At this point, I've reached out to every single person I initially talked to about the leagues this summer - either the player directly (almost every boy, and a few girls) or a parent (almost every girl, and a few boys). If you haven't 'heard' from me - check the voicemail if you're a parent, I'm buried in there somewhere probably, and check the texts from 3-4 weeks ago if you're not a parent. If there's nothing, let me know! Second contacts will begin today with the boys who didn't get back to me on the first blast, so be prepared. I have heard from most people - and I've received a few dozen recruiting packet submissions and a couple dozen payments at this point. MANY more will be coming in over the next week, as I've been told, so it's filling up quite nicely. With all the talking have come questions (plenty of them), and some pop up much more than others. I'll get after the several that pop up from time to time... right now!
- How are the teams assembled?
This has been the most frequently asked question. I split teams up myself, primarily based on competitive balance and location. Since I've actually went out and watched all of you (nothing by mail), I know what you bring to the game, what level you're at, where you're comfortable on the court, etc., and I work with it. Competitive balance is of the utmost importance to me - I've told everyone this, I don't want one team to blow everyone's doors in and I don't want a team to suck. Making my best effort to make every game competitive, interesting, and worth coming to is my top priority in gameplay. I try to make it as region-based as possible (allows for carpooling for my people coming way out of the area, and it makes things more interesting). I'll fill in as necessary to even the squads and shield as best as possible from absences - I wouldn't make a team that has everyone playing on a national-level AAU team, because they'll miss a week or two and I don't want any forfeits. Once I assemble teams, players remain on the teams for the summer - it's not like you're going to the YMCA and picking up squads. Teams are concrete.
- Are there coaches? Who is coaching?
Yes, every team has a coach. I try to fill every coaching spot with a Division III or JuCo assistant coach (and in one case this year, a JuCo head coach). It's a win-win - players get coached by a different voice that knows the game and is affiliated with a college, the coaches stay involved in the game at a low responsibility rate (no practices), and they also get to see/have contact with much of the region's best talent they're looking for. In one year, it has already proven to be an intended and unintended recruiting advantage for coaches because of the contact and players' level of familiarity with them. I'm in the process of filling the girls' coaching spots (really just getting going) and most of my boys' spots are filled. Not every coach will be a collegiate assistant - I have the head of an AAU program with plenty of experience running the show for one of our teams, but mainly college. Whoever your coach may be, it's actually a coach you can learn from while playing a looser style with and against great competition, not just a babysitter on the bench.
- Will there be college coaches there every week?
I'm not in the business of making promises, so I don't tell people that I'll have a certain amount of coaches there or promise particular ones being in attendance (besides the ones who will be coaching in the league). I can promise this - I'll be sending detailed info regarding the league, including prospect lists and a schedule, to coaches at nearly 1,100 college programs over the next few weeks, along with a bevy of preps. With King of Kings last year, yes - we had coaches in attendance every week. Opening night was the biggest draw. The live periods in July offer a special opportunity for Division I coaches to attend, which nothing else in the region will offer. We had a nice surge of coaches attend the last week of July last year (last week for Division II programs to attend), and a few more came to catch the playoffs. All in all, 45 programs attended the boys' league last year. I'm one who always asks for feedback, and they all seemed to enjoy it & find it useful, and I've continued to be in touch. My big goal is to get 100 programs to attend each league, and my more realistic number I'm shooting for is 75. I think it's VERY reachable with the talent coming.
- What about prep schools?
As mentioned above, I'll be reaching out to all of the NEPSACs and other preps within 8-10 hours of here. There are a number of kids who played King of Kings last year that are at prep now, and there are numerous kids playing this summer that are interested in going prep. I will work to get as many out as possible.
- Can I pay weekly?
If you choose to be an alternate, you can pay a $25 weekly rate. There are some differences between the privileges of being a regular and being an alternate - I've highlighted that in a different article. Look to the right of this and click on Alternate Status in the dropdown list of articles if you'd like to know about that. To be a regular, I need $100 check in hand - can't pay weekly unless you're an alternate.
- What level do you think my kid can play at?
Many people don't think this is the most comfortable question to answer, but I've got it plenty of times and I'm willing to answer. Fair warning - I'm honest. If you're a D3 player, I'm not telling you to get ahold of Auriemma. The people I've appreciated most are the ones who were straight with me, so that's what I do. I'm not going to shoot down dreams - I'll also bring up strengths and weaknesses in your (or your child's) game, and what to improve on to get the most out of it. I've been around the game a little bit.
- What will I/my son/my daughter get out of this league?
