Wilsonville Basketball Association (WBA) FAQ - Select:
What age groups can play for the select program?
Select play starts at 4th grade and goes through 8th grade. No players may try out or play outside of their grade level with the exception of blended grade level teams.
Can I play up?
No, in the select program, players may not play up. Players should play within their grade level.
Who is eligible to participate?
Eligible players must reside within the WL-WV school district boundaries or must currently be enrolled in a WL-WV school.
The WBA uses this tool for determining eligibility: West Linn-Wilsonville School Locator (flo-analytics.com)
Is there a tryout process?
Yes, and the tryout is free of charge. There will be two tryout sessions offered for Select and every player must try out at least one of the two days to be considered for a roster spot.
The Wilsonville High School varsity coaching staff evaluates the players and teams are created based on their assessments over those two days. For objectivity, players are given a number to wear and are not allowed to wear any gear associated with any previous team placements (no uniform gear from previous select seasons).
What criteria does the evaluation staff use?
How are teams created?
The coaching staff from Wilsonville High School evaluate and place the players on appropriate teams. The Wilsonville coaching staff determines if there will be multiple teams. If there are enough players for multiple teams, they will be allocated in an A and B format to ensure every player has a competitive experience in the program.
How are players informed of their placement?
An email will be sent to the players offering them a spot on their respective team placement. The family then has a choice to accept or decline placement. Once this placement is accepted and the fee paid, the player is now on that team. If a player does not accept their placement, an alternate will then be contacted.
Are there any alternates?
Yes. Once the initially placed players have either accepted or declined their placement, an alternate may be contacted to accept any vacated spot on the team.
How many players are on each team?
This depends on the amount of interested players. Typically a team would be full at 10 players to allow for adequate playing time and practice. At times there could be less or more. This is determined by the Wilsonville High School coaching staff and the WBA board.
What if I do not agree with my child’s placement or would like feedback?
Any player who does not make a select team will be provided with brief feedback from the evaluation process. The WBA will work with the high school coaches to gather feedback if requested.
What if my child doesn’t make a select team?
WBA has an excellent recreational program and the evaluation process is after the select placement process to ensure players have the chance to play for Wilsonville in the winter.
How are coaches selected?
Prospective coaches indicate their interest when signing up their child for the program and are contacted by the WBA for an interview. A neutral panel of community members conduct the interviews using a criteria of experience and coaching philosophy fit. Head coaches for each grade at the A and B level are determined by the panel of community members.
How many coaches could my player’s team have?
Every team will have a head coach selected by the neutral panel of community members. The head coach may then select as many assistants as they would like. Most teams typically will have at least two coaches. Every coach (including assistants) are required to complete concussion training and a background check administered by a third party contracted by the board.
What is the format of play?
Our Select program is a tournament basketball program. This means we do not participate in a local league with a set playoff system. Our teams register for different tournaments each weekend that serve as qualifiers for the two primary state tournaments: Salem and Bend. These tournaments are typically in Salem or the greater Portland metro area. The tournament schedule will be set at the beginning of the season but the team won’t have their specific schedule (time and location) until the Wednesday before each tournament.
What level of commitment or engagement of players should I expect?
The expectation of playing Select basketball requires a high commitment from players. Remember, their spot was accepted and another player was then denied a spot on the team. When a player accepts their roster spot, he or she is committing that basketball is their #1 priority for the season above all other sports. Our coaches and board expect 100% attendance for practices and games where possible. Arrangements based on an individual basis can be made by communicating with coaches.
What is the playing time to expect?
At the 4th grade to 5th grade level, players can expect to play 50% of a game.
At the 6th grade to 8th grade level, players can expect to play 25% of a game.
Coaches may use discretion to not have a player meet this minimum playing time if the player has missed practices unexcused.
What can affect playing time?
Practice or game attendance, effort, attitude and overall sportsmanship. Coaches can adjust playing time depending on what they are seeing from players during practice or games.
What if I do not agree with my player’s playing time?
