Atlanta Select: A Record Set. Select Nation NEWS, Monday, June 29, 2015

The Atlanta Select Basketball Association is in competition with itself. The goal is to do better than we have in the past. Whether it is to improve the skills of our student athletes or set records in achievement of organizational goals. Yes, we compete with other organization in tournaments, not so much to beat them down but to see if the skill levels of our student athletes are getting better. As our teams approach the ending of the 2015 AAU season we examine to see if we are better than we were yesteryear.

Yes we are!!!

This is our tenth year of operations. We were organized in 2005, a few months after Hurricane Katrina. Our goal was to have 3 Atlanta Select teams with about 30 - 40 student athletes and coaches. Each year we grew, until this current year we have over 30 teams with approximately 425 student athletes and coaches. Each year we have increased the number of student athletes qualifying for post high school athletic and academic achievement. In a review of our "Current NEWS" articles you would see our growth and achievement over the years. You are invited to review and decide for your self. We are confident that we are getting better and better.

A milestone in trophies earned!!!

In the belief that "a man or woman must have a goal" we have set a goal of the number of trophies the organization should earned each season. The basic goal, that a team should play in at least eight tournaments per season and earn a chance to play in the championship game in three of those eight tournaments, resulting in a success record of 38%. With a projection of 33 Select teams participating this season the organizational trophy goal was 3 times 33 or 99 trophies to be earned by September 1, 2015. We did better than that by achieving that goal by June 1, 2015. We established a new goal to achieve more trophies than have ever been earned by the organization, bypassing the previous goal of 121 achieved in the 2013/14 season.

We have done it, two months before the deadline of Sept 1, 2015!!!

"127"

Coach Baskerville/Coach G - 9U Team SYNERGY Select = 15

Coach Johnson - 14U COLLEGE Bound = 11
Coach Ferrell - 16U RED Elite = 9

Coach Chan - 10U BLACK 2023 = 8

Coach McCrae - 13U Lady Select RED = 8

Coaches Keown & Elston - 11u BLACK 2022 = 7

Coach Woods - 13U - COLLEGE Bound = 6
Coach Simmons - 8U Select 94 Feet = 6
Coach Frazier - 13U SILVER = 6

Coach Jackson - 8U SOUTH SIDE = 5
Coach T. Hill - 16U SILVER = 5

Coach Krantz - 9U Select Roswell Bombers = 5

Coach Gates - 17U BLACK (Gates) = 4

Coach Burton - 15U RED = 4

Coach Lawson - 12U RED = 3
Coach Mandeldove - 9U Lady Select BLACK Diamond = 3
Coach Mandeldove - 8U Lady Select BLACK Future = 3
Coach Harris - 10U SILVER = 3

Coach Wallace - 14U Team VISION - 2

Coach Thompson/Coach Stephens - 14U BLACK Elite = 2

Coach Ricker - 16U CLASSIC = 2

Coach E. Hill - 16U BLACK = 2

Coach Hines - 14U READY = 2

Coach Shepherd - 8U PUNISHERS = 1

Coach JayBee - 17U PRIME = 1

Coach AC Christopher - 15U SILVER = 1

Coach Mays - 17U BLACK (Mays) = 1

Coach G. Glenn - 17U PRO = 1

Coach Hall - 14U PRIME = 1

Eight trophies were earned last weekend with the top achievement going to the Mighty 14U COLLEGE Bound with Head Coach Michael Johnson. The team earned third place at the USSSA National tournament at Cocoa Beach Florida. the team was 4 - 1, defeating the number one seeded team in the quarter-finals. Ran out of steam and losing in the semi-finals, but an outstanding achievement. Kudos to all.

Our youngest boys team and new to the organization in the last couple of month, the 8U Select 94 Feet, who will be called the Mighty Atlanta Select Future Stars, earned Runner-up status at the Junior Prep South tournament. A major achievement as they played up in the 9u division. Congratulations to Head Coach Maurice Simmons and his Mighty Select Nation team.

Our youngest ladies, the Mighty 8u Lady Select BLACK Future and 9u Lady Select BLACK Diamond won championships . The BLACK Future faced the Georgia Edge, a team that beat them on Saturday, but the outcome on Sunday was different. They were champions. The BLACK Diamond rumbled with the Georgia Pistols and won in overtime in the championship game. They showed a lot of grit coming from behind to take the win. Congratulations to Head Coach Mandeldove and his mighty ladies.

They just keep rolling along racking up trophies after trophies en route to their National tournaments. The Mighty 13u SILVER with Head Coach Frazier. The team was runner-up at the Playmakers United Tune Up tournament. They lost 47 - 49 in the championship game. You can hurry up and believe that they are playing hard and will be a force to be reckon with at the nationals. Congratulations.

Getting off to a late start but making up time fast is the Mighty 10u SILVER with Head Coach Raynal Harris. The team has earned a trophy in their last 3 tournaments. Second place in a tournament held at New Birth. Congratulations to the team that is improving weekly, true to the statement of striving to be better than yesterday.

Four Select Nation 16u teams participated in the PrimeTime Sports tournament at SSA last weekend. They were bound to face each other and they finished the tournament with 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th place results. The Mighty 16u SILVER with Coach T. Hill earned second place, the Mighty 16u RED Elite with Coach Odell Ferrell earned 3d place, the Mighty 16u BLACK with Coach Mike Harris coaching earned 4th place and the Mighty 16u CLASSIC with Head Coach Ricker earned 5th place. Trophies were awarded to 2d and 3d place finishers. It was a joy experiencing the teams playing each other. They all proved that they are ready for the NCAA certified tournaments next month.