Shooting Stars Travel Basketball


icSports Shooting Stars offers travel basketball for the following age groups:

  • Girls 5-6th Grade
  • Boys 5-6th Grade
  • Girls Middle School
  • Boys Middle School
  • Girls High School
  • Boys High School


As a reminder, tryouts for our 2025 Spring/Summer Shooting Stars travel basketball program are coming up per the schedule below.

  • Location:

Immanuel Church Gym

2300 N Dilleys Road, Gurnee, IL


  • Grades 7-8 Boys: Friday, February 21: 8:00pm-9:30pm
  • Grades 7-8 Girls: Friday, February 28: 8:00pm-9:30pm
  • Grades 9-12 Girls: Thursday, March 6: 5:30pm-7:30pm
  • Grades 9-12 Boys: Thursday, March 6: 7:30pm-9:30pm
  • Note: Number of teams, team assignments and team age ranges will be determined based on tryout results. The age groups above are simply tryout groupings. Their grade is based on the 2024-25 school year.
  • If your player is interested in playing for Shooting Stars but cannot attend the tryouts, please notify us immediately to discuss other tryout arrangements.

 

The travel season will run from early April through June. Practices will be held at Immanuel Church’s gym and other local facilities. Tournaments will be local travel only and will be on Saturdays.

 

We understand that some may try out and not make the team, but we hope that anyone trying out understands that this is a different type of program from our normal Open Leagues.

 

These teams will represent icSports as we travel and play in other communities. Character, attitude, respect and self-control are qualities expected to be exhibited by our Shooting Stars players. To follow suit with other icSports programs, practices will also include a short devotional.

 

Commitment: With limited practice nights and times, players on these teams need to be committed to the team and make attendance at practices and tournaments a priority. Attendance and participation will affect playing time; chronic absences could result in removal from the team and forfeiture of player fees.

Please note: The travel team season coincides with the end of the school year and summer break from school. This means players will have school requirements/events and family travel/vacations, and we fully understand that. Scheduled vacation time (unless chronic) is not a problem and not grounds for penalty. We do ask that you inform us as soon as possible regarding planned absences so that we can plan and schedule accordingly. 

 

DETAILS: Details are still being finalized. The following is subject to change:

  • Cost: $775 (Returning players from 2024 can save $175 by using their same uniform and gear from last season. Uniforms and gear will be updated next year.)
  • Full regulation basketball uniforms and team gear
  • 6-7 Tournaments (2 to 3 games each)
  • Travel will be almost exclusively local (Waukegan Fieldhouse/Aquatic Center and the Pleasant Prairie RecPlex) but, if a great opportunity presents itself, could extend to Chicago, Joliet, Naperville or Milwaukee.
  • Transportation will not be provided. No overnight stays.
  • Playing time: Our goal is a minimum of 25% of seasonal game minutes for all players (excluding game absences). Although playing time will be merit-based and will not be equal, no player will sign up to simply sit the bench. Minutes will be tracked to help ensure that, outside of attendance-related issues, players achieve the minimum 25%.
  • The 25% playing time minimum is in place to ensure that players get the opportunity to play. Individual playing time will go up and down throughout the season based on attendance at practice, individual performance, comprehension and application of team concepts, and attitude.
  • Absences result in reduced team unity, lack of instructional/strategic understanding and team continuity. Players who miss practices (other than for planned vacation time) should not expect to play as much as players who attended practices.
  • Team size: 10 players.
  • Score keeping: Travel teams are responsible to provide scorekeepers and clock operators at all tournament games. Each player’s parents are expected to handle this responsibility for a minimum of one complete tournament during the season. Parents can opt out of this responsibility for a fee of $75 so that we can hire and pay someone to handle those responsibilities.
  • There is no charge for tryouts, but players must register to attend tryouts. To register, email Laurie Cessna at: [email protected] and include the name(s) of your player(s) and their current grade in school. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please assume we did not receive your registration email.

 

Nathaniel "Nato" Cessna, icSports Associate Director, will oversee the Shooting Stars program. If you have any questions, please contact Nato at [email protected].