1. Is it purely a draft system, or can the boys hook up with friends to be on the same team(carpooling, etc..)?  

CBL, as well as WCBL and TCBL are all by draft; However, if you are able to put together a full team, we are offering the Alodia Summer Select League.  Those games will be played in The Woodlands (see details above).

2. What are the age group combinations?

Age groups will be determined by final enrollment numbers.  Right now the proposed age groups for the summer are as follows (These are proposed age groups only.  Age groups are subject to change depending on enrollment numbers.  Every effort is made to break age groups down as far as possible, but final numbers, as always, dictate the final age groups.  In summers past, I have tried to get an idea of the level of the ability of the teams that are playing, and do my best to try to group teams within that level

Going Into 4th-5th, 6th-7th, 8th-9th, and 10th-Just Graduated for the drafted leagues.  For the ALODIA SUMMER SELECT teams, we plan on having the same age groups listed above.  Again read the paragraph above for clarification.

3. What is the philosophy of the Alodia youth leagues?

To provide a positive environment for all children to learn a love for the game of basketball, regardless of race, creed, color, financial status, or gender. To provide a place where players can learn the rules properly from coaches and professional referees. These referees enforce the proper rules of basketball, from an early age. To provide a positive, competitive environment through the draft (which I call the great equalizer).  If coaches use it appropriately and come in without an agenda, use the stats from the previous season provided, and watch tryouts, all teams theoretically, have a chance to win every week. We keep stats to allow players to measure their skill levels and personal progress, by posting stats in various categories such as blocks, steals, points, scoring average, 3-point shooting, assists & rebounds each week on the world wide web and stat boards at the gym.

4. How many practices are there? Where and when are they?

Answer: Practices are 1-2 times per week (depending on the coaches). In the summer, coaches are on their own for all practices.

In the first 14 years all practices in the Woodlands have been held at the local Woodlands parks, at the coach's discretion, usually in the evenings, after they get off of work. Since October, we have been providing 2 practices per season in the WCBL (except in the summer league). 

In Kingwood and Tomball, we have been providing 4 practices per season (except in the summer season)

If someone has access to a gym through a teacher, principal, minister etc., they must understand that they are reserving that gym for themselves. It is not being reserved by the WCBL, TCBL, CBL, or Alodia.  It is being reserved for that person personally.

If there is a charge for said facility, it would have to be unanimously agreed upon by the parents and players of that particular team, as well as paid for by that particular team.

5. How many games are generally played every season?

Answer: There are eight regular season games in the drafted Fall, Winter, and Spring Seasons, in WCBL, TCBL and CBL and seven in the summer league, plus playoffs.  Whenever we get sponsors for All-Star games, we will have one for each age group that we get sponsors.  The games will sometimes be self contained within that league and when possible, we will have inter-league all-star games between CBL, WCBL, and TCBL  plus an All-Star game for those who make it (All-Stars are statistically chosen). No politics are ever involved in WCBL All-Star decisions.

6. Where will the games be played? On what days? At what times?

Answer: Most games & league activities will be played at local schools (TISD, CISD & Humble ISD) and/or local churches.  Games are played on Saturdays and Sundays (Except ALODIA SUMMER SELECT TEAMS THAT WILL PLAY ON WEEKNIGHTS_MOST LIKELY WEDNESDAYS IN JUNE). On Saturdays, you might have a game anytime between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. On Sundays, anytime between Noon and 9:00 PM on the hour.

7. How are teams formed?

Answer: This is what sets the WCBL, TCBL & CBL apart from all other leagues. Teams are formed based upon tryouts and draft. The players are rated and drafted. Everyone will make a team and everyone must play at least half the game regardless of their particular skill level. We have perfected the draft. We have developed a system that evaluates every kid, even the coach's son's and daughters. In that way, no one team is ever given a competitive advantage, even if the coach's child is one of the top players. Theoretically, with all of the coaches given the same opportunity to see the players perform, and provided with players statistics from previous seasons, with instructions to throw friendship picks out the window and simply pick the next best player each round.  Hopefully, you end up with fairly equal teams that should give each other a competitive game every week.

8. When, where and at what time are tryouts and draft?

Answer: Tryouts & the draft times are decided before each of the four seasons.

