Who coaches for Dallas Thunder?

All coaches working within the Dallas Homeschool Basketball organization are appointed and/or hired by the Board. They must consent to a background check and agree to follow the rules of the organization. It is understood that their failure to do so is grounds for immediate release. Coaches are selected for their basketball knowledge, their ability to relate to kids, and for their character and integrity. We understand our players look up to these coaches as role models.


What teams will Dallas Thunder offer?

Homeschool basketball tournaments are designed so that teams compete in various levels based on the players’ ages, rather than the players’ school grade. This is appropriate, since home education allows parents to individually design each child’s coarse of study based on the child’s particular needs and abilities.

Since the focus of the Dallas Thunder season is the National Tournament each March, Thunder plans to field the following teams:

Boys	Girls	Designation
18 & Under	18 & Under	Varsity
16 & Under	16 & Under	Jr. Varsity
14 & Under	14 & Under	8th Grade
12 & Under	12 & Under	7th Grade

Ages as of September 1 of each year are used to determine for which team a player is eligible to play.  For example, to play on the 14 and under team for the Post Season, a player must be 14 years of age or younger on September 1st.  Players will generally play on the youngest team for which they are eligible.  Players will “play up” only if asked to do so by the coach.

Please note that the teams we will be playing from private and public schools will be generally be fielding teams at levels based on school grade, rather than age.  This can result in some Dallas Thunder teams competing against teams which are slightly older or slightly younger than the Thunder players in some circumstances.

In addition to the teams listed above, Dallas Thunder occasionally has taken 10 and under boys and girls teams to the National Tournament.


How many players will be on each team?

Ideally, the size of each team’s roster will be limited to 8 to10 players.  If we have fewer players in various age categories, then rosters may have to be adjusted.

If we have a large number of players in an age bracket, our aim would be to field two teams.  In some cases, it may be necessary to move some players to a higher age team, depending on availability of roster spots and skill levels of the players involved.

At times, depending upon our roster and the player's ages, we may not be able to fill an age bracket team with enough players. We may ask some players to “play up” an age bracket should that be feasible for everyone involved.


When can players join Dallas Thunder?

Ideally, players will join the Dallas Thunder organization for/during the Summer Program and/or no later than August or September when practices begin in earnest for the Regular Season.  However, new players are always welcome to join.

Although Dallas Thunder prefers not to add players to teams during the season, in some cases there may be a need to do so.  Occasionally, there will be a need to recruit additional players due to injury, lack of eligible players, etc. We may also use players from a different team within the organization who are able and eligible to play the positions needed.

Because the eligibility requirements for the national tournament specify that a player must play on the team he or she plays on at the national tournament for the second semester, as a practical matter, players added after December 31st will be ineligible for Post Season play.