Welcome to the official Les Chats Girls Basketball site!

FAQ - How do you pronounce the team name?
French: Plural "The Cats" pronounced "La Shah"

The Les Chats Basketball Club has been established for the purpose of allowing girls to improve their basketball skills, and play at a competitive level of sports. The club is open to anyone regardless of race, ethnicity or background.  Our primary mission is to use Basketball as a platform to academic and self excellence. Research has shown that kids who are active in sports fare better academically and have better self-esteem of themselves vs kids that do not participate in sports. They are also less likely to be involved in destructive habits.

Our primary goal is to use Basketball as a platform to academic and self excellence. Our secondary goal is to raise the competitive level of girls' basketball in Kansas and expose our female student athletes to the best women's basketball coaches and competition in the nation. We will achieve these goals by;

1. Develop and maintain a club, which promotes the game of basketball for girls.
2. Offer a program that focuses on basketball skills development, team play, basketball education, and positive club activities, in addition to providing club members with an opportunity to have fun!
3. To be financially sound and provide affordable membership to all those who are willing and able to make a commitment to our club.
4. Provide assistance to economically disadvantaged members who are willing to make a commitment to our club.
5. To promote family member’s involvement.
6. Provide coaching and use other resources that enhance player development.
7. Be an example of class and quality, conducting ourselves in an honorable and sportsmanlike manner.
8. Strive to seek out the strongest competition; strong competition helps the team/players improve and reveal our weaknesses.
9. To be a positive force in the local community by seeking out opportunities for community service.
10. To compete at the state and national level.
11. To find each athlete a college opportunity. 

· To have four girls’ basketball teams by year 2008.
· To have a developmental league for elementary age athletes.
· To sponsor a competitive basketball instructional camp for all ages.
· To receive grants and sponsorship to help fund the organization and its activities.


 

1. Parents, how can you help? The saying goes…”You can take a horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink”.
2. Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce the key concepts below, just like you do in school.
3. Set game goals and avoid providing an outlet for excuses.
4. Typical game goal for 10 minutes of court time – 3 rebounds, 3 steals/deflections/ Less than I turnover (20 per game for team = .5 per minute or 5 per 10 minute or 1per player for 10 mins).
5. Make sure she accounts for her time on the court – no excuses about not getting the ball.
6. Ask how you can help the team since your precious one is on the team.
7. Avoid player comparisons – what you see is not necessarily accurate. Players develop at different rates and contribute differently. Have a knowledgeable person watch her play if you need good unbiased feedback.
8. Set individual goals that you can track – (take her out to the backyard) track FGM/FGA, Left handed lay-ups, Vertical jump, FTM/FTA, Dribbling.
9. Make use of club shooting machine.

BALANCE – Have balance in your life. Learn to prioritize. School always comes first.

CARE – care for your teammates and respect them. Care for the players on the other team, do not play dangerously. Remember that to be first, somebody else has to be second. We need each other to compete. Come to practice even when you don’t feel like it- You will want your teammates at practice when you feel like practicing. Always be ready to help out.

POISE- Show poise in the face of adversity and/or pressure. Act like you have been there before – been there, done that.

PRESSURE – an opportunity to show greatness of team and self. Prepare for it.

PASSION –Nothing can stop you – if you don’t care about the result, then there is no point participating.

OWNERSHIP-take care of what you have, take care of your family and friends, take care of the ball. –take ownership of the team and be a leader.

STANDARDS – Keep the bar high – only the mediocre are always at their best.

SELFLESSNESS - Show selflessness. The team needs sacrifices from all its members

PRIDE – take pride in the effort. Take pride in your contribution.

TRUST - trust yourself, trust your teammates, trust your coaches. Take every criticism the right way

WILL- where there is a will, there is a way

WORK – It is a necessity if you want to improve. It is the secret ingredient to success. Nothing will work unless you do and you don’t get much done if you only work on the day you feel good

WINNING – Be worthy of winning – never let your body tell your mind that it is tired –in other words, if you want to play a 40 minute game, you have to prepare your body to go 40+ minutes. It is all in the preparation – games are won at practices and the great players never miss practice

RESPECT - respect the game, the other team, the officials and yourself – the game needs all of these parties before it can be played.
es Chats is a non-profit organization that is looking to help young girls that are interested in the game of basketball. We are located in Overland Park, Kansas.

Our main focus is on Teamwork, Individual Skill Development and pushing each player to maximize her ability. Our goal is to have each girl prepared for Varsity Basketball at the High School level, College, and beyond.