HS Season tip off... a culmination of the hustle!!!
The High School basketball season is finally here. Although we run events year round the actual high school season is something different. Why you ask? There are a few reasons...
REASON ONE: ANY EVENT OUTSIDE OF THE SEASON HAS THAT AAU FEEL TO IT
As many of you all probably know my claim to fame in basketball was running AAU events. But since the inception of More Than Basketball we have put more of an emphasis on high school events and in fact our season showcases have become the staple of our notoriety and success.
The reason we even decided to step almost completely away from AAU among other reasons was the lack of integrity. Mainly from the teams, parents and players in the area. 19 year old kids playing 15U, coaches fighting refs or other coaches, parents hating on other players on the team or having intimate relationships with the coaches to give their kids an advantage. And I won't even begin to discuss what happens on the road.
Now don't get me wrong I know the unwritten code of conduct about things I can and can not speak on because I'm no angel myself and I definitely have done and do things that might be frowned upon by others but I do reserve the right to remove myself and move on to something with a bit more integrity. Remember I said "a bit" cause high school hoops has alot of its own issues as well. The major difference being the emphasis on education.
And as I have said time and time before Curtis Malone has done A LOT of great things for kids, coaches and parents that he doesn't even speak on. Letting kids stay with him, getting his coaches college jobs and even purchasing plane tickets for parents. Not to mention years and years of monetary assistance. He was and still is someone I look up to in the business but even he has taken a step back and let others handle things.
REASON TWO: THE AAU MARKET IS OVER SATURATED
With guys like Curtis stepping back and making room for others it brought about a lot of good and bad. Not to mention people seeing the things I was doing at Hoop Magic at the tender age of 21 everyone and their mama decided that the administrative side of basketball was "easy" and involved minimal education or ability to make happen. Why? I have no idea but tournaments began popping up all over the place. Former coaches, trainers and parents of players decided to pursue a career in event operation which is fine BUT the part that is not fine is that they didn't take the time to get proper training or knowledge they just decided to do it and learn on the fly. WHICH IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER DISRESPECT TO THE GAME!!!
Everyone starting running tournaments without trainers, which is the ultimate thumbs down. Teams weren't showing up or dropping out. They were having to change the schedule on the fly and just showed that they had no business in the business.
The political aspect took a whole new level when it came to who was in whose pool or who played who out of pool play etc. Not to mention the increasing number of teams. Its like every parent who thinks their kids won't have an opportunity just starts their own team. Or they might just start their own team so they can get the fees from parents and run piss poor camps and get the kids in their programs to attend. They pray on parents who don't know better and sell a pipe dream to kids who will NEVER play college basketball and if they did wouldn't be going to school for free.
In a nutshell people's inability to stay in their lane forced people to have bad experiences and made a bad name for everyone HOOP MAGIC INCLUDED. Some say in a weird way that I'm responsible because if I wasn't so young and so good at it and able to attract top players like John wall they would have never thought it was possible so .... I APOLOGIZE.
As for assault as far as scheduling and running of the teams were concerned they didn't miss a beat but their product began getting watered down because they allowed people to attach the Assault name to poorly operated events. And I'll leave it like that cause they are known to take things waaaaaay out of proportion and there is a special someone in the Assault family that I don't want to take the wrong way.
REASON THREE: OUR ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASES ARE THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF MTB
Here are the events and event details, as you can see our momentum and reputation are solid and we are 5 or more years from 30. As opposed to our competitors who said hi to 30 8-15 years ago.
WINTER SHOWCASE
Games to be played at...
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
14000 Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD 20715-9465
www.bowiestate.edu
DECEMBER 18, 2010-
THE UPTOWN HOOPFEST
Games to be played at...
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
125 Michigan Ave NE Washington, DC 20017
www.trinitydc.edu
JANUARY 8, 2011-
Noon: HD Woodson girls vs Riverdale Baptist (MD) girls
1:40pm: Polytech (DE) vs Atlantic Shores (VA)
3:20pm: National Christian (MD) vs Friends Central (PA)
5pm: Bishop McNamara (MD) vs Bullis School (MD)
6:40pm: Princeton Day (MD) vs Flora MacDonald (NC)
8:20pm: Calvin Coolidge vs Montrose Christian (MD)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
MORE THAN BASKETBALL MID-SEASON SHOWCASE
Games to be played at...
TAKOMA ACADEMY
8120 Carroll Avenue Takoma Park, Maryland 20912
(301) 434-4700
www. class="f">ta.edu/
FEBRUARY, 20 2011
4pm: Takoma Academy vs. Montrose Christian (JV game)
5:30pm: Princeton Day vs. Blueridge School (VA)
7:30pm: Takoma Academy vs. Montrose Christian School
REASON FOUR: THEY ARE STUDENT ATHLETES AND THE HS SEASON ENSURES THAT
With their being no eligibility rule as far as grades wise AAU lacks a sense of educational values. So many more kids are not qualifying going to JUCO's or just not playing at all. Others have the skill to play at the large institutions but lack the discipline or ability to handle the work load. High School is the opposite no grades no plays and there is zero tolerance. I graduated from FAMU and I know what it takes to walk that stage. So here we are, set to go into another season, excited about these events we have coming up looking forward to seeing the talent we have on display.
