Hello Everyone,
I am writing this email to notify you of the opportunities to play basketball for Riverdale Ridge High School this summer! YES, there is a summer high school season in Colorado running from Memorial Day to the end of June. This season allows high school student-athletes to get a head start on their high school career by competing against other student-athletes across the state (and in some cases from neighboring states) in a competitive high school atmosphere. It is also a time to get familiar with the concepts and strategies utilized in our basketball program so you're not playing catch up when the winter season arrives in November. It also becomes a great time to bond with your teammates and start to develop a chemistry that can flow into the winter season.
Over the years, I have realized that many parents and student-athletes don't understand the value of the summer high school season. We do want to have fun but it is also a great chance to develop within our system and get an early start on teaching concepts that will be very helpful in making the team in the winter season. Unfortunately, our basketball program only consists of three (3) levels (C team, Junior Varsity, and Varsity) making the competition for spots on each team difficult from a numbers perspective. Ideally, the program consists of 28-35 student-athletes among the three levels. The level of interest among our student population is typically double that number as we grow larger. It is key to take advantage of the opportunities the program offers in the offseason.
Participating in the summer competitive season or offseason workouts is not a requirement for playing for Riverdale Ridge next winter season. We offer the workout sessions and competitive season as a resource to spur further development outside of the program. This helps us be prepared skill-wise when the winter season arrives. A championship season begins in the offseason; there is very little we can get accomplished if we have student-athletes coming in trying to learn key skills during the season.
The Riverdale Ridge Boys Basketball program will continue to build off a promising season that resulted in a Great 8 playoff appearance through intense skills development throughout the off-season. Emphasis will be placed on developing individual skills that can be utilized in the team setting during the winter season to make the program successful at a high level and give everyone a fair chance to improve. All activities are open to current male students and incoming freshmen registered to attend Riverdale Ridge High School for the 2024-2025 school year and interested in boys’ basketball. The current plan is to offer three competitive teams this summer (Freshman/Sophomore, JV, and Varsity). Team placement will occur after the camp/tryout. Incoming freshmen can be placed on any team according to skill level. Sophomores can only play Sophomore and up. Juniors can only play JV and up. Seniors can only play on Varsity. Each team will consist of 10 student-athletes and the cost to participate is $250 to cover competitive schedule fees. The spring camp fee must be turned in to the coaching staff before you will be allowed to participate in the spring camp/tryout.
The schedule for the spring and summer will be:
Skills Development Sessions: Tuesdays and Thursdays starting April 30th 6:45pm - 8:45pm (incoming freshmen can join these sessions starting Thursday, May 2nd; HS spring sports athletes can attend after their season concludes or with permission from their spring sports coach) - Fees: free to attend through the summer regardless of competitive team participation
Spring Basketball Camp/Summer Tryouts: Tuesday, May 7th, Thursday, May 9th, Tuesday, May 14th, and Tuesday, May 21st (6:45pm-8:45pm) - Fees: $25
Our spring basketball camp is designed to provide attendees with the proper fundamentals and techniques needed to excel in the Riverdale Ridge Boys Basketball Program utilizing drills, games, and competitions. It will also serve as a tryout for summer competitive teams (games in June).