Here's an update on the January leagues and other stuff.
• Hilo trip is unlikely at this point due to heavy cost PLUS the high probability of us playing in two leagues.
• Compete & Learn (CAL) League begins in January. We'll have a Middle Division team and possibly an Elementary Division team. The league director, Greydon, is a very sensible, smart man and he doesn't see the point of Chris playing the Elementary Division. Chris would probably dominate it since there aren't many (if any) other kids who are 6 feet tall. But Chris has been telling me for a few months that he wants to play against the older kids AND kids his own age. So, Greydon isn't forbidding Chris from playing in the Elementary Division. He just discourages it. I have mixed feelings on this. If we have two teams in CAL, most likely we'll have doubleheaders like we did the past year with teams in 15U and 13U. Chris, Micah, Walter, Kamakani, Josh could be worn out after one game. Or they could be in great physical shape by January and enjoy playing two games on Sundays.
• Aiea 12U League also begins in January. As of right now, only Chris, Micah and Walter are young enough to play in this league. Not sure if they're going to make an exception or two for our other players who are 12 in January, but turn 13 before the Sept. 1, 2013 cutoff date. So maybe Kamakani, Jared and Kodee can play in it. (I don't know when Kamakani's birthdate is, so I'm not sure about whether she can play.)
• We still need more players for 12U and 13U. We've got some promising new players thanks to Tanielu and Chris, who brought some friends to practice the past two weekends. But we're about five or six weeks from our first games in January, and we still don't have enough players who are willing to practice during the week. I'm NOT going to be content with one practice per week (Sundays). There's no way we will improve individually or learn plays and improve as a team with only one practice per week. I don't expect us to practice five days a week, either. But right now, we need hungry basketball players like Tanielu, Kyle, Chris, Micah, Walter who are committed to working hard and having fun. Hopefully, all our new guys can commit to practicing more often.
If you have friends who love basketball and want to play on a team that's going to run and press a lot, practice and improve, bring them to practice. If we don't have at least nine hungry, dedicated players for 12U and 13U by early December, it won't be worth it to pay for these leagues and new uniforms. But hopefully we all can find more players, not just guys who only want to work on their game one day a week.
Spring
NJB spring season begins in April and we should be stocked again with 17U, 15U and 13U teams. Our 17U was young last year, mostly guys who were 16 and younger. Our 15U struggled when we didn't have our full lineup, which was often, but when we had our guys, we did well. Our 13U is strong, but again, we need depth.
That's down the road, but it'll be here before you know it.
I'm not sure if Aiea will have a league (late March) again. I hope they do. And I'm not sure if Maryknoll (JV) and Kalani (varsity) will call us again to fill in. That was awesome, playing in nice gyms with good (mostly) referees.
I'm enjoying seeing some of our guys practice and play pickup ball on Sundays at McCully gym. There's also open play at Kaimuki Park gym on Thursdays, so that's an option if guys want to play more pickup ball. The more the better, especially with the older guys who crave competition.
Summer
I know we'll play in CAL (15U, 13U), and there's the summer tournaments (Aiea, NJB). We'll have to start fundraising for mainland tournament play soon. Could be a lot of fun and a lot of growth as a team and as ballers.
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