Basketball Skills Development
Building smart players, one skill at a time…Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the coaches?
The head coaches are Sergio Castillo and Randy Masilang. We also have other volunteer coaches who have coached and/or are coaching in San Ramon City Leagues, CYO, Japanese league and other competitive leagues. Most of the coaches’ sons are in competitive leagues (MVP league, Division 1, etc) and have played in different tournaments. Their experiences as coaches, as parents of a player and as spectators in different leagues give us diversity in meeting our objectives in Flyin’ J’s.
We also have High School JV/Varsity players helping us out.
Will you form a team?
No. The thought of forming a team was analyzed last year. It does require a lot of work and we might lose focus on our main objective for the players: fundamental skills development. However, if you want to form a team, we can provide support on training.
Please note that we are NOT affiliated with any basketball teams or organization. If you have questions about basketball teams and leagues in the area, we are happy to share our opinions with you.
Have you considered practicing indoor?
Yes, we did consider practicing indoor. Last year, we had the cost analysis and also surveyed the parents. We want the clinic to be affordable to everyone, so we decided to stay outdoor. We lost some participants last year because we are outdoor, but we would have lost more if we moved indoor. We are not closing the idea of practicing indoor, we will re-evaluate it someday; but for now, we will practice outdoor. (Hey, most NBA players played, or are still playing, outdoor)
Do you play scrimmage at the end?
Yes, but in a different format. Last year, we have 5-vs-5 scrimmage every time. However, with 5-vs-5, only the stronger players get to touch the ball during the game. The weaker players are in the mercy of luck that the ball drop towards them or the coach interferes. Most of the scrimmages this year will be 3-vs-3, in different forms. The 3-vs-3 format gives everyone more chances to touch the ball, and the team will be more equally distributed. Of course, we will still have 5-vs-5 scrimmage from time to time.
NOTE: We are also thinking of having a small tournament sometime in late July or early August. We will inform everyone when we have everything ironed out.
What ages/grades do you consider for the clinics?
8 to 11. This is the right age for sports skills development. However, we also accept younger or older players depending on their interest and learning ability. We have a few players over 11, which are in the clinic for improvement and mostly for fun. We also have a few 7 year-olds.
Are you going to have t-shirts/jerseys?
We are going to have t-shirts. It is the same as the shirt that the coaches wear. We have sizes for kids (except small) and for parents too who want to buy one.
What is your coach-kid ratio during practice?
We currently have 6 to 8 coaches, for 30 to 40 players. If we ever exceed 40 active players, we will put aspiring participants in our waiting list.
How many Sundays in a month do you hold clinics?
Normally 4 Sundays in each month, from May to August; 3 Sundays in September and 5 in October. The schedule can be found in http://www.flyinjs.org/schedule
Would we get emails if there are updates/changes?
Yes. Updates are also posted in our website: www.flyinjs.org. Email and our website are our two primary means of communication with the parents. If you are not receiving emails from us, please let us know as soon as possible.
Do we need to pay if we go on vacation?
No. However, this might change if our number of players grew over 40. We might charge a minimal fee to reserve your spot, which will be less than the regular fee.
Can we pay for the whole season?
Yes.
Do we get reimburse if we miss a practice?
No, unfortunately. However, if we cancel practice due to weather or other reasons, we will make up, give you credit or reimburse you for the canceled session.
Can someone else sign out for my kid?
Yes, but we will need you to sign an authorization form. 4th graders and older can also be authorized to self-sign in/out.
