Unity Wildcats Information, Forms and FAQs
2012

Links to All Registration Forms
BEFORE YOU TRY OUT YOU MUST BECOME AN AAU MEMBER
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PURCHASING AN AAU MEMBERSHIP
STEP 1 Click this link:  AAU Membership or go to www.aausports.org   
STEP 2 Click “Join AAU Today” box at right of page
STEP 3 Click “Athlete Membership” (under "Individual Membership")
STEP 4 Complete all of the personal information required
STEP 5 From the drop-down boxes choose “Youth Program”, “Extended Coverage Membership $14.00", Sport “Basketball-Girls”; and, fill in Club Name “Unity Wildcats” and Club Code “XTB7DB”
FINISH Complete the rest of the required information. THE COST IS $14.00 and you must have a credit/debit card to purchase your membership on-line.

Downloadable 2012 Forms to be COMPLETED and delivered to the Unity Wildcats upon registration:
>>PLEASE READ THE GENERAL INFORMATION AND FAQs PROVIDED BELOW<<

2012 Teams:  The final number of teams we field in 2012 will depend on the number and types of players interested in trying out. It is our general plan to form two, three or four teams that cover all age groups. Regardless of our general plan, we may field only three teams or two teams if player personnel and interest dictate formation of fewer teams.

General Information 
  • Primary Mission. The primary mission of the Unity Wildcats' Organization is to draw and recruit the best high school and junior high school players in Central New York for the purpose of assisting players in their efforts to play college basketball. The Unity Wildcats' first full class of college players graduated from high school in 2005.
  • Practice.  We practice 1-2 times each week at sites in the Syracuse area. Players living within a 45-50 mile radius of Syracuse are expected to make every practice. Persistent failure to make practices without permission of the coaching staff will lead to reduced playing time and possible removal from the team. If you play a Spring varsity sport, you should carefully consider the commitment that the Wildcats' organization requires of its players and players' families.
  • Tournaments. Tournament play for our older teams will focus on a smaller number of local tournaments and more college showcase tournaments. The 16-17 National team will play in 4-6 college showcase tournaments and 3-5 local tournaments. Our younger age groups will play between 7-9 tournaments each season (28-36 games) and supplement their tournament schedule with weekend games when available. As an organization, we demand focus, determination, commitment to defense and team ethic. We would rather win 26-25 than lose 60-54 with one player scoring 30 points. Our goal is to get our players as many situational repetitions and iterations as possible to better prepare them for their high school and college careers.
  • Coaches.  We have not made final decisions on which coaches will coach which teams but our coaches committed this year are:
  • Carlee Cassidy 2011 Unity Wildcats 15A head coach. All-time leading Section 3 & Unity Wildcats scorer (5000+ career points); three time All-CNY selection; University of Maryland-BC (Division I) three time All America East selection
    Terry Mannion Unity Wildcats founder and AAU head coach for 13 years
    Katie Kramer 2006-2011 AAU Unity Wildcats National Team head coach, Oneida Varsity head coach and former All-CNY Player of the Year (Oneida-UMBC-Lemoyne)
    Nicole McManus
    		 2009-11 Unity Wildcats 15A/16N head/assistant coach, Phoenix Varsity assistant coach, All-CNY selection, 2007-08 Captain of Babson College Beavers
  • Participation Fee and Costs.The anticipated participation fee for 2012 U16-U17 National teams will be approximately $750.00 per player. The anticipated participation fee for the 2012 U15, U14 & U13 will be approximately $600.00 ("participation fee" includes annual uniform, gym and tournament fees). In addition, some of the tournaments require overnight stays and the average cost per child for food and lodging at each tournament is $60.00-$80.00.  Participants should anticipate additional cost for travel, meals and lodging. Beyond the financial cost, all parents should be aware that joining a Wildcats team is a serious time commitment for player and family. Do not try out for the Wildcats unless you love basketball and are prepared to make significant investments in time and effort in order to play.
  • Financial Assitance. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE TRULY IN NEED. No player should be discouraged from trying out because of the cost of playing. THE UNITY WILDCATS ORGANIZATION WORKS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES TO OBTAIN SPONSORSHIP FOR PLAYERS WHO ARE TRULYIN NEED AND CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF PLAYING. If you feel you are a person in need of financial assistance, contact Coach Mannion after tryouts to discuss possible alternative payment plans. ALL REQUESTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WILL BE CONFIDENTIAL. [SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2012 SENIORS WHO RAISED MONEY TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE FUND FOR THOSE IN NEED!!]
  • History.  The core of the Unity Wildcats began playing together more than eleven years ago on the Holy Cross School team in the Syracuse Parochial League where they combined to win forty-two consecutive games without a loss (including six tournament championships). Over the past eleven seasons, the Wildcats have added top players from around the Syracuse area, received sponsorship support from Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company and expanded to include a second team in 2002, a third team in 2003 & 2004, and a fourth team in 2005 & 2006. The U16N Wildcats’ teams have combined to win more than 400 games over the past 10 years in the "A" division of Amateur Athletic Union (A.A.U.) sanctioned and local tournaments.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How far and how often do the teams travel? The 2012 16-17 National team expects to travel to Richmond, VA, New York City, Philadelphia PA, Penn State PA, Baltimore, MD and Washington DC, though final schedules will not be completed until teams are fully formed. Our younger team(s) generally travel to some of the same tournaments but not all. All teams will compete in a number of "local" tournaments (e.g., Utica, Binghamton, Albany, Ithaca, Geneva, Rochester and/or Buffalo). If the coaching staff, in its sole discretion, feels that the 15-16A team has the team strength to compete well at the National level, the 15-16A will travel to college showcase tournaments similar to the 16-17 National team. Some trips will require overnight stays of one or two nights depending on tournament scheduling (i.e., an 8:00am Saturday morning game may mean travel and stay over on Friday night as well as Saturday night). Any trips to Albany, Buffalo and Rochester will likely require an overnight stay. The balance of the local tournaments are within travel distance of Syracuse and players usually return home each evening. See our "Schedules" page for all team schedules.  We shall also try to supplement our tournament schedule with “friendlies” against local teams when possible.

