Coaches, Team Parent Coordinators, Players and Friends,
Another successful weekend.
I encourage all of you to visit our web site, Facebook page and twitter if you are connected. Click on the "Current NEWS" or Coaches, Teams and Activities to receive an update on what is going on within the nation. A quarter of a million visitors have clicked on our web site and you need to add to that number. Visitors are checking us out and you need to know what they are seeing and reading. We are trying to promote our organization and I guess it is working. Everyday I receive calls about Atlanta Select, looking for a team or just questions about AAU. I do my best to answer all calls and direct many of them to you.
This past weekend was the first NCAA Certified period for the season. In two weeks we will have another. Plan for it now. Please do not get caught short.
Start planning your tournaments for the remaining of the month. Bob Gibbons is coming up fast. Many of you want to participate. Plan to register this week. All teams should plan to play this coming weekend.
We found out about a fraudulent organization that promised a new and exciting Exposure tour for teams. The Elevate Basketball Circuit. Coach Burton and Coach Morris had signed up based on a smooth selling story but in the end were bamboozled. We will take efforts to make sure that refunds are received. Or we will raise hell.
Another team, Coach JayBee and his Mighty 17U PRIME was treated as third classed citizens by another organization. Feel free to call him to tell you how he and his parents and players were treated. Shame. Another team (Coach Frazier and his Mighty 13u SILVER team) that played in the same tournament, was treated better. I leave it up to you to make a decision on what tournament you which to play. Do your homework. At present I have not placed any organization off limits. Not yet.
As mentioned above we had another successful weekend. Twenty two teams played and five teams brought home trophies. However, every team that played last weekend performed well. Only two team did not win a game, but most teams finished in the top tier of teams that played.
Kudos to our youngest team, the Mighty 8U SouthSide with Coach Jackson. They had to play up in the 9U YBOA grouping, were defeated by their older brothers, SYNERGY Select, but held their own against the other teams in their pool.
Kudos to our oldest team, the Mighty 18U/Unsigned Seniors PREEMINENT with Coach Hansbrough and Mrs. Maddox. They were 2 -1 in the HoopSeen ATL Jam. I saw them on Friday night and they were impressive in the win.
The PREEMINENT took some time off between games and visited Lake Lanier.
Congrats to Coaches Larry Thompson and Patrick Stephens with the Mighty 14U BLACK Elite earned a third place finish at the HoopSeen Atl Jam.
Congrats to Coach Elliot Hill and the Mighty 16U BLACK team on their third place finish in the Sweet 16 division at the On The Radar Showcase.
Congrats to Coach Ricker and his Mighty 16U CLASSIC finished fifth at the ON The Radar Showcase in the GOLD Division.
Congrats to all the other teams in the NCAA Certified tournaments.
Coach Mays and the Mighty 17u BLACK above.
Coach Glenn and his Mighty 17u PRO above.
Coach JayBee Brown and his Mighty 17u PRIME above.
Coach Gates and his Mighty 17u BLACK (Gates) above.
Congrats to all the Select teams that played this weekend. I may not have mentioned you but keep playing, keep pushing. Your day will come.
Now the Trophy Winners.
The Mighty 13u Lady Select RED with Coaches McCrae and McCadney, champions in the AAU Super Regional, earning a bid to the AAU Nationals. The Trophy leader from last season is on a roll again, winning a trophy in every tournament that they have played. They earned 12 last season, number 2 already this season and they just got started a couple of weeks ago. I have challenge all the other teams to not let those ladies catch them in the Trophy Count. Why, Because these ladies are for real.
The Mighty 9u SYNERGY Select with Coaches G and Baskerville, champions in the YBOA Marietta Shootout. This team is the trophy leader this season and are determine not to be caught. They BADD.
Check out a video of highlights from the SYNERGY Select Marietta Shootout at the link below:
https://youtu.be/HYJixJqN4PI
The Mighty 11u BLACK 2022 with Coaches Keown and Elston, AAU State Champions. Six and 0 in tournament play. Defeating all teams by an average margin of 31 points. I saw them on Saturday. All I can say. I am glad they are Select!!!
The Mighty 13u SILVER with Coaches Frazier and Winfield, Champions at the D1Spects Atlanta Invitational. Quietly they are just putting teams away. Yes, they are on a roll.
They made the ALL -Tournament team
- Evan Sullivan, Jaylen Brown, Tremayrios McPherson, Kevin Brown
The Mighty 14U COLLEGE Bound with Coaches Johnson and Woods, Trophy Winner, because they were 3 -1 in tournament play at an EXPOSURE Event. I spelled that out last week, do not ask questions. The team played in Nashville TN at the King James Invitational. Particularly noteworthy, they defeated one of King James named team. Bragging rights. They were 3 - 0 in pool play but lost in the Elite Eight.
A shoutout to all the parents that traveled to Nashville to support the team.
The Trophy Count is 45.
Coach Baskerville/Coach G - 9U Team SYNERGY Select = 7
Coach Johnson - 14U COLLEGE Bound = 6
Coaches Keown & Elston - 11U Black 2022 = 5
Coach Jackson - 8U SOUTH SIDE = 4
Coach Chan - 10U BLACK 2023 = 3
Coach T. Hill - 16U SILVER = 3
Coach Lawson - 12U RED = 2
Coach Woods - 13U COLLEGE Bound = 2
Coach Gates - 17U BLACK (Gates) = 2
Coach Thompson & Stephens - 14U BLACK Elite = 2
Coach Ferrell - 16U RED Elite = 2
Coach Frazier - 13U SILVER = 2
Coach McCrae - 13U Lady Select RED = 2
Coach Shepherd - 8U PUNISHERS = 1
Coach JayBee - 17U PRIME = 1
Coach AC Christopher - 15U SILVER = 1
Can we reach 50 next weekend, the halfway point of our goal of 100? Why Not? Just Go Select!!!
Several school districts will begin mandatory testing this week. Please keep this in mind and limit your practices. Education comes first.
Have you check to see what "Life Skills" subjects you should be talking about this month? Check the web site or your Coaches Handbook. Just Do It.
Coach Hill and I had lunch at Dugan's last week. Boy the chicken wings were great. We had not been there in several years.
I have the opportunity to look across the entire organization and see what you are doing. Yes, I am glad to be a Select!!!
SYNERGY
Coach Z.
Just Go Select!!!
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