Guru Notebook: How to Join Philly Summer League

(Guru's note: There is a post above this one on the WNBA mega-trade revealed Friday).

By Mel Greenberg

Just in time to help fill a bit of the void between the end of the women’s collegiate basketball season and ensuing coaching changes and before the day-to-day startup of the WNBA summer action other than when mega-trades are made such as what went down Friday, comes everything one needs to know about the summer fun here in Philadelphia.

David Kessler, the man who keeps retiring as commissioner but keeps coming back for more, has passed along the info for competing in the Philadelphia/Suburban Women's NCAA Summer League, which formerly had the Philadelphia Dept. of Recreation affiliation attached to it.

Prior to last summer most of the games were held at Northeast High School but again this time around the Renegades AAU facility – the Kelly Bolish Gymnasium -- in Hatboro will serve as the venue.

So what follows is everything from the commish, other than when the Guru is not running around the WNBA circuit he will provide as much coverage of the league as he can conjure will occur here.

In fact if any of you out there want to help the cause of coverage give the Guru an email notice. The scheduled action doesn’t begin until mid-June.

Though awards are not given per se, other than the championship trophy after the playoffs, a year ago St. Joseph’s Katie Kuester off some prolific three-point shooting was the star of the season.

Many Big Five players, past and present, as well as well-known locals who play elsewhere and outsiders who wish to find good competition here, participate.

Division II and Division III players also compete and the runnerup last summer was a first-ever for Division II when most of the Holy Family-dominated squad, past and present, advanced to the championship round, which is allowable under NCAA rules.

And now go ahead David:

PHILADELPHIA/SUBURBAN WOMEN’S NCAA
SUMMER BASKETBALL LEAGUE
2011 INFORMATIONAL LETTER

2007 RECIPIENT OF THE “EXCELLENCE IN PROGRAMMING” AWARD
PENNSYLVANIA RECREATION AND PARKS SOCIETY

Site: Kelly Bolish Gymnasium (home of the AAU “Renegades”)
2950 Turnpike Drive
Hatboro, Pa. 19040
Site has 3 gyms, snack bar, ample parking, and is near the Pa. Turnpike

Playing dates: Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning Thursday June 16
Game times are 7:00 & 8:15 P.M.

There is space for 13 teams of 10-12 players per team. TO ENSURE ACCEPTANCE INTO THE
LEAGUE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PLAYERS SEND THE FEE AND PLAYER INFORMATION
SHEET WELL BEFORE THE SATURDAY MAY 21, 2011 DEADLINE!

Fee: $130.00 per player (includes shirt with name and number on back, number on front along with
league logo imprinted over the heart. Fee also includes officials, score/timekeepers, awards,
site rental, and league expenses – insurance, balls, books, postage, copying, etc.)

This is a draft league. Players can form teams, but cannot come into the league with a full squad. The league needs the flexibility to assign players to each team. This is done for parity and because NCAA regulations prohibit Division I players from playing with more than one college teammate (this does not include incoming freshmen, who are not yet officially enrolled in school.)

Division I players (except incoming freshmen) are required to submit a letter of permission from their Athletic Director to the league director or they will not be permitted to play. Letters can be submitted:
by e-mail, through regular mail, or delivered in person. THIS MUST BE DONE BEFORE THE PLAYER’S FIRST GAME! The league will be certified by the NCAA in the month of May. Status can be checked online (ncaa.org)

2011 TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT DATES
Friday April 29 registration forms and information letters mailed to players
Saturday May 21 DEADLINE FOR FEE, PLAYER INFORMATION SHEET, AND LETTER
OF PERMISSION (REQUIRED OF DIVISION I PLAYERS)

Thursday May 26 player draft (coaches only) teams are formed at Kelly Bolish Gymnasium-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday May 31 shirts are ordered
Tuesday June 7 rosters and schedules are mailed to players and coaches
Thursday June 16 shirts distributed, league begins
Depending on the number of teams, playoffs should begin the last week of July and end the first or second
week of August

IMPORTANT ! PLEASE NOTE!

DUE DATE IS SATURDAY MAY 21!!

CHECK ($130.00) SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO “WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL LEAGUE” AND
SHOULD BE MAILED ALONG WITH THE PLAYER INFORMATION SHEET AND THE LETTER OF
PERMISSION (REQUIRED OF DIVISION I PLAYERS) TO THE ADDRESS BELOW!

OVERNIGHT EXPRESS MAIL CAN BE USED, BUT DO NOT SPECIFY A RETURN SIGNATURE!

DAVID KESSLER, LEAGUE DIRECTOR
535 SIMMS STREET
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19116-1046

deucedbk@comcast.net

And here’s a copy of the application form assuming it looks ok going from a word document to the Guru platform.

PHILADELPHIA/SUBURBAN 2011 WOMEN’S NCAA
SUMMER BASKETBALL LEAGUE
PLAYER INFORMATION SHEET

PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY!!!!!!!!!

NAME___________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS __________________________________________________(AS OF MON. 6/6/11)

CITY_______________________________________STATE_____ZIP_________

TELEPHONE (HOME OR CELL)_____________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS________________________________________________________________

HIGH SCHOOL_______________________________________YEAR OF GRADUATION_______

COLLEGE___________________________________________YEAR OF GRADUATION_______

DIVISION (PLEASE CIRCLE) I II III OTHER

ARE/WERE YOU ON BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP?___________________________________

ANY BASKETBALL AWARDS OR HONORS?__________________________________________

WILL YOU BE PLAYING ON A DRAFT TEAM?_________________________________________
OR
WILL YOU ENTER THIS LEAGUE WITH OTHER PLAYERS?___________________________

IF ENTERING WITH OTHERS, PLEASE LIST THEM (OR YOUR COACH)____________________



HEIGHT_______________________________________POSITION_________________________

SHIRT SIZE______________________________NUMBER REQUESTED ON SHIRT___________

DATE OF BIRTH__________________________________________________________________
THIS INFORMATION, ALONG WITH THE $130.00 FEE (MADE OUT TO “WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL”), AND LETTER OF PERMISSION IS DUE SATURDAY MAY 21!!

-- Mel