Participation Requirements

Must play for a middle school team in Franklin or surrounding county.

Who Can Play for The Cyclones?
The Cyclones Academy is open to 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls in Franklin and surrounding counties.  

What Commitment Level is Required?   
We fully expect players to place our season/program  (March - June) as a priority above all other activities (with the exception of school work, family obligations and school related events). 

We understand that "open gyms" will occur for players during the Cyclones Academy session for various schools. We ask that if a scheduling conflict occurs that The Academy be given priority over these unofficial events. 

Our practice time is set for the entire season and the practices scheduled are necessary for proper growth and development. 

If your player cannot commit to our program scheduling, please reconsider applying for a position so we may make room for another. I am sure you will agree, it is only fair to your player, her teammates and her coaches, she is dedicated.  

Other  Club Teams
 We ask that while a participant in the Cyclones Academy, that you do no play or practice with any other club team.  

When Are Tryouts?
Tryouts are typically during the beginning of March. Players must attend at least one of the two sessions to be considered for a roster spot.

There is no fee associated with trying out. See Tryout page for details, dates and times. 

How Many Players on a Team?
6-8  players on the a team depending on the turnout.

How is the Team Selected?
The Cyclones Team is selected during the tryouts based upon skill and ability when compared to their peers.  Evaluations are conducted during the tryouts by the Cyclones staff. Typically players are evaluated on dribbling, shooting, defense, game play, basketball IQ and overall basketball skills. 

How Many Teams?
We are committed to doing our best to support player development. While we can only field two teams, if your player is not selected, they still have an opportunity to train and practice with The Academy. While they won't get to play, they will get the same benefit that team members get, skill development, inter-squad scrimmaging, and overall quality training. We reserve the right to limit the numbers outside of the team based on staffing.  

How is playing time determined?
As a skill development program, our goal is to provide opportunity for all players to develop in game time experiences.  

Assuming players are participating in practices, paying attention and working hard at improve, this standard will be followed: 

Playing time is driven more by competitive match ups whereby EQUAL PLAYING TIME IS NOT GURANTEED in any single game however over the course of a season we strive to offer balanced playing time for each player.  This can be achieved only when players are placed in the best situation to succeed and we have full participation in practice sessions. There should be no tournament that a player on the Cyclones Team fully participating does not have a chance to play

What is the Player Cost?  
The Cyclones Academy is a program component of The Cyclones Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit. Donations, sponsors and community support allow us to provide our services free of charge.   

What is Length of Session
The spring/summer session will run from March to June. The session will start with tryouts, followed by pre-season training sessions and tournament play throughout spring/summer.

The fall/winter session information will be updated at a later date. 

How Many Practices?

The Cyclones Academy places great emphasis on practice. We feel this is where the player learns and grows the most. 

Practices are held three times a week at either Owen County High School or Maurice Bowling Middle School. Anticipate between 30-40 scheduled practice sessions from March to June. Tournament play will affect some practice scheduling.

Final practice times will be announced once tryouts are completed, but you can expect a heavy dose of Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

If you have concerns with conflicts please feel free to email cyclones40601@gmail.com with questions. 

How Many Games Played?  
The Cyclones Academy puts a premium on player development and while games/tournaments are apart to that equation, the majority of our time will be spent in practice and learning settings. Our tournament schedule is based around testing the skills that are being taught and learned in practice. With that being said we have structured our sessions to slightly mirror middle school and high school basketball.

The first 4-6 weeks are treated as a pre-season, while the group is learning and getting an understanding of the concepts we teach. As well as, bonding as a team, growing team chemistry and getting acclimated with a new system. After that time frame, we like to schedule 2 tournaments a month for the remainder of the session. Along with these tournaments, the players will also see quality game experience with our intra-squad scrimmaging. 

What Kind of Time Commitment Does The Cyclones Academy Have?
During the course of the season it is very important that the Cyclones Academy be prioritized above other sports. Attendance to practices and games are crucial to the development of each players skills and understanding of the team concept.

Are parents allowed to attend practice sessions?

Yes but we do ask that parents reserve comments, or interactions with their players during the practice session. We want to ensure that all players have an opportunity to be taught and learn without feeling the burden of a parent critiquing them throughout their practice. 

We reserve the right to request a parent to leave the facility and not  be present at any future practices if these guidelines are not adhered to.