The Top 100 Camp....Is it really for the exposure? Get a clue...
Let me start off by saying that if you read the title and believe that I'm about to write a bunch of bad things about anyone or do any type of "telling" then your sadly mistaken. In fact I wont even mention a name. Its just that I just continue to hear from various sources that mis management was one of the main reasons why the camp went so bad. And with More Than Basketball being the partnering entity I feel it is in the best interest of our Company to let the people know what the reality is.
First off lets start with what the facts are...
Fact 1.) EVERYONE CAN'T RUN EVENTS...WELL GOOD EVENTS THAT IS.
Contrary to what many people think or believe running high level events featuring some of the top talent not just regionally but nationally is not easy. And in this past year as I have stepped back from AAU to focus on high school events many who have tried have failed ...badly. Some had events that looked good but had minimal profit because good teams/players equals free teams/players which equals politics. The point is that these events take intelligence, savy, confidence, patience and the ability to think and decide in a hurry...oh yeah and I forgot swagg, it maybe most important. It also take the proper training and experience. People tell me all the time how surprised they are at my age and what I have been able to accomplish. But this is 10 years in the making. From throwing neighborhood 3 on 3's & 5 on 5's at 16 years of age with REAL OFFICIALS. To working summers and winters with the MCRD serving as the gym supervisor from age 17 until about 22. Then while at FAMU working various college camps & high level AAU events, shout out to Jimmy Salmons for the referral & opportunity. He was probably the only one of all the guys I came across who really saw it in me. Then Hoop Group at the age of 21 and the 2nd minority. Then Hoop Magic at 22, everyone said I was a fool, Chantilly was too far. And now I have my own at 24. So when someone who didn't finish high school, knows anything about reporting revenue made from events for tax purposes, waivers, trainers, proper registration forms, LLC or even a business bank account and works at Denny's how dare that person say that it was mis management. I have worked too hard to do this thing the "right way" earning stripes & paying dues.
Fact 2.) LETS NOT FORGET WHO ACTUALLY RUNS EVENTS FOR A LIVING AND WHO'S JUST A CAMERA MAN WITH A SITE
When we first brought the idea to them we were in the midst of the hottest fall league in the area and the weekend before so many parents were asking us if its worth missing a game in such a good league. That's when it hit me that I would take a week off from the league and give league participants a discount to boost the camp attendance. Lets not forget I had 18 teams (and charged at the door last year too) the list of teams is still up there to give you and idea of how many Chavez league participants were in camp. I ended up having to put a significant amount of money up for addition shirts, whistles, basketballs. etc to ensure that any event with my name on it would be run to the best of my abilities. Regardless if I just walked into an unprofessional mockery of the game of basketball and the craft of event operation. Then once we got there for setup I met the staff. I knew the majority of them so I was comfortable (there were far less than the 15 he told me he had, maybe because he told them he wasn't paying staff) but there was one guy and like I said no names but from the looks of things Lady Capitol Hoops may be even a bigger joke than the actual. And for those who were there and the many parents who complained about the partner of the company constantly being on joke time and showing favoritism. Let also not forget I brought another camera and cameraman because you weren't equipped to do the ONLY THING YOU CAN DO which is to record games on all courts. Did he ever mention who brought that clown who led the morning exercises and talked a bunch of motivational non sense. He was at Montrose but I think he's at DeMatha now. I did thinking it would make the camp look more official. And guess who had to pay him? You guessed correct cause although I think he's a joke he put on a good show...sort of like the circus. Or whose idea it was to sponsor the dunk contest and give away items from my clothing line which many of those kids still wear. So did the day start out rough...no doubt but look who and what I was working with.
WHEN YOU SIT UP IN THE BLEACHERS ALL DAY AND YOU SAY THAT WAS THE BETTER DAY THAT MEANS I SAVED YOUR CAMP.
