What is the Kingston Flames?  The Flames participates in the Old Colony Basketball League (OCL) which has teams in approximately twelve area communities. These towns include: 

Braintree - Cohasset - Duxbury - Hanover - Hingham - Marshfield - Norwell -Scituate - Weymouth - Whitman - Pembroke

Visit http://www.oldcolonybasketball.org/ for more information on the league.

What is the philosophy of the program?  The Flames Basketball program is run by volunteer coaches to teach advanced basketball skills, develop a competitive team spirit, stress sportsmanship and create a healthy and fun sports environment for Kingston and Plympton girls.  By promoting and teaching basketball, we hope that many of our players will choose to go on to play for their high school teams.  Many of the area's top high school players have played in the Flames program.

What age are players?  Players are girls in the 3rd through 8th grades.  Players are grouped by grade.

Is my daughter eligible?  Players must either live in Kingston or Plympton.

How many players play on The Flames?   The Flames places one team in each age group in the Old Colony League.  There are typically 10-12 girls on a team.

Is there a tryout?  Yes, tryouts are held in early October.  All players interested in playing are encouraged to attend whether or not they have been on a travel team in the past. Click on the Tryouts tab.

When are practices?  Each coach sets his or her own schedule.  Typically teams practice once a week, but the schedule will vary by team.  Practices are in Kingston school gyms.  Practices start in late October with little overlap with fall sports.

When are games?  Games are on Saturdays or Sundays beginning the first week December and running through playoffs in mid-March.  Due to limited gym space, some towns schedule Sunday morning games.  Old Colony does not schedule games on Christmas weekend, but does schedule games on Martin Luther King weekend and February vacation weekends.

Can my child also play in a Kingston recreation league? Yes. The decision is up to each family to make.  Seventh and eighth graders who are also playing basketball for their middle schools often also play Flames basketball.  If your child does not make a Flames travel team, she will be able to play in the recreational league. If you decide to play on both teams the travel team should take priority.  

How much does it cost?  The cost is $180 for the 2011-2012 Seaosn. The cost can vary by year and depends on the cost of gym time, the number of tournaments that the teams plays in, referee costs, etc.  Families needing scholarship help should submit the financial asst. form available under the form section of the website.

What is the commitment that is required from families?  The Flames team requires a commitment from players and parents to attend practices and games.  Because rosters are small, teams are disrupted if players cannot make the necessary commitment.  Generally, the team should be your daughter's primary sports commitment during the winter season.