When is my child ready to join a club?

The Aussie Hoops curriculum is designed to introduce your child to team sport and basic basketball skills, gradually progressing the competitiveness of activities until they are ready to join a club and participate in an age-based competition (e.g. Under 8s, Under 10s).

Teaching children the basics rules of basketball at a young age will help them to develop basic skills and understanding of the game for the future, that can be applied into other team sports.

There is not a “one size fits all” approach for when your child is ready to join a club, or a specific age determining when your child is ready.

A very confident six year old may find themselves ready to transition from Aussie Hoops into a local competition before a less confident ten year old.

The guidelines below are general advice for parents of Aussie Hoopers but as it is an individual decision, we also recommend speaking with your child’s coach about their readiness to move into a club.

Each club competition varies in terms of timing, age groups, travel and uniform requirements. Speak with your Local Centre Coordinator about the best contact to provide information on the club competition in your region.

Every child who displays confidence within his or her skill set and can transfer the skills that they have learned through Aussie Hoops is usually ready to move on to a more competitive level.

Sign that your child is ready to join a club:

• Displays confidence in more competitive Aussie Hoops activities that involves some type of pressure
• Understands the basic rules of a basketball game (for example, no running with the basketball and no hitting/grabbing players)
• Dribbles one-handed confidently
• Can catch and pass the ball
• Displays cooperation and willingness to share with teammates during activities

Being able to shoot on a 10-foot basketball ring is nice to have, but by no means essential – as your child grows they will develop the strength to score baskets on whichever ring size your competition uses.

Finally, consider how emotionally ready your child is to participate, because if they are not ready, it will be frustrating for everyone, and can turn them away from sport participation.

Most importantly - remember that your child doesn’t need to be a superstar to play club basketball, all they need is a good attitude and a willingness to learn.

Did you know? 

Only boys aged 14+ use a size 7 basketball, all other boys and girls competitions use a Size 6 ball and some U10 competitions will continue to use a size 5 basketball.