At lunch break we had a meeting. Things were going so bad that I told him that he has to just fall back and let me handle things. I had to just treat the event like it was my own. Putting kids on new teams by grade and creating schedules off the top of my head and instead of having a coach per team I just had teams who weren't playing sit in the bleachers and I assigned each coach a bench and said don't move on with any team just stay at the bench I assigned to you and just coach who I send there. That will also help us evaluate for all stars and game MVP's. Don't believe me? Just ask a staff member or parent or kid. Ask Team Takeover if they are worried when I run events, ask DC Assault, Montrose, Gilbert Arenas, Nike Baltimore Elite. So this little camp doesn't compare. And as anyone knows things got MUCH better after lunch and on the second day.
THE AFTERMATH TELLS ALL TRUTHS...WHO CAN VAUCH FOR YOU? WHO STILL WANTS TO DEAL WITH YOU?
After camp was over staff kept asking me if they were getting paid. I replied that it wasn't my event I'm just running it. Capital Sports Complex did alot for us (printing, basketballs, etc) and were obviously done wrong because the camp isn't there this year but oddly enough my FALL HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE will be there the 23rd & 24th. I know tons of parents that I talk to at my fall league who says that the event is a joke and they won't be back. Oddly enough majority of my same teams are back down Chavez. So was MTB really the reason? What ever happened to the Student Athlete of the month? And you're for the kids huh...
NEW MANAGEMENT? OFFICIAL PARTNERS?
You say so much about new management and you've called one of my competitors you're Official Partner (and Keith Veney is a good dude but you know there's no friends in this business) but by you attaching yourself to someone else it limits your ability to do what your whole site stands for EVALUATING & EXPOSING AMATEUR TALENT. How can you do that when you pick and choose events not based on he talent but on your personal feelings for the person running it. Those other guys do the same thing (you know the Forest hiker, I shouldn't have said that cause we supposedly squashed it but I haven't seen him down Chavez so) but it hasn't hurt me . Cause at the end of the day you can't deny that we GET IT DONE...we consistently bring the best talent and are the most organized and the top basketball entities in our area can stamp that. If this year is suppose to be so much better why have you already changed the date twice? And now its the weekend before tryouts start? Do you really think kids want to risk injury? And where have you been promoting? Do you know how many people have caught on to your joke of a rankings and your old school site and stop going on there. How long ago did Takeover win the Peach Jam? You're still not done? Let me give you a tip ( you know not the $5 you're used after they pay the check, but some actual advice) Don't quit your day job boss Cause you're not gonna last long.
First off lets start with what the facts are...
Fact 1.) EVERYONE CAN'T RUN EVENTS...WELL GOOD EVENTS THAT IS.
Contrary to what many people think or believe running high level events featuring some of the top talent not just regionally but nationally is not easy. And in this past year as I have stepped back from AAU to focus on high school events many who have tried have failed ...badly. Some had events that looked good but had minimal profit because good teams/players equals free teams/players which equals politics. The point is that these events take intelligence, savy, confidence, patience and the ability to think and decide in a hurry...oh yeah and I forgot swagg, it maybe most important. It also take the proper training and experience. People tell me all the time how surprised they are at my age and what I have been able to accomplish. But this is 10 years in the making. From throwing neighborhood 3 on 3's & 5 on 5's at 16 years of age with REAL OFFICIALS. To working summers and winters with the MCRD serving as the gym supervisor from age 17 until about 22. Then while at FAMU working various college camps & high level AAU events, shout out to Jimmy Salmons for the referral & opportunity. He was probably the only one of all the guys I came across who really saw it in me. Then Hoop Group at the age of 21 and the 2nd minority. Then Hoop Magic at 22, everyone said I was a fool, Chantilly was too far. And now I have my own at 24. So when someone who didn't finish high school, knows anything about reporting revenue made from events for tax purposes, waivers, trainers, proper registration forms, LLC or even a business bank account and works at Denny's how dare that person say that it was mis management. I have worked too hard to do this thing the "right way" earning stripes & paying dues.
