AAU 2010
Controversy at One Tourney, Stability at Another
This article contains brief tournament overviews and opinion/commentary of its author.
By Jim Charles
(posted 03-29-10)
For many of our area clubs, this past weekend marked the beginning of the AAU tournament season. DGB.com dropped in on two area tourneys with good histories of drawing top competition.
On Saturday, DGB was at the Fencor tournament in two capacities: Jim as reporter and Tom as assistant coach on the Wilmington Tiger 10U team. This tournament is really spread out over several locations in the greater Philly area and it would be hard to hit all the gyms employed. As it was, we stayed at Kelly Bolish Gymnasium – a 3-court facility hosting games in several age groups.
Right off the bat, we were quite disappointed in Fencor seeming to pull a fast one over on the 9, 10 and 11U coaches with respect to game length. The Fencor website specifically indicated that games in those age groups would go with 14 minute halves. But, at the gyms on game day, this was shortened to 13 minute halves, and no one was willing to change that – even after coach protests. Is it such a big deal? Yes, it is. First and foremost, just on principle, you want to put on a tournament as advertised. It’s just as easy to do things the fair and right way as it is to do them wrong. Second, there was no compelling reason for Fencor to shorten an already too short game (the 14 minute “as advertised” halves). Between every game on the courts that were using the 13 minute halves, there was anywhere between 30 to 50 minutes of down time in between games! Many teams hadn’t even arrived yet for the next game, that’s how much of a gap there was. There being no apparent, obvious reason for the 13 minute halves, we are only left to conclude that Fencor was simply being stingy and uncaring about the kids. After all, the loss of a minute per half projects out to a total of 8 minutes lost over the course of a weekend. That’s a full high school length quarter! That’s 8 minutes that the young 9, 10 and 11 year olds could’ve been playing basketball and honing their skills. But Fencor didn’t care about that. On Saturday night, DGB.com sent Fencor an email detailing the situation, explaining to them that we would tell the story on the website, and asking them to, in the interest of fairness, submit a statement showing their side of the story. As of Monday morning, we have not heard from them.
The above, from Fencor's website, leading coaches to believe they'd get 14-minute halves.
...But this is what they ended up getting. A loss of 8 minutes over the weekend.
Fencor, it should be said, is a Middle Atlantic powerhouse club that is always mentioned when AAU people list the 2 or 3 best clubs in the region. Many Delaware superstars have played for Fencor, including Elena Delle Donne. Further, they are known as an organization with integrity and solid ethical standards. Those facts only make what occurred this past weekend all the more newsworthy. Why would such a good club pull a “bait-and-switch”? Anyway, AAU coaches, beware of these things! When you put your team in a tournament, carry with you to the games a printout of the tournament rules. You just may need them.
On Sunday, the old DGB.com caravan rolled into West Chester University for a Rams/Lightning tournament. At West Chester, there was no controversy over length of games. The teams we saw all getting 16 minute halves. And this is generally how the Rams/Lighting operate. If there are shorter games in the younger age brackets, they would not go below 14 minute halves.
At West Chester, there were actually a few celebrities in attendance. DGB.com’s Player of the Year, Telisha TT Turner was there. So were the 3rd and 4th all-time leading scorers in Delaware girls hoops, Kristin Caldwell and Michelle Baker.
There were 7 First State teams participating: 4 from the Angels and 3 from the Sharks. Historically, this tournament brings out teams from the Sharpshooters, Tigers and Wildcats, too, but for whatever reasons, there was not a single team from any of those organizations entered this year.
What follows are pictures taken over the weekend. Names are provided in cases where we know the player. There are a lot of players we don’t know. You can help us by supplying the names to the pictures that need them. Email the IDs to DelGirlsHoops@aol.com. Be very specific about the photo so we can reference it easily, and we’ll be happy to “give credit where credit is due.” All these young ladies deserve to be recognized.
If your team was skipped over, we’ll try to get you at a later tournament.
As far as team win/loss records go, we’ll leave that for the coaches to send in with their team reports. With so many teams each playing 4 games over two days, it would be a nice trick if we could post all the records & scores. But again, coaches, feel free to email us!
Olivia Craig of the 10U Tigers in their very first game of the year, which they won over the Rockers.
A clearer shot of Craig.
From the Tigers 9U team, this is Courtney Brown. She and teammate Julie Kulesza play during the winter as the only girls in a 4th grade boys league run out of St. Matthew's.
On Sunday, at the Rams/Lightning tournament, teams were given proper game lengths.
Sometimes I get my McDermott sisters confused, but I believe this is Claire, playing for the Chester County Wizards. Although the team is based in PA, several Delaware girls are on the roster...
...Including Mary Abram, seen here readying up a free-throw.
Kathleen Moore of the Delaware Angels.
Moore driving the lane.
Chrishyanah Alston for the 13U Lady Sharks.
Another 13U Shark.
Brittany McLean is a long-time AAU veteran. DGB.com has shown her, over the years, playing on the Lady Sharpshooters and the Tigers. These days, she's on an Angels 13U team. Brittany is a guard with height. I'm sure her height will encourage coaches to move her around, but she's most exciting to watch at point.
Caravelian, Taylor Tillery showed a lot of intensity and hustle. Also has nice height.
"The Hurffinator", Laura Hurff, with two defenders on her!
Joy Hickman of the Lady Sharks.
