My daughter loved Hoop Code when she first started. She was a brand new player with limited skills, looking for a place to welcome her, build her up, and help her reach new levels as a player. The whole idea of it, all the opportunities for training and "practice" really sold us in the beginning. The camps are amazing but when it comes to the actual basketball season and girl code - it's a different story.
It was her first season of 5th/6th black and her first few games where I noticed coach Jordan being very kind to her but borderline verbally annihilating other girls on the team who had been on the team longer. He would scream at these two girls in particular the entire game. Yelling, screaming, wild hand gestures. The girls looked like they were about to cry by the end of the game. I figured it was just because they were more seasoned so expectations were higher.
It wasn't until those girls left that my daughter became the new target. After losing every single game by A LOT - the coaching never got any better and my daughter ended up being the one who was being annihilated during games by coach Jordan. It was her literal FIRST SEASON EVER and she was being told she "used to be the best player and was now the worst" - he would turn around to cuss at them asking first if parents could see him before he would lay into them.
It was absolutely insane. He would show up to games and sit in the bleachers waiting for it to start - not making any contact with the team until then. One time he showed up so late we thought we wouldn't have a coach at all. By the end of the season the girls had some female coaches who would be there sometimes but when coach Jordan was there - he was in charge.
Now this brings me to the hoop code girl code practices - don't expect the girls to actually play basketball at all during practice for girl code if they are on 5th/6th black. Instead they will practice box 1 and box 2 over and over and over again. And then when it comes to game time - the girls won't even know how to do it because they haven't learned the basics of basketball.
After being incredibly let down by what we thought would be a promising program, I realized 5th/6th black is just where they throw any new girl that joins, not caring if they get better or not. Instead they put all the coaching and resources into the national teams - the girls who are already very talented and don't need to start from the ground up with their skills. The girls on 5th/6th black are just cash cows to support all the resources given to the national teams.
By season 2, coach Jordan wasn't even showing up to practices but would still coach every game and scream at the kids just for them to lose and then be blamed for losing when the coaching was absolutely a joke for their age and skill level. Not to mention, season 2 started with a whole new group of brand new girls who couldn't even dribble because in girl code, everyone makes a team. They just won't tell you - if you're not not good enough for national teams there's only one other option.
My overall conclusion: if your girl is newer to basketball and has the drive to become better but needs the instruction, patience, and encouragement from their coach - DO NOT JOIN HOOP CODE GIRL CODE.
If your girl is already amazing player - by all means have them try out and if they make the national team, stay there.
When you ask coach Sean if there is a difference between national teams and 5th/6th black he will tell you there isn't but there is a CLEAR difference between the two. One gets all the best coaches and the other gets the scraps.
To coach Sean - if you want Girl Code to be successful long term - care more about your green players, tell coach Jordan to stop humiliating 10 yr old girls at games, and ask people why they are pulling their kids out of girl code. Sure the national teams are great - but what happens when they grow out of the program? Who's left? Invest in coaching more girls up in your organization because I'm sure you're missing out on some raw talent that just needs a little polishing. read more