Parents and players are notified, typically a week or two prior to the draft and tryout days, via e-mail and posting the information on the web.

9. When will the first games be played?

Answer: Typically, first games are played the weekend after the draft.

10. When is the deadline for registration?

Answer: The answer is for each of the four seasons we run per year is the following: The last day for registration is when we're full. Every season the league has grown. We average having an 85% return ratio, with each of our players playing an average of two and a half seasons per year out of the four. The recommendation is that you get your registration form and a check mailed as soon as possible or apply and pay online. It's getting more competitive to become a coach in the competitive league. We accept coaches on a first come first serve basis, so if you're planning on coaching, I would say that it's even more important to get your applications in early.

11. When does the FALL SEASON start and end?

Answer: Early September until late October or early November.

12. When does the WINTER SEASON start and end?

Answer: Mid-November or Early-December until late February.

13. When does the SPRING SEASON start and end?

Answer: Late February or Early-March to the mid or end of May.

14. When does the SUMMER SEASON start and end?

Answer: Summer Season is generally the month of June with 2-3 games played per weekend.  The ALODIA SELECT SUMMER LEAGUE plays 2-3 games per weekday night (probably Wednesday nights during the SUMMER OF 2010)

15. Does Alodia have payment plans and scholarship programs for families in need?

No one will ever be turned away from the CBL, TCBL, or WCBL because of an inability to pay. There is a scholarship application that must be filled out, applied for, and approved based upon a family's need. If need isn't the problem, but timing is, a payment plan can be worked out on a case-by-case basis.

16. How can I get more information about the Alodia Basketball Leagues and other offerings? Can I print applications for friends?

Answer: Visit the websites at: www.alodiasports.com, www.wcbl.net, www.cbball.com, www.tomballyouthbasketball.com, or you can reach Charles Koenig in person at 281-450-9000 or by e-mail at charles.koenig@alodiaconsulting.com, or wcblbball@aol.com, or tomballcbl@aol.com. 

17. What about girls playing in the league?

Answer: Girls are encouraged to join any of our youth leagues. We've had several successful seasons of 'girls only leagues' during our Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. We hope that the 'Girls Only League' continues to grow. However, if we don't get enough girls to form an All-Girls league, the ladies are given the option of playing with the boys.  The grade levels changed each season, with the make up of the league. For example, we've  had a 6th and 7th Grade All-Girls league, a 7th-8th All-Girls  league a 3rd-4th All-Girls League, a 5th-7th All-Girls league and a 6th-8th Grade All-Girls league.  The point is that whatever age configuration that we think is workable, we will form, provided we have at least 32 girls signed up.  In other words, if they come, we will build it, if we have a group of ladies that want to play with only ladies.

We've had girls compete with boys in their own age group.  When a young lady finds herself at the bottom of an age group, i.e. a 4th grade girl, in the 4th-5th mostly boys league, I allow them to choose to play down, if they would feel more comfortable in the 2nd3rd grade league in this example.  However, I don't like to call it a "coed league".  Coed  suggest a more of a 50-50 mix and that is simply not the case.  I would describe it as a mostly boys league, with a few girls in every age group.

Call 281-450-9000, because I know you will have questions if you have a young lady interested in joining one of our leagues. I will then give you what I have affectionately dubbed my 'girl speech' that is most appropriate for that upcoming season. Don't forget we need at least 32 girls to form an All Girls League. We will provide the jerseys, trophies, championship day celebration,  stats kept on the world wide web and everything else we provide in our boys youth leagues.

The number of girls we have playing with the boys is growing every season. Many of the girls that have played in the WCBL for many seasons, when given the opportunity to play in the 'Girls Only League', chose to continue playing in the mostly boys league for what they felt was better competition for them.

18.  Is your championship day celebration really cool?

Yes.  We crown our champions to "We are the Champions".  Music fills the air at time outs as the game winds down.  I say it's better than the NBA, because to most parents and youth league players, this is their NBA.  We give out beautiful trophies for team champions and individual award winners of the 6 individual categories that we keep track of on our website each week.  Kids are introduce, like the beginning of Chicago Bulls games, like they used to do for Micheal Jordan and Scotty Pippen and the boys.