Select Basketball FAQs

SYA Select is our travel basketball program. In order to distinguish it from longer distance travel, we incorporated the name SYA Select in Fall 2025.

Teams will be formed based on the grades that players are in for such season; there are very limited age restrictions, but generally teams will be formed based on what grade the player is in for that season. Summer league, players will play in their “rising grade”, (the grade in which the student will attend at school the upcoming school year).

FCYBL’s philosophy is to build community-based teams. As such they limit each program to specific zip codes. SYA can only select Fairfax County residents in the Centreville/Clifton area. Specifically, you may try out for a SYA Select team only if you live in these zip codes: 20120, 20121, 20124, 22030, & 20151.
SYA Select policy: While FCYBL allows up to two “out-of-zip” Fairfax County players per team, SYA’s mission is to to develop Centreville/Clifton/Fairfax area basketball players. Therefore SYA will only allow “out-of-zip” players to participate on our teams on a case by case basis with the approval of the SYA Select Commissioner.

All players interested in trying out for one of our select basketball teams need to register for basketball tryouts. Once evaluations are completed, selected players will be sent instructions on how to complete the select registration. Register for select tryouts here: register online.

FCYBL hosts games throughout Fairfax County and the cities of Alexandria and Arlington. We do not travel to MD, DC, nor outside of the county.

Select teams practice two times per week at local schools, starting in October. Winter games begin in November.  The season culminates with a single elimination playoff tournament in the first two weeks of March.

Summer select games are held weeknights after 5 pm in Fairfax County School gyms. Regular season games begin mid June through late July.

No. Players are selected based on ability. The Select program does everything possible to make the selection process as fair as possible. It is a fact that most Select players return and play the following season. However, this does not mean that SYA views these players as having a guaranteed spot on the following season’s roster. All positions on all rosters are open to all competitors on a season-by-season basis.

Each coach varies in how the make selections, but most notify the players during the last tryout. Posting a list with tryout numbers or phone numbers is a common method, while some coaches prefer to phone player’s homes. This is by far the most difficult part of the season for both the players and coaches.

SYA requires that each player participate in at least 25% of game minutes. Injury, game ejection, poor attendance at practice, and late arrival may nullify this requirement at the Coach’s discretion. Our stated goal is for each coach to make playing team decisions transparent to all players and further, to develop all players so that they can contribute significantly more than 25%.

Winter team rosters are typically ten (10) players. Rosters may deviate from ten player roster with approval of the SYA Select Commissioners.

We are actively interviewing coaches for all of our teams. If you are interested in coaching a Select team, see our website for an application.

Please contact SYA Commissioners Brian An and  Mallory Trullender