Mid-Valley Monarchs

Teams are chosen with several factors in mind: age, experience, talent level, team needs, and players' attitudes and work ethics. 

Players are charged only what it takes to run the Monarchs program.  Components of this cost include, but are not limited to, tournament fees, insurance costs, uniform and equipment costs, and administrative costs (website, printing costs, etc.).

Currently, the Monarchs program accepts payment by check or cash.  If payment is made by check or cash, a payment plan can be arranged.  We are working on a Visa payment option for the future.

The program will make travel arrangements for those players traveling without parents.  Arrangements can be made for families traveling with the team, as well, but parents are welcome to make their own travel plans.

Monarchs coaches are selected based on coaching experience, rapport with players, and alignment with the Monarchs philosophy.  Please visit our coaches page for more information.

No!  Coaches are not paid by the Monarchs program.  They are volunteers who love the game and want to share their knowledge and experience in order to help players achieve their goals.

We enter Monarchs teams in tournaments that both challenge them and provide them with the opportunity to succeed.

Practices are held in Salem and surrounding areas; the majority of practices are in the immediate Salem-Keizer area.  We strive to work with schools that will help us keep facility costs low. 

We welcome parents to travel with their daughters on our tournament trips but they are not required to do so. 

The Monarchs program is a non-profit organization that is able to keep costs to a minimum due to no coaching salaries or retained profits for owners.  We firmly believe, unlike most other programs in the region, that quality should not always have to cost more.  By any measure of success, whether it be scholarships earned, wins on the court, or life skill improvement, the Monarchs program easily meets or exceeds its competitors--for a fraction of the cost.

There is no guaranteed equal playing time at any level of the Monarchs.  However, all of our coaches strive to provide as much playing time for each player as possible.  Factors that can affect playing include: practice participation, attitude, work ethic, skill level, experience, and game match-ups. 

No.  The Monarchs program aims to help players and their high school teams, not act as a detriment to local school programs.  The Monarchs schedule is specifically split into two seasons, spring and summer, so that the month of June is left open for high school summer league.  We firmly believe that high school team commitments come first.

The college recruitment process varies depending on what division the university or college belongs to.  For example, coaches in the NCAA have different rules to follow than coaches in the NAIA.  Each year, Monarchs' coach Ron Hittner holds a recruiting informational session for whichever players and parents want to attend.  Coach Hittner is also willing to meet with families individually to go into more detail and help players understand the rules find the right fit for them personally.  If you belong to the program and are interested in such a meeting, please visit our contact page and send your inquiry.

Monarchs receive ample exposure, especially during the summer season.  The top college coaches frequent the national tournaments we attend every year.  Coaches from across the nation visit tournaments such as the Oregon City End of the Trail. Recruitment rules will be discussed with players before attending these tournaments.

The Monarchs program is designed to assist young women in becoming better basketball players and better people.  We are here to help the high school programs, not compete with them.  For some players, we also strive to help them reach their goal to play at the collegiate level.  This assistance includes recruiting advice, contacts, and other help in engaging college coaches.

Season length can vary depending on which team a player participates.  There are two distinct parts to the Monarchs season: the spring season and the summer season.  The spring season, in which all teams participate, runs from late March until Memorial Day weekend.  A few of the upper level teams participate in the summer season, which runs from late June to the end of July.  This enables players to still play for their high school summer league teams in June while gaining exposure during the college viewing periods in July.