Conversations about playing time or concerns can happen directly with the head coach. Coaches will set feedback expectations and avenues at the beginning of the season. Communication will be expected to be respectful. If you feel your coach is not being responsive or you have additional concerns, the board has a representative responsible for community engagement who can step in and support the conversation.
What is the time commitment?
Tryouts begin in October. Seasons extend through February. Each team will have 3 90-minute practices each week in the evenings. Practice start times range from 5pm to 8pm. There will be tournaments most weekends December through February. There are typically two games on Saturdays and two games on Sundays. You often do not know game times or locations until the Wednesday before the tournament so being flexible is important. Game times can be as early as 9am and as late as 7pm in some tournaments.
What is the travel commitment?
Typically tournaments can be in Beaverton, Sherwood, Wilsonville or Salem. The Majority of tournaments will be held in Salem. Tournaments have been known to be in Bend and Seaside, too.
What level of play can my player expect to experience?
At the Select level it is a high level of play often against players who play year round. We compete in the top tournaments in the state and typically play against larger programs like West Linn and Lake Oswego. Expect full court presses, double teaming and stressful, physical defenses. Our players are taught multiple defenses and offensive plays that require a high basketball IQ.
Can A level (Gold) designated teams play in B level (Silver) tournaments.
The head coach is responsible for communicating with the Select Director to have discussions on doing this. We have allowed some A teams in the past to play in B level tournaments for development reasons. Ultimately, we want our teams to compete at the appropriate level so they can grow as players and continue enjoying the game of basketball.
Is there a state tournament?
There are two state tournaments that must be qualified for through tournament play. There is a state tournament in Bend and in Salem. Teams must qualify to participate and the WBA will pay the tournament entry fee for these teams. If a team qualifies for both tournaments, the WBA will cover one entry fee and the parents will need to cover the entry fee for the second tournament. The board leaves it to the coaches and parents to determine if they wish to play in both. There is no requirement from the WBA to participate if you qualify. However, participating in the state tournaments is typically the highlight of the year for most players because the energy and stakes are high. No WBA team that is designated as A level (Gold) will be allowed to play in the end of Season B level (Silver) state tournament (even if you played in a B level tournament in the year and qualified).
What does the program cost?
Tryouts are free. Once a player is placed and that placement is accepted, the fee to play select is still being determined due to fluctuations in gym fees, uniforms, etc. for the 2024-2025 season. Fees include a personalized warm-up shirt, reversible personalized jersey and shorts, and covers the cost of entry for the team in each tournament. There are entry fees at each tournament each day per spectator (yes, even though you paid for your player to participate, you will pay an admission fee as a spectator). Additional fees could be requested based on tournaments added to the schedule at the discretion of the coach in conversation with the parents and community around the team.
Do you have a sample schedule?
Yes. Please see the sample schedule below to get a sense of the number of tournaments a typical select team will play. With 4 games on average in each, a select team can expect to play 24-32 games per season. This schedule is in addition to three practices per week.
Tournament schedule from last season (2023-2024)
| Date | Boys - Location | Girls - Location |
| December 9/10 | Salem - Capitol City Classic
Hosted by Wilsonville | Salem - Capitol City Classic |
| December 16/17 | Salem | Salem |
| January 6/7 | Salem | Tigard |
| January 13/14 | Optional | Sherwood |
| January 20/21 | Sherwood | Optional |
| February 3/4 | Beaverton | Forest Grove |
| February 17/18/19 | Salem | Optional |
| February 23/24/25 | Seaside | *State Tournament - Salem, OR |
| March 1/2/3 | *State Tournament A (Gold) - Salem, OR | *State Tournament - Bend, OR |
| March 8/9 | *State Tournament B (Silver) - Salem, OR | |
Who is the WBA Board?
The WBA is a non-profit and the board is a group of volunteers who administer the select and recreational programs for boys and girls each season. The members of the board are typically parents of players currently in the program and serve for an average of 2-4 years. In addition, the board works to create opportunities for kids to play basketball outside of the main season through camps, clinics, and open gyms. If you have any additional questions about the board or are interested in joining yourself, please email [email protected].