategies, players enhance their technical abilities and strategic thinking. This structured approach prepares young athletes to compete at higher levels while fostering teamwork, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the game.

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Skill Development:

The following skill sets are essential for developing well-rounded basketball players who can perform effectively in various game situations:

• Advance Finishing Moves (Euro Step, Jump-stop, Floater, Push shots): These moves are crucial for finishing at the rim under pressure, allowing players to outmaneuver defenders and score efficiently. Reacting to defense and executing advanced plays also sharpen a player's in-game decision-making and adaptability.

• Pick-and-Roll, Fast Break, and Shooting Skills: Mastery of these skills is fundamental for offensive success. The pick-and-roll is a staple in modern basketball, while fast breaks capitalize on speed and coordination. Proficiency in mid-range shooting, three-pointers, and contested layups expands a player's scoring arsenal. Emphasizing rebounding and post moves ensures that players are effective both inside and outside the paint, while reading defense improves their ability to exploit opponent weaknesses.

• Foundational Skills (Layups, Cuts, Screening, etc.): These are the building blocks of effective basketball. Layups and cuts are basic scoring methods, screening facilitates teamwork and creates scoring opportunities, and good shooting form and ball handling are critical for consistent performance. Incorporating motion offense and off-ball defense helps players understand and execute team strategies.

• Offensive and Defensive Fundamentals: Teaching players to focus on movement and avoid standing still enhances offensive fluidity and keeps defenses on their heels. On defense, understanding basic stance, defensive slides, and off-ball principles are vital for maintaining pressure and disrupting the opponent’s offense.

• Core Movement Skills: Layups, footwork, shooting form, ball handling, and fundamental movement skills (running, jumping) are essential for all levels of play. These skills not only improve individual performance but also ensure that players can contribute effectively to team play, making them versatile and reliable on the court.

• Overall, these skill areas are critical for developing players who are not only technically sound but also capable of thinking strategically and reacting swiftly during games.​​

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RSS Spring - Summer 2025 Five Month Program

February 2025 - July 2025

Tryout Dates: 

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:30 P.M.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 6:30 P.M.

Location: 13020 Telegraph Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22192

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RSS Travel Basketball Program Includes: 

• Full schedule will be provided to parents upon team selection 

• Boys and Girls 

• Grades 4th - 8th (depending on interest)​

• Practice Starts February 2025

• Practice typically is twice a week​ for at least a hour

 

Program Overview:

• All players will be evaluated by RSS coaches

• Players will be tiered by skill level (Tier 1 & 2)

  • Tier 1 and 2 players will be considered for one of the following: 

    • RSS Elite ​

    • RSS Select 

• RSS Elite Players:

  • Six basketball tournaments 

    •  (4-5) Local and (1-2) travel within 200 miles of Woodbridge, VA. 

    • Two practices a week (1.5 hours) 

    • Advance/Intense basketball training 

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Registration Cost Includes: 

• ​Tournaments (Team registration fees)

• Practices (Gym rentals)

• Eight tournaments (Estimated 20+ games)

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Other cost include: 

• Admission fees for parents at games/tournament  ($10.00 - $25.00)

  • Depends on vender (RSS has no control over admission cost)​

• Travel cost 

• Food 

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​Youth travel basketball is a competitive basketball program designed for young athletes who want to play at a higher level than recreational leagues. It involves traveling to compete against other teams, often in different cities or regions, providing players with broader exposure and more challenging competition.

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Key Features of Youth Travel Basketball:

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1. Competitive Play: Travel basketball teams play against other highly skilled teams, which helps players improve their skills and experience a higher level of competition.

2. Travel: As the name suggests, travel basketball involves traveling to different locations for games and tournaments. This can include local, regional, or even national destinations, providing diverse playing experiences.

3. Skill Development: Emphasis is placed on advanced skill development. Players receive specialized coaching to refine their techniques in dribbling, shooting, passing, defense, and overall game strategy.

4. Team Dynamics: Players learn the importance of teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship. Being part of a travel team also builds camaraderie and friendships among teammates.

5. Exposure to College Scouts: Travel basketball often provides opportunities for young athletes to be seen by college scouts and recruiters, which can be beneficial for those looking to play at the collegiate level.

6. Season Length: The travel basketball season is typically longer than recreational leagues, often running throughout the year with breaks between seasons.

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Benefits of Youth Travel Basketball:

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• Improved Skills: Regular practice and high-level competition help players improve their basketball skills significantly.

• Experience: Playing in various locations and against different teams gives players valuable experience and adaptability.

• Networking: Players meet and compete with peers from different areas, expanding their network within the basketball community.

• Discipline and Commitment: The demands of travel basketball teach players discipline, time management, and commitment to their sport and team.

• Exposure: Opportunities to play in front of college scouts and recruiters can open doors for future basketball opportunities.​

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Youth travel basketball is ideal for young athletes who are serious about the sport and wish to develop their skills in a competitive and supportive environment. It requires a significant commitment from both players and their families, but it offers many rewarding experiences and opportunities for growth.

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Frequent Asked Questions About

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Travel/AAU Basketball 

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1- What is AAU basketball?

AAU basketball literally stands for Amateur Athletic Union (more in #2 below), but AAU basketball is a term typically used to refer to youth “club basketball” or “competitive basketball” or “travel basketball”. Although AAU is an actual organization/brand, AAU basketball is most often used to refer to one of the aforementioned phrases similarly to how Kleenex, an actual brand, is used as a catch-all phrase to mean tissues.

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2- What does AAU stand for?

AAU stands for Amateur Athletic Union. According to the AAU website, AAU is “one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, multi-sport event organizations in the world, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 41 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts.”

So again, AAU is an actual organization, but typically in the youth basketball space it is used as a catch-all term, like Kleenex and tissues, to refer to any competitive or club or travel basketball, whether they play in actual AAU tournaments or not.

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3- When does AAU basketball start?

The main AAU basketball season is typically the spring and early summer from about March through mid to late June for elementary and middle school players and March through July but off for June (for school basketball) for high schoolers.

AAU basketball is also played in the fall and winter, but these are just secondary seasons for elementary and middle schoolers as many play football in the fall and school basketball in the winter while high school players typically never play in the winter due to school basketball.

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4- Is AAU basketball worth it?

This is a very subjective question as it depends on what the parents and players are looking for. AAU basketball is a great tool for players to compete against the best competition around. In fact, you will not find any other competition better typically.

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5- Does AAU basketball travel?

AAU basketball teams may or may not travel. It just depends on the team or club as travel is not a requirement to play AAU basketball. Often, AAU basketball teams do, in fact, travel, but many do not.

This is another strong opinion of many youth basketball experts today that it is a waste of time and money for young kids, especially elementary and middle school age, to travel as it takes away from time and money that could be spent on their skill or strength development.

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6- How much does AAU basketball cost?

Costs for AAU basketball can vary wildly from being free to thousands of dollars. It all depends on the team and club, what they offer, the skill level of the player, the travel that the team does, and more.​​​​​