Travel basketball starts in the early spring but much of this depends on three different factors. These factors include, age, school basketball season end dates, region and coaches preference. I will break all of this down but wanted to provide a quick answer below just in case you are in a hurry.
Many of the elementary school travel basketball teams will start their season in November or December. Middle school teams start in January or February. High school travel teams start in March or April.
Believe it or not, some travel programs are year around or at least there are tournaments available.
If you are reading this article you are likely considering travel basketball for your player. I have coached travel basketball for many years and wrote a series of articles about travel basketball. Check it out here!
Understanding the Factors:
Age and Grade of Travel Basketball Team-
Travel basketball starts as early as six years old and players can compete all the way up until they are ready to graduate high school.
Age is a factor in the start of travel basketball season. When I first started coaching we were starting early. Our first tournaments were in October! Sometimes, we didn’t even stop the entire year. Maybe just for a small break.
As our team got older the season started later and got shorter. This is due to all of the factors I will talk about in this article. But first, I will talk about the different season start times to give you a better idea of when travel basketball season will start for you.
Elementary School Aged Teams
The first age group I will talk about are the elementary school aged teams. These teams can start as early as November but its more common to start in January or February but can start later. There are typically a few tournaments in November I always tried to compete in.
Travel basketball teams that have kids who play football will likely not be available immediately in January or February. You will see some teams start a little later.
Middle School Aged Teams
Much like the younger teams, middle school travel basketball teams can also start as early as November but it is more common to see them in January or February.
Teams with football players may not have their full roster at the beginning of the year. As such, some teams will delay the beginning of their season.
High School Aged Teams
High school is just different. The season will open up around March because most of the players are competing at the high school level. Depending on the success of high school basketball teams their post seasons can get in the way of the early part of travel basketball teams.
School Basketball Season-
Most organizations adjust their seasons around the school basketball programs. This is to maximize participation.
Travel Basketball Association in your Area-
There are many different travel basketball associations. These are spread throughout the nation. Some of them, such as AAU, is located all over the country.
Each of these organizations have different start dates. This can impact when the travel basketball season starts for you.
Some of the most popular travel basketball associations are AAU, U.S. Amatuer Basketball, Youth Basketball of America, National Travel Basketball Association,
Coaches (or local travel basketball organization) Preference-
The travel basketball season start and end dates also depend on the coaches preference. In many cases the coach can work around his or her schedule to start when it is most convenient. Coaches may also want to start some earlier tournaments to get players ready for the competition.
Conclusion:
While there is no universal start date for travel basketball season as safe answer is right around March. This is typically when players are done with their school season and football is over.
There are a number of factors that play into the start date for travel basketball season. These include geographic variations, age group considerations, school basketball schedules or the coaches schedule. Aspiring basketball enthusiasts can look forward to the excitement and challenges that come with the start of the travel basketball season, knowing that it marks the beginning of a journey filled with growth, competition, and camaraderie on the courts.