There's something for almost everyone, honestly. I'm not going to say it's for everyone - simply put, I had a few kids quit last summer that were unhappy because they weren't the best player on the court anymore. If you're cool with being the big fish in a small pond without challenging yourself, you may not like it. Besides that, there's something for everyone. You're going to get a high level of competition. Everyone playing can play at the next level - I don't talk about the league or invite people in that can't. Playing with talent; playing against talent. You're going to get a good deal of exposure from a varying level of schools. Waiting for NCAA approval, but there's no reason to believe it won't come through, so Division I programs will likely be able to attend. The league is a great resource for Division II and Division III programs because the amount of kids from different areas (and at times, areas that they've never seen before), so there will be a good representation. JuCos will be notified, as well as preps (maybe a couple scouting services? we'll see), EXPOSURE IS A TOP PRIORITY. Also important... it's just a great environment. Good talent, coaches, music playing during the games, me cutting up on the microphone, and a whole lot of life. With all the other positives brought into the picture, the top positive comment I received from last summer's players when I asked for feedback was 'great environment', 'fun to play in', 'electric feel' (not the MGMT song), 'DJ at the games', and things of that nature. Can't mess with success. So top level hoops (the best you will receive in the area - national level tournaments are different, but you're not getting better hoop in the general area this summer), high exposure, great atmosphere, and I'm flexible if you have to miss any time. Anything else?
- When do I have to get stuff in by?
For everyone besides people I've just initially talked to over the last week, my general deadline for a guarantee is May 15. If you're in by May 15, I can GUARANTEE you a spot. After May 15, there's no guarantee. It'll be first come, first serve for remaining openings. When they're full, they're full. Like I mentioned before, I'm sending stuff to coaches the 3rd week of May with initial prospect lists and schedule, and I'm not waiting around forever.
- What do I need to do to guarantee a spot?
Let me know you're in (whether regular or alternate), and fill out the recruiting packet form. That can be found at www.empirestatetakeover.org/en/Forms. It can be submitted directly on the website, and no one sees the info but myself and coaches that attend. I'm not demanding the check by May 15 (if I get it before mid-June, that's fine), but getting the check in is preferred on my end. I have well over $10,000 to pay regarding the league in the next 6 weeks, and league fees will certainly be needed (I've mentioned to people that don't realize the costs to run something like this, I'm not really going to be making any money off this summer - people in the circuit that know costs realized that as soon as I mentioned it was $100).
- There's a good amount of info needed for that form, why so much?
Recruiting packets are required by the NCAA for certification, and they MUST include names w/ jersey numbers and contact information. I take the next step to not only help coaches with information, but help the kids as well. If you have a 98 GPA, you want them all to know, right? Name, jersey number, contact info, basic info (height, graduating class, high school), academic info (GPA, SAT if applicable, intended major if known), and athletic info (coach contact info and AAU team) goes a long way. College programs don't treat the GPA in the program as gospel, but they do use it as a guideline. Some schools have higher academic requirements than others, and it helps. The intended major section is a big addition for me. I'm taking a more direct approach to coach notifications this year. I'm trying to get everybody in these leagues exposure from schools that matter to them. If you're a good Division III, perhaps Division II player that wants to go into a physical therapy program, I'm going to mention you in particular to schools at those levels that offer that program or related ones. The agricultural science school won't hear anything extra about you. It's just another way to try and get every one of you some more looks from schools that matter, and it helps coaches get an idea of what they're looking at before they make contact. I've been told by coaches that the intended major is big because it eliminates the initial inquiry call they have to make - they know where they stand as far as the academic side goes, and if it matches up, they can get right to the recruiting end.
- So what's the mailing address for the check?
My address works - 206 Western Ave. Apt. #1, Albany, NY 12203. (Anyone reading this, don't be waiting for me outside to rob me - I'm broke, I promise) Full payment info can be seen by clicking the 'Payment Info' article to the right, or going to empirestatetakeover.blogspot.com/2015/04/payment-info.html.
One more thing... I know this is a new thing. I know I'm not working through King of Kings anymore, a well-established name in CNY. This is the inaugural run of Empire State Takeover, and I'm 23. It's a really ambitious play on my part, and I get the skepticism that there's been whispers of through the months. I get why some people think this will flop, or at least not be much of a success. I know. I can promise you this though... no one works harder than me. I've put about every waking moment into this since November. When I do something, I don't half-ass it - I make it as strong as I possibly can. That's why I recruit heavily in different areas, log miles on the car to MA, CT, VT, Central NY, the Southern Tier, Northern NY, the Mid-Hudson, Lo-Hud, Western NY, even NJ & RI for tournaments. I have an unmatched drive to provide the overall best basketball experience you've had and to exceed everyone's expectations. If you're on the fence about playing... you have my word, it's worth it. I urge you to give it a shot. If your schedule is a little too wild, I urge you to give it a shot as an alternate. I said it on the paper - if I talked to you, I really do want you in the league. I think you'll be happy you played. Any other questions, call/text/e-mail/Twitter DM/website contact form/whatever else you can think of. Again, I'm 23, tech-savvy and easy to reach out to. I hope to hear from ALL of you, whether it's a yes or no (I'd much rather you tell me you're not going to play than just not respond), soon!
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