It's not 90 degrees anymore, kids actually have to set their alarms every day, you hear football pads crashing, and Dunkin' Donuts has pumpkin flavor again. You know what that means - happy September!
This may seem like a down time to many for basketball, but it's far from. Although the last few weeks have been slow at best, hopefully all the serious hoopers have found their way back to the gym. Don't look now, but we're just over two weeks from the fall live weekend, an important time for many rising seniors making one last push for a scholarship/additional scholarship offers. Also, it's an important time for D3 prospects that are either in the process of narrowing their options or trying to get themselves seen as schools are in the thick of their 2018 recruiting. Hopefully everyone's ready to go!
The week after the fall live period, I'll be back at it with my annual fall event, the Upstate Elite Showcase. It'll be on Sunday, October 1, at the Pat Riley Sports Center @ Schenectady HS. The way the calendar falls this year, it appears that this will be a GREAT time to get in front of D2 & D3 colleges before basketball seasons start. The following Sunday is Columbus Day weekend - some people will be enjoying their holiday - and the following Sunday is October 15, which marks the first day of collegiate practices at that level. October 1 could potentially be the last big push for many college coaches before they get deep into in-season mode with their teams. On a weekend that's lighter than the average for girls' hoops in the Northeast, this should be a good chance to get more heavily concentrated attention. As usual, there's bang for your buck - $60 for 3+ hours of work, between 3v3, 5v5, and some skill work. If the Summer Kickoff Showcase in June was any indication, spots WILL fill quickly. I'll do everything possible to get the best concentration of players & coaches in the gym and make it worthwhile for both; I hope to see YOU at Schenectady HS on the 1st as well!
Full information on the event, including registration info, can be accessed at http://empirestatetakeover.blogspot.com/2017/08/3rd-annual-upstate-elite-showcase.html - check it out!
So, September plans. I'll be spending a good amount of time in Syracuse, as the Syracuse Nets fall league tips off this Sunday, the 10th. I'll be coaching a team in the 'WNBA' division, a league similarly constructed to my summer league. Those teams will be playing this weekend and pick back up in October. There's also a high school varsity & JV division. The varsity division features teams like Class A state champion Jamesville-DeWitt, Section III Class AA champion West Genesee, Section III Class AA finalist Liverpool, Class B Federation champion Seton Catholic, Section IV Class B finalist Susquehanna Valley, Section III Class C champion Thousand Islands, and several others. The varsity division tips off the following Sunday, September 17, and I plan to be there for that as well.
Other events of note that I'll likely go to are the Future Stars College Showcase at the College of New Rochelle this Saturday, the Upstate Fall Challenge hosted by NY Havoc on Saturday, September 16, and planning on two locations over the fall live period (between Westchester, MA, and RI, I'll have to miss out somewhere). Looking forward to getting back on the court on a consistent basis!
Some other thoughts:
- Grace Heeps just made her voyage from Columbia to Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts, and Sophie Tougas is soon to follow, heading from Glens Falls to Wolfeboro, NH to attend Brewster Academy. This whole Empire State Takeover thing was basically built off the youth when I started. If it wasn't for girls like Grace & Sophie (along with people like Chloe Chaffin, Kerry Flaherty, & Rebecca Townes, who were all standout young players that have played in all 3 years of EST), this probably wouldn't be afloat. But their families gave it a shot, they liked it, and apparently I haven't made the kids too angry yet. It's going to feel different without Sophie & Grace around this year - dare I say that I'll miss them a little? - but with a great deal of excitement, I'm also looking forward to seeing their successes in the NEPSAC. You better believe I'll put more miles on the car to get to a couple of their games.
- Is it too early to look ahead to matchups this winter? No? Good. On the small school end, I can't wait for the early season tournament at Delaware Academy (Delhi) this December. There's one particular reason for it. I've received confirmation that Section II Cambridge & Section III Cooperstown will play each other in an opening round game. Cambridge twins Lilly Phillips & Sophie Phillips and Cooperstown's Julie Ford (Albany commit) & Maggie Schuermann were all members of the 2017 Next Big Thing team that won their first 9 games this summer and lost in the finals in a photo finish. Should be entertaining! Along with that, Delhi's Logan Bruce - a 2016 EST participant - was also a teammate of Ford & Schuermann in her year in the league. An extended family of sorts!
- The new website is FINALLY up & running, although it's not complete yet. Check it out!!! www.empirestatetakeover.com
That should be everything. Again, Upstate Elite Showcase on October 1 - don't forget - and I hope I'll see you on the court soon!
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