Fact 2.) LETS NOT FORGET WHO ACTUALLY RUNS EVENTS FOR A LIVING AND WHO'S JUST A CAMERA MAN WITH A SITE
When we first brought the idea to them we were in the midst of the hottest fall league in the area and the weekend before so many parents were asking us if its worth missing a game in such a good league. That's when it hit me that I would take a week off from the league and give league participants a discount to boost the camp attendance. Lets not forget I had 18 teams (and charged at the door last year too) the list of teams is still up there to give you and idea of how many Chavez league participants were in camp. I ended up having to put a significant amount of money up for addition shirts, whistles, basketballs. etc to ensure that any event with my name on it would be run to the best of my abilities. Regardless if I just walked into an unprofessional mockery of the game of basketball and the craft of event operation. Then once we got there for setup I met the staff. I knew the majority of them so I was comfortable (there were far less than the 15 he told me he had, maybe because he told them he wasn't paying staff) but there was one guy and like I said no names but from the looks of things Lady Capitol Hoops may be even a bigger joke than the actual. And for those who were there and the many parents who complained about the partner of the company constantly being on joke time and showing favoritism. Let also not forget I brought another camera and cameraman because you weren't equipped to do the ONLY THING YOU CAN DO which is to record games on all courts. Did he ever mention who brought that clown who led the morning exercises and talked a bunch of motivational non sense. He was at Montrose but I think he's at DeMatha now. I did thinking it would make the camp look more official. And guess who had to pay him? You guessed correct cause although I think he's a joke he put on a good show...sort of like the circus. Or whose idea it was to sponsor the dunk contest and give away items from my clothing line which many of those kids still wear. So did the day start out rough...no doubt but look who and what I was working with.
WHEN YOU SIT UP IN THE BLEACHERS ALL DAY AND YOU SAY THAT WAS THE BETTER DAY THAT MEANS I SAVED YOUR CAMP.
At lunch break we had a meeting. Things were going so bad that I told him that he has to just fall back and let me handle things. I had to just treat the event like it was my own. Putting kids on new teams by grade and creating schedules off the top of my head and instead of having a coach per team I just had teams who weren't playing sit in the bleachers and I assigned each coach a bench and said don't move on with any team just stay at the bench I assigned to you and just coach who I send there. That will also help us evaluate for all stars and game MVP's. Don't believe me? Just ask a staff member or parent or kid. Ask Team Takeover if they are worried when I run events, ask DC Assault, Montrose, Gilbert Arenas, Nike Baltimore Elite. So this little camp doesn't compare. And as anyone knows things got MUCH better after lunch and on the second day.
THE AFTERMATH TELLS ALL TRUTHS...WHO CAN VAUCH FOR YOU? WHO STILL WANTS TO DEAL WITH YOU?
After camp was over staff kept asking me if they were getting paid. I replied that it wasn't my event I'm just running it. Capital Sports Complex did alot for us (printing, basketballs, etc) and were obviously done wrong because the camp isn't there this year but oddly enough my FALL HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE will be there the 23rd & 24th. I know tons of parents that I talk to at my fall league who says that the event is a joke and they won't be back. Oddly enough majority of my same teams are back down Chavez. So was MTB really the reason? What ever happened to the Student Athlete of the month? And you're for the kids huh...
NEW MANAGEMENT? OFFICIAL PARTNERS?
You say so much about new management and you've called one of my competitors you're Official Partner (and Keith Veney is a good dude but you know there's no friends in this business) but by you attaching yourself to someone else it limits your ability to do what your whole site stands for EVALUATING & EXPOSING AMATEUR TALENT. How can you do that when you pick and choose events not based on he talent but on your personal feelings for the person running it. Those other guys do the same thing (you know the Forest hiker, I shouldn't have said that cause we supposedly squashed it but I haven't seen him down Chavez so) but it hasn't hurt me . Cause at the end of the day you can't deny that we GET IT DONE...we consistently bring the best talent and are the most organized and the top basketball entities in our area can stamp that. If this year is suppose to be so much better why have you already changed the date twice? And now its the weekend before tryouts start? Do you really think kids want to risk injury? And where have you been promoting? Do you know how many people have caught on to your joke of a rankings and your old school site and stop going on there. How long ago did Takeover win the Peach Jam? You're still not done? Let me give you a tip ( you know not the $5 you're used after they pay the check, but some actual advice) Don't quit your day job boss Cause you're not gonna last long.
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