REASON ONE: ANY EVENT OUTSIDE OF THE SEASON HAS THAT AAU FEEL TO IT
As many of you all probably know my claim to fame in basketball was running AAU events. But since the inception of More Than Basketball we have put more of an emphasis on high school events and in fact our season showcases have become the staple of our notoriety and success.
The reason we even decided to step almost completely away from AAU among other reasons was the lack of integrity. Mainly from the teams, parents and players in the area. 19 year old kids playing 15U, coaches fighting refs or other coaches, parents hating on other players on the team or having intimate relationships with the coaches to give their kids an advantage. And I won't even begin to discuss what happens on the road.
Now don't get me wrong I know the unwritten code of conduct about things I can and can not speak on because I'm no angel myself and I definitely have done and do things that might be frowned upon by others but I do reserve the right to remove myself and move on to something with a bit more integrity. Remember I said "a bit" cause high school hoops has alot of its own issues as well. The major difference being the emphasis on education.
And as I have said time and time before Curtis Malone has done A LOT of great things for kids, coaches and parents that he doesn't even speak on. Letting kids stay with him, getting his coaches college jobs and even purchasing plane tickets for parents. Not to mention years and years of monetary assistance. He was and still is someone I look up to in the business but even he has taken a step back and let others handle things.
REASON TWO: THE AAU MARKET IS OVER SATURATED
With guys like Curtis stepping back and making room for others it brought about a lot of good and bad. Not to mention people seeing the things I was doing at Hoop Magic at the tender age of 21 everyone and their mama decided that the administrative side of basketball was "easy" and involved minimal education or ability to make happen. Why? I have no idea but tournaments began popping up all over the place. Former coaches, trainers and parents of players decided to pursue a career in event operation which is fine BUT the part that is not fine is that they didn't take the time to get proper training or knowledge they just decided to do it and learn on the fly. WHICH IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER DISRESPECT TO THE GAME!!!
Everyone starting running tournaments without trainers, which is the ultimate thumbs down. Teams weren't showing up or dropping out. They were having to change the schedule on the fly and just showed that they had no business in the business.
The political aspect took a whole new level when it came to who was in whose pool or who played who out of pool play etc. Not to mention the increasing number of teams. Its like every parent who thinks their kids won't have an opportunity just starts their own team. Or they might just start their own team so they can get the fees from parents and run piss poor camps and get the kids in their programs to attend. They pray on parents who don't know better and sell a pipe dream to kids who will NEVER play college basketball and if they did wouldn't be going to school for free.
In a nutshell people's inability to stay in their lane forced people to have bad experiences and made a bad name for everyone HOOP MAGIC INCLUDED. Some say in a weird way that I'm responsible because if I wasn't so young and so good at it and able to attract top players like John wall they would have never thought it was possible so .... I APOLOGIZE.
As for assault as far as scheduling and running of the teams were concerned they didn't miss a beat but their product began getting watered down because they allowed people to attach the Assault name to poorly operated events. And I'll leave it like that cause they are known to take things waaaaaay out of proportion and there is a special someone in the Assault family that I don't want to take the wrong way.
REASON THREE: OUR ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASES ARE THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF MTB
Here are the events and event details, as you can see our momentum and reputation are solid and we are 5 or more years from 30. As opposed to our competitors who said hi to 30 8-15 years ago.
WINTER SHOWCASE
Games to be played at...
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
14000 Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD 20715-9465
www.bowiestate.edu
DECEMBER 18, 2010-
12:00pm: Suitland vs Southern
2:00pm: Frederick Douglass vs Spingarn (DC)
4:00pm: Riverdale Baptist vs Polytech (DE)
6:00pm: Friendly vs St. Mary's Ryken
8:00pm: Bishop McNamara vs Eleanor Roosevelt
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE UPTOWN HOOPFEST
Games to be played at...
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
125 Michigan Ave NE Washington, DC 20017
www.trinitydc.edu
JANUARY 8, 2011-
Noon: HD Woodson girls vs Riverdale Baptist (MD) girls
1:40pm: Polytech (DE) vs Atlantic Shores (VA)
3:20pm: National Christian (MD) vs Friends Central (PA)
5pm: Bishop McNamara (MD) vs Bullis School (MD)
6:40pm: Princeton Day (MD) vs Flora MacDonald (NC)
8:20pm: Calvin Coolidge vs Montrose Christian (MD)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
MORE THAN BASKETBALL MID-SEASON SHOWCASE
Games to be played at...
TAKOMA ACADEMY
8120 Carroll Avenue Takoma Park, Maryland 20912
(301) 434-4700
www.
FEBRUARY, 20 2011
4pm: Takoma Academy vs. Montrose Christian (JV game)
5:30pm: Princeton Day vs. Blueridge School (VA)
7:30pm: Takoma Academy vs. Montrose Christian School
REASON FOUR: THEY ARE STUDENT ATHLETES AND THE HS SEASON ENSURES THAT
With their being no eligibility rule as far as grades wise AAU lacks a sense of educational values. So many more kids are not qualifying going to JUCO's or just not playing at all. Others have the skill to play at the large institutions but lack the discipline or ability to handle the work load. High School is the opposite no grades no plays and there is zero tolerance. I graduated from FAMU and I know what it takes to walk that stage. So here we are, set to go into another season, excited about these events we have coming up looking forward to seeing the talent we have on display.
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