What a great first tournament!! As a whole our entire 7th grade group played very well. We showed tremendous resolve and heart, we played hard every second of every game, we played as a team and always showed support and encouragement for each other. I could not be prouder of the of the effort, teamwork, team spirit, and the manner in which we carried ourselves, especially during the tough stretches. I will go over the weekend for both teams in a broad stroke, we will go more in-depth as the season goes on and the teams learn more and I can praise the little details with better understanding. So the White team is up first:
White team, 1-2 record, going into our 1st game together as a team, I mean for many of us this was our first time putting the uniform on, on top of that we only had 6 & then 7 players so we knew it would be a challenging weekend. I am proud to say that the first time the team stepped on the court, w/ 1 active player on the bench, is the first time they experienced success, with a strong performance that held up through us tiring in the 4th. We beat the Reno Ballers 25-24 and we were up throughout the game, leading 20-9 midway through the 3rd. We were competetive in all of our games and it was only the obvious issues that held us back, ie. our inexperience overall and together as a team. We played hard as team every second of every game and that's what success is about. I cannot point out only one specific player as everyone on the team played and contributed throughout the weekend, my award is for the entire team and its for effort and teamwork.
Blue Team, 2-1 record, with my heart a-flutter and my expectations high I anxiously watched the start of the blue team's season. As we sailed through our first game I quickly realized that we coaches might be right about how well this team could play our system together. We beat the Reno Ballers handily with a full squad of 10, then went into Sunday's game against the Rocktown Ballers with high spirits.We jumped out early then struggled in the 2nd, we regained the lead at 16-15 in the 2nd & never trailed again. We went into the default championship feeling strong and ready to play, and it showed as we jumped out to an early 13-3 lead, only to have a heart breaking 2nd half in which we shot 4-29 and couldn't seem to get in gear. We will proudly accept our 2nd place finish in our first tournament together with the knowledge that we have a ton of potential as a team and also knowing that we have a ton of work to do to get where we want to go. My awards go to Adam Dollison for Defense, Kyle Kraft for Defense & passing, and to the entire team for the teamwork, effort and resolve that you young men showed.
In closing, be proud of your effort, team spirit, & your success, young men. However, do not forget that this is the first step in the process and that it will take more effort, determination, learning, and blood, sweat, & pain before we reach our goals! Keep doing what you're doing gentlemen because we are on the road to success now, and I love the feel sure ground under our feet.
Coach Adam
