>>> Introduction
Along with Baseball and American Football, Basketball is part of the three most representative sports of the american culture. Due to the length and density of its schedule, the NCAA Basket Ball season is the most watched sport all year round. It always ends by the famous « March Madness » , nickname given to the month when the NCAA Championships take place. Playing NCAA Basketball is the best way to break through the best championship of the world, the NBA. Each November, managers of the NBA use the « Draft » to recrute tomorrow’s futur stars.
With their third consecutive Olympic Games title (Atlanta, Sydney, Athens), the USA have proven to be the leading nation in women’s basketball worldwide. Just like the mens, the women’s basketball NCAA Championship is a classic in College sports and remains the best way to be recruted in the prestigious women’s basketball league, the WNBA (Women’s National Basket Ball Association).
--- Who can obtain an athletic scholarship ? ---
- Basketball players of national and club level.
- High-School students (last year of H-S, 12th grade) and university students
- There is no age limit
--- The Season / Calendar ---
The NCAA season takes place between November and March. The frequency of the games is very high. Teams play on average 30 games in 4 months.
- August-November : Practice and pre-season games
- November-March: NCAA regular season (1 game every 3 or 4 days)
- March : Conference and NCAA Championships
- April-May: Recovery period (rest) and practice
- May: End of the academic year, summer practices in the USA or Europe
--- Practices ---
Usually, practices occur in the afternoons. Their length and intensity depend on the team level and the Head Coaches routine. On average, teams practice 3 hours a day; composed of individual workouts, tactics, game situations and fitness.
--- Road Trips ---
Teams travel by private bus or by plane, depending upon the distance. Generally, they travel the day before the competition and stay in high-quality hotels. While traveling, all expenses (hotel and food) are paid by the university, in addition to the existing scholarship.
