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Information Package

PLAYER INFORMATION

Here, you will find useful information about the Pro Basketball Tryouts. For your benefit, we ask that you thoroughly read this from start to finish. Being thoroughly prepared will certainly give you a significant advantage! Also, make sure to read our general information page and the FAQ section.

MENTAL PREPARATION IS KEY

Keep in mind that you are coming to this camp to get signed; you need to be prepared and know what you want. Some players in the past were not mentally prepared for what our camp was going to offer; They succeeded in generating on-the-spot offers but weren’t prepared to make the commitment or needed too much time to think about it. An offer is usually only valid for 24 hours before it is withdrawn and offered to the next guy in line.

ARRIVAL 

Camp players are to arrive in Las Vegas on the day before the start of camp.

If you are arriving –

By Airplane: Forward us your detailed flight itinerary. Please provide the following information:

  • Date/Time of Arrival
  • City of Origin
  • Airline
  • Flight Number
  • Date/Time of Departure
  • Destination City
  • Departure Flight Number & Airline

By Car: Please let us know your arrival time and city of origin.

It would also be helpful if you could let us know where you will be staying in Las Vegas.

GET YOUR JERSEY, SCHEDULE, AND TEAM ROSTER

Come to the YMCA gym 20 Minutes BEFORE your practice/shoot-around starts on the first day of the camp. That’s either 8.40 a.m. or 10.40 a.m., depending on which team you are on. Check the game schedule and the team rosters. Also, check your email (including your spam box) regularly.

When you arrive at the gym, go to your court and introduce yourself to the coach. He will register you and give you a uniform.

After that, there will be measurements followed by a shoot-around/practice between 09.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m.

After practice, stay in the gym for the official camp opening speech by the camp director at 11.00 a.m. 

Address:

Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA

4141 Meadows Lane

Las Vegas, NV 89107

Bring your own towel and practice gear (preferably in the same color as your camp uniform).

PRACTICE/DRILL STATIONS

Upon arrival at the gym, you will be measured (height, weight, body fat percentage, vertical leap, and wingspan).

Make sure to wear your assigned jersey! The jersey number is how you will be recognized throughout the camp; no one will know who you are without it!

The Euro Challenge starts with practice, consisting of several competitive drills. The purpose is for us to get a detailed impression of your skill level without having to base your entire evaluation on the games. See it as an extra opportunity for exposure.

It also gives you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the court and the FIBA ball (Molten G7). Take this time to introduce yourself to your coach and teammates; let your coach know which position you feel most comfortable playing.

EVALUATION AND SCOUTING

Please be aware of the fact that from the moment you register for the camp, you are being evaluated!

Basketball is the most popular sport in the world after soccer. There are 400 million basketball players on this planet! That means that overseas teams have plenty of choices. They will always try to sign a domestic player first before they search the globe for an import player.

That import has to bring something extra. Something that none of the domestic players can offer.

He can’t just be another role player who comes off the bench to be part of the rotation. On the contrary, he needs to be the franchise player and be able to dominate the entire league.

So how do overseas teams and agents evaluate players? They look at four things:

  • PROFESSIONALISM
  • BACKGROUND
  • SKILL
  • POTENTIAL

PROFESSIONALISM: This has to do with mentality, body language, attitude, and preparation.

For example, Are you in tip-top shape? Did you read all of the camp information posted on this site and sent to you by email? If yes, did you follow the instructions and bring shorts, a towel, and a water bottle as instructed? Are you on time for the measurements, registration, practices, and games? How was your communication with us prior to the start of the camp? How are you getting along with your teammates and the coach? Do you demonstrate a positive, encouraging, and enthusiastic attitude? Are you able to play in several different positions?

You are in full control of all these things! All it takes is some effort and discipline.

You have earned bonus points just by participating in this camp because you have demonstrated your proactive, motivated, and available nature.

Congrats, you are no longer anonymous!

BACKGROUND: This is about your basketball history and stats. It is your resume.

An overseas basketball coach who is interested in you must also convince the Director of Scouting, Director of Player Personnel, GM, President, sponsor, and sometimes even the board and shareholders.

