What You Need to Know About Your First Year of High School Basketball

This Article Walks Incoming Freshmen Through the Steps They Will Take
On Their Way to Becoming a Part of the SCHS Tritons Hoops Program

Mark your calendars for Monday, June 13, 2016. That’s the day the members of the Triton class of 2020 become high school basketball players.
   Having completed the eighth grade just the previous week (for those attending Capistrano Unified School District schools), the boys will be immersed in San Clemente High School’s Incoming Frosh Basketball Camp. While the camp is not required, it is highly recommended for players trying out for basketball at SCHS.
   During the four-week camp, which runs through July 10, the boys develop skills and fundamentals, as well as learn the expectations of San Clemente Triton Basketball. They will have the opportunity to work with the high school coaching staff, as well as former players. Not only that, a team or teams will be formed, and they will compete in scrimmages and tournaments against other high school frosh teams throughout the camp.
   Typically, the frosh campers can expect to be playing in a high school basketball game within a week of middle school graduation. For the past three years, the freshmen actually wound up playing a game on the first Monday, before they had even practiced together as a team.
   Some may be selected for promotion to the summer junior varsity or varsity teams. Chris Kane from the class of 2018 split his summer between the frosh and the Triton Junior Varsity team.
   Overall, the boys will play more than 20 games during Frosh Camp, and they will practice from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
   This schedule allows those athletes who are also participating in Triton Football camp to have some free time before that program begins later in the afternoon.
   The suggested donation for the Frosh Camp program is $295, payable to "SCHS Boys' Basketball. All of the camp information and a mail-in sign up sheet  is available on the camp flyer, which is accessible by clicking on the button at the upper right-hand corner of this page.
   As a side note, those players who wish to participate in July AAU showcase tournaments outside of the camp program may do so, but should inform the coaching staff about any scheduling conflicts. Also, parents should feel free to communicate their son’s college basketball ambitions to the coaching staff, so it can provide assistance in furthering these.
   Mid-July through mid-August is a dark month for Triton Basketball. Neither practices nor games are scheduled. Families of serious basketball players may want to take this into account by planning vacations accordingly during their son's high school basketball playing years.
   But this isalso a good time to work on individual skills, strength and conditioning.   
   Once school starts, official basketball 

toward tryouts aren’t far away. Tryouts are held at the end of September, and typically encompass two 90-minute evening sessions.
   It is important to note that prior to participating in either summer basketball or tryouts there are certain eligibility requirements which must be met. These include completion of the Capistrano Unified School District’s Athletic Clearance Packet. For 2014-2015, this packet includes the physical screening, Athletic Honor Code, insurance certification, release of liability and concussion risk forms. The packet is available by clicking the corresponding button on the upper right portion of this page.
   Low-cost physical examinations will be offered on Thursday, May 26 at Saddleback Memorial Hospital/San Clemente. This event also serves as a fundraiser for the SCHS athletic department. Cost of the physicals will be $35. Athletes also may get physicals from their own physicians.
   Two frosh teams are usually formed, an “A” team and a “B” team. Players demonstrating exceptional physical and/or skill development may be promoted to the varsity or JV squad. On average, only about one player per freshman class is so selected. Competition for spots on the upper division teams is always intense.
   As for the frosh squads, only the “A” team competes for the official league championship. The “B” team plays when the opponent also has a “B” team, which most Seaview and South Coast League schools do. The two teams practice together, and players move up and down during the season based on the coaches' ongoing evaluation.
   The official opening day of basketball season this year will be in late November. No interscholastic games or scrimmages are permitted before that date. Usually, the frosh team will have a scrimmage within a day or two of that date.
   Then it will play in a week-long tournament the following week. Two more tournaments are scheduled through the holiday season, so once again families may want to plan accordingly.
   League play will open during the first week of school after students return from the winter break. For the 2016 season, the Tritons are in the South Coast League, which will include Aliso Niguel, Capistrano Valley, El Toro and Tesoro. The majority of  league games for freshmen are played on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, with exceptions made to accommodate final exam schedules in the Capistrano and Saddleback unified school districts. 
   Note that the J.V. and varsity, for any players promoted, play in the evening at the opposite venue from the freshman and sophomore teams.  In other words, if the freshman play at home, the varsity and J.V.  play away. And during the pre-season they play in different tournaments than

It won't be long until the Triton Class of 2020 is tipping off its freshman season. Here, Joey Spurgeon from the Class of 2017, co-MVP of the 2014 freshman league champions, controls the opening tip against San Juan HIlls. (Photo courtesy of Marcie Dyer)

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the frosh team. The league season wraps up by mid-February, and the season concludes with the program's Annual Banquet in early March.
   For any questions regarding Triton Basketball, please feel free to contact Head Coach Marc Popovich by clicking here or on the contact button in the portion of this page.