2023-24 TRYOUTS

Registration is now open!!

GRADES 4 AND 5

Sunday, September 17
Specific ages and times have yet to be determined - check back for updates

• Girls 4 and 5 Grade – 8:30am – 10:15am
• Boys 5 Grade 10:30am – 12:15pm
• Boys 4 Grade 12:30pm – 2:15pm

Please be aware that times may change. Please check here for updates

Bloomington Kennedy Activity Center Map

GRADES 6 THROUGH 8

Sunday, September 10
Specific ages and times have yet to be determined - check back for updates. 

• Boys 6 Grade and Girls 6-8 Grade – 8:30am – 10:15am
• Boys 8 Grade 10:30am – 12:15pm
• Boys 7 Grade 12:30pm – 2:15pm

Please be aware that times may change. Please check here for updates

Bloomington Jefferson Activity Center Map

$30

Each player is required to register before tryouts.

We use a third party basketball evaluation company to assess our potential players during tryout sessions. This helps the Lakers organization objectively evaluate players in a fair and impartial manner in order to create the best possible and most balanced teams.

Anyone who has coached a competitive team will understand the inherent pressures of tryouts.  Regardless of spot, age, grade, or skill level, choosing and forming teams with the best roster possible for a fun and postitive season of play will be one of the most difficult (and most stressful) decisions we have to make as an organization.

Ultimately, we will be faced with a number of tough decisions to make our final selections.  Keep in mind that every team will have different skill sets, different personalities, and most importantly, different coaching styles.

You will be informed via email whether you've been placed on a team or on a wait list. The roster formation process is typically 10-14 days.

Players should arrive 20-30 minutes ahead of their session start time.

Each player will:

Tryouts are closed to parents and all adults except for the evaluators; spectators are a distraction to them and to the kids. The Mpls Lakers thank you for your cooperation with this policy.

Parents will be invited to a virtual Q&A session (Zoom) prior to tryouts. Stay tuned for more information and a date.

Unable to make a tryout date? Let us know and we can find a solution.

We are sanctioned by MYAS and provide skill appropriate experiences for Minneapolis youth basketball players.  We are members of the Minneapolis Basketball Coalition.

Boys and Girls teams will be competing during the current winter travel basketball season.

Player participation is open to all 4th through 8th grade girls and boys attending school in Minneapolis (3rd grade players can tryout for a 4th grade team, but preference is given to 4th graders during team formation).

Players living in Minneapolis attending a private or charter school outside the district or home school are also eligible to play for the Lakers.  Players living in Minneapolis and attending public school in another district are eligible to play in the community where they attend school.  Players in other public school districts should Tryout in those districts, and would then need to pursue an exemption to play for the Mpls Lakers.

Per the MSHSL, any athlete participating on a high school team that participates in the MSHSL cannot also participate with any other non-school (community travel association or recreational) team during the high school season.  This includes high school varsity, junior varsity, 10th grade, B Squad or C Squad teams.

Middle School athletes can play for their school AND for the Mpls Lakers if they so choose.

Players are eligible to participate with the Mpls Lakers if they attend school in Minneapolis; or if they reside in Minneapolis AND attend a private, charter or home school. 

Per the MYBA Team composition guidelines:   

• Athletes must try out and compete with the travel basketball association within the community where they attend school. 
  • Private/Charter School Exception:  Athletes attending a private/charter school may choose to participate with the traveling basketball association where the school is located or where the athlete resides.
  • Home School/Online School Exception: Athletes may participate with the traveling basketball association where the athlete resides.
  • Residency Exception: An athletes who lives within the boundaries of an association that does not border the association where they attend school may request a Residency Exception to allow them to participate with the association where they reside.
  • If a travel basketball opportunity does not exist in the area representing their school attendance area, or if the athlete has been cut or restricted from their home association, they may participate with a bordering association and does not need to complete the Player Transfer process.

If a player is looking to "waive" out of OR into the Mpls Lakers, they need to provide a fully executed Player Transfer Form to the organization representing the team, they would like to play for.

To inquire about potential openings on a team, please email Tisha Boarman (vicepresident@mpls-lakers.org) or contact Tina Thousand (registrar@mpls-lakers.org).

Would your son or daughter like to play basketball, but you feel it might not be financially feasible? You can apply for a needs-based scholarship here. Fill out the form and it will be confidentially submitted to our treasurer.

If you are awarded a scholarship you will be notified after our tryout process. If your son or daughter is placed on a team you will be given a code to use for team registration.

Info & Registration