Idaho Stags is a basketball club located in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, dedicated to the development of competitive players and teams. Idaho Stags embraces sound team basketball philosophy while pursuing elite individual skill development. We challenge players to reach their full potential as a player and as a person.
3rd-8th Grade Tryouts.
Join Our 2025-2026 3rd-8th Grade Tryout Teams!
Tryouts for our 2025-2026 fall and winter basketball season will be held on August 9th, 2025! Our teams focus on skill development and fundamentals to help every player improve and grow.
Teams will compete in Crash the Boards, TVAC Power League, and other top-tier tournaments, playing two monthly tournaments on Fridays and Saturdays. Each team has a dedicated coach who selects the best tournaments to match the team’s development goals.
Our club practices will primarily be held in Nampa, Idaho, at Mettle Sports, Skyview High School, the Salvation Army, and other available gym spaces. Players from all over the Treasure Valley are encouraged to participate.
⚡ Tryouts are August 9th, 2025, and registration is open!
If you can’t make tryouts, we encourage you to attend a skill development session beforehand to be considered. Spots are limited due to gym space and coaching availability, so don’t wait—sign up today!
LATEST NEWS.
In-Process:
🏀 General Items:
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AAU Membership: Please update your AAU Membership between September 1st and the start of practice.
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Team Communication and Schedules: Watch for messages from your coach within TeamSnap
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Tryouts have concluded. Registration is now open for players who receive a direct invitation from a team coach.
🏀 AAU Membership & Reporting Requirements:
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All players and coaches must obtain and maintain an active AAU Membership.
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Players should choose the 'Youth Athlete' option, while coaches should select the 'Non-Athlete - Coaches' membership.
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Register or renew your membership: (Register AAU Here).
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Link your AAU membership to the '2025 - Idaho Stags' club with the code W3FY3C.
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Players must confirm their membership before participating in any practice.
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Players report and verify their membership by entering their AAU Membership number in the "AAU Membership Number" field on their TeamSnap Roster.
🏀 TeamSnap:
We use TeamSnap for player profiles, team rosters, schedules, camp and clinic signups, dues, and payments. Here are guides for getting started with TeamSnap:
ABOUT THE CLUB.
Idaho Stags is a premier basketball club located in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, dedicated to the development of competitive players and teams. Idaho Stags embraces sound team basketball philosophy while pursuing elite individual skill development. We challenge players to reach their full potential as a player and as a person.
The foundational pillars of the club are Unity, Humility, Passion, Thankfulness, and Servanthood. The club’s founder, Ricky Bower, learned these pillars while playing for the legendary coach, Dick Bennett, at the University of Wisconsin. Ricky was recruited to Wisconsin by Dick Bennett’s son, Tony Bennett, who now coaches at the University of Virginia. Ricky’s college basketball experience makes the club uniquely situated to help Idaho youth prepare for and get to the next level.
The Idaho Stags place special emphasis on shooting and dedicate one night a week to the development of this skill (in addition to two team practices). For most teams, this shooting workout is conducted by the club’s founder, Ricky Bower, who set multiple 3-point shooting records in college. Ricky recognizes this skill as essential for Idaho youth who desire to play college basketball.
Idaho Stags has begun using the Mettle Sports facility. This new relationship allows our players to receive speed and agility training from certified trainers in the same facility where basketball practice is held. This summer, our players have the opportunity to participate in speed and agility training directly followed by 3-on-3 basketball. We anticipate that speed and agility training will become a permanent component of our program, offering our boys an opportunity to maximize their athleticism.
The club began in 2017 and has grown quickly, now hosting competitive and developmental teams for 3rd-12th grade boys. In addition to the competitive teams, the club offers ongoing skill development sessions for the aspiring player. For further information, please contact Ricky at idahostags@gmail.com.
Unity.
Humility.
Passion.
Thankfulness.
Servanthood.
