Iowa City Thunder Basketball
Dear
Parents and Players,
The
Thunder Girls Basketball program was founded in 2000 with the mission of
helping girls (grades 3-8) on the west side of the Iowa City School District
learn the great game of basketball and have fun! Since that time, hundreds of girls
have improved their basketball skills while gaining valuable experience being a
teammate and finding new friends both on and off the court. The program places
girls on teams of similar skill level.
This
letter will give you information about what we do and how we do it. Thunder is
an ever evolving, parent-run program, which continues to thrive due to the
efforts of everyone involved.
Team Formations
Team
Formations will be held Saturday, August 27th, 2016 at West High for
3rd-8th grade girls. Registration will 10:00 AM and the girls
will play under the leadership of West High Girls Basketball Coach BJ Mayer. If you have questions please contact Jared Prelle (jaredprelle@msn.com).
Girls
are placed on teams based on their current abilities and then play in leagues
and tournaments so they can have the best opportunity for success and to
improve their skills. The teams will be assigned a specific amount of players
depending on the numbers that attend team formations. Tryouts are free and every attempt is made to ensure all girls are placed on a team.
Games (League/Tournaments)
Typically
our season runs from mid-late September to end of February. Coaches determine
the length of their season. Teams could play in various leagues and/or
tournaments. League game locations depend on the league the team plays in.
Leagues are in Iowa City and North Liberty.
Tournaments occur typically on
weekends and are held throughout Southeast Iowa and occasionally beyond.
Practice
Teams
practice 1-2 times a week. Coaches determine when and how often practices
occur. Gym time in the Iowa City Community School District is very difficult to
get so please be patient with coaches. While coaches make every effort to
accommodate busy schedules, most gyms must be reserved in August and there is
only so much gym time available.
Fees
The
player fee for 2015-16 is the same as it has been for the past few years, $225,
and is due by October 1st. Additional players from the same family are
$112. For new players (or if uniforms need to be replaced), there is an
additional fee of $70-80 for a game uniform. The girls can keep the uniform and it can be
used in subsequent seasons. Checks are turned into coaches and coaches turn all
checks into the Thunder Treasurer. The player fee covers all league and
tournament entry fees, game balls, and practice jerseys. A limited number of
scholarships are available (contact Jared Prelle at jaredprelle@msn.com).
Coaching / Volunteering
Thunder is a parent-run organization. If interested in coaching or volunteering in
any other capacity, please contact Jared Prelle at jaredprelle@msn.com. Coaches are volunteers. We also need help
with a West/Thunder tournament.
Coaches receive guidance in the basketball
philosophy of area high school coaches but are free to coach as they see fit
for their team. Coaches are volunteers.
We
welcome you to the Thunder program and look forward to seeing you in the gym!
GO
THUNDER!