It is like in real life when you apply for a job. The higher your education and the better your grades, the better your chances of landing a job.

In basketball, the NCAA Division 1 is regarded as the highest “education,” and NAIA 2 and NCAA 3 the lowest. Prep schools and JUCO don’t even count.

Good “grades” in basketball mean your stats. As a rule of thumb, if you averaged double digits, it is considered good “grades.”

Our goal with this camp is to offer a chance to all those players who have the talent but not the right background. After this camp, you will have official stats, professional footage, measurements, and scouting reports.

Congrats, you have drastically improved your odds!

SKILL: Everybody in this camp can dribble, pass, and shoot, but there is more to the game than that.

At the professional level, tactics, team play, and discipline are essential factors. Therefore, basketball IQ is one of the most important things overseas basketball teams and scouts will seek.

Does a player “read” the game? Does he fill the right lanes during a fast break? How are his shot selection and understanding of defensive balance? How does he execute a pick-and-roll? Does he help the helper and rotate through? How is his overall decision-making?

POTENTIAL: A player who is 23 and fresh out of college has more “upside” than a player who is 38 and has not played organized basketball for years. Athletic ability is another important factor, such as wingspan, vertical leap, agility, and explosiveness.

A PIECE OF ADVICE

Be aware and be prepared. Do not obtain a negative perception before you even arrive at the camp!

Here’s a tip to plan ahead and avoid negative perceptions:

Players have often been tempted to use air miles or fly standby to Las Vegas. However, what tends to happen is they get bumped off the flight and are forced to arrive a day late.

Do not take this risk; you will make a terrible first impression if this happens.

Get your plane ticket as early as possible. It will be cheaper the further out you purchase the ticket, anyway. Waiting until the last minute will absolutely render a very expensive ticket!

APPLICABLE BASKETBALL RULES

The rules for basketball are the same worldwide, except for the US, where the High School, NCAA, and NBA have different rules.

Since the goal of our camp is to give players exposure to international teams from all over the world, it would be natural to play with the official FIBA rules at our camp.

Unfortunately, this is not possible:

  • American referees and scorers are not familiar with FIBA rules;
  • Court measurements are different than that of the standard FIBA court.

We have to adapt the rules of the game to the referees, the camp staff, and the measurements of the court, so we will be playing by official NCAA rules. However, there are some exceptions:

  • Playing time will be 4 x 10 minutes (NCAA is 2 x 20)
  • The shot clock will be 24 seconds (NCAA is 35 seconds)
  • Timeouts can only be called by the coaches (NCAA allows players to call time-outs)
  • We will play all games in our camp with the FIBA-approved “Molten G7” Basketball.

As a special camp rule, we will only allow Man-To-Man defense, no zone defense.

Also, keep in mind that there are no reserve baskets in our gym, so we better make sure that no basket is broken. No hanging on the rim, rim-shaking, or showboat dunking!

THE GAMES

During camp, all players are assigned to eight teams. The gameplay format is the knock-out system, with a final on the last day of camp. All teams will play three games.

The coaches will try to balance your playing time. If you get very limited playing time in the first game, you are likely to get more in the second game and vice versa. The exception to this is if you’re out of shape or playing selfish, ugly basketball (just jacking up shots, bad decision-making, cherry-picking, no defense, arguing with the refs, etc.), then your coach may further limit your playing time.

Be aware of the fact that overseas basketball is very team-oriented. There is nothing foreign coaches hate more than run-and-gun games in which every player is trying to be the top scorer. Work the clock, pass the ball around, and get your teammates involved.

Overseas coaches want coachable players who are good teammates! Emulate that!

All games will be recorded. Footage of all games can be ordered via the Game Shooters.

There will also be box scores and stats for each game.

ATHLETIC TRAINER

We have an athletic trainer on staff at the camp who can assist with minor injuries or other matters. In the past, some players have requested help from the trainer in taping their ankles. That is perfectly fine, but you will need to bring your own tape and pre-wrap.

CAMP JERSEYS

At the end of the camp, immediately after you play your final game, you will shower, change clothes, and return your camp jersey. Camp staff will be standing by to collect them from you before you leave the gym.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email us.