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A parent's guide

Basketball 101

Rec, select, AAU, travel ball. If the terms are confusing, you're not alone. Here's how youth basketball works in McLean, Vienna, Great Falls and Falls Church, from a first house league game all the way to national championships.

Three levels, two seasons

Most kids move through the same three levels. Each town runs its own rec and select programs in the winter, and independent clubs run AAU teams in the spring and summer. Plenty of players do more than one.

  1. Rec

    Also called house league. Everyone plays.

    Who makes the team
    Everyone who signs up. A short skills evaluation is used to build balanced teams, not to cut anyone.
    Coaches
    Volunteers, usually parents.
    Season
    Sign-ups in the fall, practices from about the start of December, games through the winter.
    Games
    Mostly Saturdays, in local school gyms, against other teams in your town's league.
    Practices
    About once a week.

  2. Select

    Also called county or travel. Tryouts required.

    Who makes the team
    5th through 8th graders chosen at tryouts in early October. Not everyone makes a team, and players who don't can still play rec.
    Coaches
    Volunteers chosen by the town's program. Often a parent, but not always.
    Season
    Games from late November into March, ending with a league tournament.
    Games
    The county select league, played in gyms around Fairfax County, Falls Church, Arlington and Alexandria. Usually 1 or 2 games a week.
    Practices
    Usually twice a week, sometimes more.

  3. AAU

    Club basketball. Spring and summer.

    Who makes the team
    Independent clubs, like PG Jaguars, pick their own players. Some hold tryouts and some don't.
    Coaches
    Chosen by the club. Ours are volunteers.
    Season
    About March through July, after the winter season ends.
    Games
    Weekend tournaments, most of them in Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and nearby states. A few need an overnight stay.
    Practices
    Set by each club.

Why every town's select team plays the others

McLean, Vienna, Great Falls and Falls Church each run their own rec league for kids from their own area. Their select teams, though, all play in the same county-wide league: the Fairfax County Youth Basketball League (FCYBL). It has 24 member clubs across Northern Virginia.

Within each grade, FCYBL splits teams into divisions by strength, so a newer select team isn't stuck playing only the strongest teams. The season starts around the last weekend in November.

How the year fits together

  1. Fall

    Rec registration opens. Select tryouts happen in early October, and rec evaluations follow in November.

  2. Winter

    Rec and select seasons run from about December into March. PG Jaguars runs winter skills training for experienced 7th grade girls.

  3. Spring

    The AAU season starts as the winter season ends. Our spring AAU team plays its first tournament in March.

  4. Summer

    AAU tournaments continue, and national championships are held in late June.

Because the winter and spring seasons are mostly back to back, many players do rec or select in the winter and AAU in the spring.

The national stage

Each summer, the AAU holds its Girls Basketball World Championships, the top level of AAU girls youth basketball. Teams from 2nd through 11th grade compete in three divisions: Division I for the strongest teams, then Division II and Division III. The 2026 event runs June 24 to 28 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Our 7th grade girls won the Division II gold medal at the 2024 AAU World Championships.

For high schoolers, the very top teams also play on shoe-company circuits such as Nike's EYBL. That's a separate world from middle school basketball, and nothing a 7th grader needs to worry about yet.

What "travel ball" really means

  • "Travel" usually means nearby gyms

    Select games are played around Northern Virginia. Most AAU tournaments are single weekends in the region, and only a few need an overnight stay.

  • It isn't all or nothing

    Players can play rec or select in the winter and AAU in the spring. The seasons mostly fit back to back.

  • Nationals are a choice

    Plenty of AAU teams play their whole season close to home. Going to a national championship is something a club decides, not a requirement.

  • It isn't only for stars

    Leagues and championships are split into divisions by level, so teams play others at about their level.

Where PG Jaguars fits

We're an independent AAU club. This winter, Coach Damon runs weekly skills training for experienced 7th grade girls, which works alongside rec or select. Our spring AAU team will be formed from that winter group and plays local tournaments starting in March.

See winter training

Find your town's program

Each program sets its own dates, fees and rules, so check its site for this season's details.

School basketball works differently. Each Fairfax County middle school runs its own after-school program, so ask your school what it offers. High school teams hold tryouts at the start of the winter season.

Come see for yourself

Winter skills training is open for experienced 7th grade girls, limited to 15 players. Your first session is free.

Sign up for winter training Email us