• Please be sure that your child is registered and cleared to participate before the first practice.  A Google Sheet is updated regularly by the athletic department.  I can only permit students to practice if they are on that sheet.  I will send periodic updates about who is on the list.  If your child is not listed, and you believe she should be, please contact Ms. Rusie, the athletic department secretary (crusie@haddonfield.k12.nj.us).

• Because our first practice is on the December 7 and the first game is on December 15, we have exactly six practices before our first game.  The middle school teams are required to follow the high school rule of requiring a player to practice six times before she is eligible to participate in a game.  Unfortunately, anybody who misses one of the first six practices will not be eligible to play in the first game.?

Handout for 11/2/17--Things to Know for MS Basketball 2016-2017

Haddonfield Middle School

Basketball Coaches

Head Coach: Mr. Usher (wusher@haddonfield.k12.nj.us)

Assistant Coach: TBD

Things to know: Practice begins Thursday, December 7.

All players should verify with Ms. Barranger that they are cleared well before this date. If a student is not designated as cleared by Ms. Barranger and the Athletic Department, I am not permitted to allow her to practice.

Each player must participate in six practices before she is permitted to play in a game.

The first game is Friday, December 15 vs. Haddon Heights at Atlantic Avenue School.

There are no games or practices on weekends or during winter break. Please check the team page on the Athletic Department web site.

You can access team information in the “News” section of our team page. I will also send email blasts as well. I will send a schedule for the week each Sunday, and updates during the week if needed.

No 7th or 8th graders will be cut. Unfortunately, 6th graders may not be able to participate if the number of students out for the team is too large. If one 6th grader cannot participate, none of them can regardless of ability.

Players should make every effort to attend and be punctual for practices. If there is a reason a player cannot be at practice, please let me know by email (wusher@haddonfield.k12.nj.us) no later than 3:00.

Playing time is distributed equitably but not equally. I will make every effort to give every player meaningful minutes that will help each player develop her skills. I also feel a responsibility to reward players who show exceptional effort and commitment and who have put in the time and effort to develop their skills. I will do my best to be fair to all players and make each player’s experience on the team as enjoyable as possible. Given the number of players who typically come out for the team, it is essential that everybody be a great teammate, support one another, and be willing to make sacrifices.

My main goals are to have each group of five on the floor to play well as a team, to have each player develop individually, for each player to represent HMS with class and sportsmanship, and of course, to enjoy the great game of basketball.

I want to thank you for signing your daughters up to play basketball this season.  It is great to see so many kids interested in playing basketball.  Basketball in Haddonfield is truly special!  

Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to keep 6th graders on the team this season because the overall number of players out for the team this season is very high.  The athletic department's practice is that only 7th and 8th grade students are guaranteed positions on the team when the total number of players exceeds 20 players, so I will not be able to include sixth graders on the team this season.  

We kept four sixth graders last season because our total number of players was 17, and due to injuries and illness we often had fewer players than that able to practice and play.  

I hope this move does not discourage anybody from coming out for the team for their seventh and eighth grade seasons.  Having talked to my two predecessors at HMS (Mr. Stafford and Ms. Furlong), and to coaches we competed against last season, it is rare for sixth graders to participate in middle school basketball.  Of the opposing coaches I talked to last season, none of them carried sixth graders.  

Not playing for the middle school as 6th graders should not put them at a disadvantage in terms of their development as players.  I am confident that players who are involved with the HYBA this year will be able to make a smooth transition to middle school basketball next season.  For any players who were hoping to play basketball for the first time, I still encourage them to join the HYBA town league?, and come out next year for the middle school team.

If I can be of any help in preparation for next season, please feel free to reach out to me.  I wish the kids the best of luck for the remainder of the school year, and I hope to see your daughters out for the team as seventh graders.  

Sincerely,

Bill Usher