How I understand basketball in SA, is that everything is geared towards the Classics and Nationals.

State champs is to see who is the best in the state and who qualifies for the Classics and Nationals.

Dandenong in January and the Norwood easter Classics is for SA teams to see how they are fairing against their interstate rivals.

With the summer season, and then the winter season, there is not much time to recover from the overdose of basketball we have during the year.

I see totally exhausted under 16's who are carrying minor injuries who do not get the time off to recover [if they take the time off, they may lose their spot in the team]

I do not mind the tournaments, actually quite enjoy them, but do have to question the length of the 2 seasons.

I however, as a devoted parent, would like a few more week ends off, where we can go inter and intra state for a few weekend trips without basketball, and with our children.

I enjoy the river, but with games on Friday night, social basketball on Saturday and training on Sunday morning, that does not leave much time for relaxation and fun.

Do other parents feel the way I do?

Don't forget TI and Development camps between the Easter tournament and State Champs, SAPSSA around Easter, all while several state squads are training. Coaching and Reffing courses are also run in the April school holidays.

One (minor) suggestion is to finish Summer season before the Adelaide Cup long weekend, and start the Winter season the week after so there is a least a (little) gap between the seasons. It gives a chance to reorganise teams before the new season and sort out the nominations.

Either that, or finish the Summer season before Christmas, and have January and February off. Run the TI and development camps over a couple of weekends, even using them as selection for the state squads.

If the Norwood tournament wasn't run at Easter, another tournament would replace it, probably the State Champs or TI camps. What do you prefer at Easter - an "optional" tournament or a compulsory one?

SA Great,

Then don't play the Saturday social game!

Or choose not to play district!

What needs to happen is a division of elite and participation basketball.

Leave the elite for those that want to do it. The top 24 teams.

But make a strong, well resourced, reigonalised competition for all other players so that they don't need to double up with social competitions.

That said, pushing State Champs back a week or too would not be a bad idea.

To Stat,

a lot of boys and girls play social, because their mates play.

They can do the things they are not allowed to do at their clubs.

They play social for fun "FUN"

When you take the fun out of basketball, it is only a matter of time before they stop playing.

Look at the current situation of basketball in Sa, and you will see why so many give up.

SA Great,

Then don't play district!

Or don't play Easter, or State Champs. Don't do TI Camp, or summer season. There are plenty of options.

Otherwise what are you complaining about?

Do you expect the competition to be scheduled around the needs of you and your kid?

There a very few 'real' options for Div 1 basketballers and most clubs go in everything. Some clubs have told kids, 'don't play and play Div 2' and just this week a club said this to a kid who wanted to go to her formal.
There is way too much basketball and it should look at prioritising carnivals a lot better.

Then move to another club.

Or just play social.

But don't expect to play div 1 and not be willing to make some sacrifices.

State, What are these stunning opportunities and career paths for girls in basketball that you want them to sacrifice for?

Measles, I think its for the love of the game, excelling in something, dedicating your time to something and meeting great friends.

Yes, its huge dedication and yes there are very few that will make a career out of basketball. However if you take away these tournaments and opportunities you would upset alot of of people. The more basketball the better I say and that is from someone that played and now coaches in the junior Div 1 / Elite junior system.

measles,

When you kid goes and gets a job they need to make sacrifices.

When your kid goes and gets married and haves their own kids they will need to make sacrifices.

And if you ask, Sam woosnam, Jenni Screen, Laura Sommerton, Angela Marino, Erin Phillips, Rachel SPorn if the sacrifices are worth it, I am quite sure they will say yes.

So again, if you are not willing to make the sacrifice, go and play social basketball and leave div 1 basketball for those that are willing to make the commitment.

The vast majority of kids who play Div 1 basketball are dedicated to their sport. I think that clubs demand to much of kids in training and carnivals and that impacts upon those not playing the sport, the parents and relatives that do the driving and lose their weekends. To continually ignore the parents imput at junior level is fraught with danger and plays a huge part in drop outs or not starting.
To put the onus on the kids is to miss the problem.
Clubs play too many basketball carnivals and one can only feel for the kids that add SASI and state to their work loads. How many posts about burn out and drop outs will it take to see that playing all year round is not necessarilly the best thing.
Most replies personalise it with 'if you don't like it drop out' and ignore the wider issues of burn out and drop out. Under 21 is a joke. Senior basketball is about as competitive as juniors with the better players all congregated in the better clubs and results predictable.
There is no BSA plan to rationalise the junior comp and make it competitive so we continue with lop sided one way results week in week out.
Our better sides often struggle in interstate comps because they don't get competitive games weekly like they do in say, Victoria and pro/rel here is a dirty word.
Improvemnt in the local comp is left with the individual clubs and as such many of the clubs are not able to compete at a suitable district level. The answers to all this is, it seems, to play more which just widens the gap further.
Livinlarge, I appreciate your response and agree with some of it but don't think the more we play the better.