When, where and how often do the teams practice? Each team will practice once each week and sometimes twice. Practices are an hour and a half and will be held on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights between 5:30pm and 9:30pm depending on gym availability.  Set times and locations will be determined upon formation of teams.

How are age limitations determined? How do I know if my daughter is too old or too young to play with the Wildcats?  If your daughter was born in 1995 or 1996, she is eligible for the 16-17 National team.  If your daughter was born in 1996 or 19967, she is eligible for the 15-16A team. If your daughter was born in 1997, 1998 or 1999 she is eligible for the 14A team. Placement on a team is not strictly tied to age but depends on a number of factors, including skill level, high school class, numbers trying out for each team and team needs/balance.

Does my daughter really have a chance to make the team or are the players already chosen? The tryouts for ALL TEAMS are wide open. Every girl trying out will get a full/fair evaluation with a real chance to make the team based on ability and attitude.

Am I guaranteed equal playing time? Equal playing time over the course of the season is one of our goals. Though playing time is not always equal in each game/tournament, we attempt to balance playing time throughout the season.  Situational playing time is determined based on a number of factors: practice ethic, game situation/matchups, attitude, dedication, etc. Our focus is on winning because the reality is that teams that win on the AAU circuit are far more likely to have players noticed by college coaches. Losses hurt every player on the team.

What are the criteria for choosing coaches? Every coach we employ understands that the Unity Wildcats organization's primary  objective is to assist young people in succeeding and thriving in all aspects of their lives. Coaching is about the players being coached, not the coaches coaching them. Though we prefer to engage coaches who have played girls basketball at the high school/college level, our main focus is on finding coaches who have solid knowledge of the game and a strong ability to teach and relate to young people. In addition, WE RUN AN NCAA APPROVED BACKGROUND CHECK ON ALL OF OUR COACHES WHEN THEY FIRST START WITH US AND AGAIN EVERY TWO YEARS THEREAFTER. Every child's safety and well-being is our most compelling concern.
 

© Unity Wildcats 1999-2012