With the 2016 EHS Alumni Tournament only hours away, I thought it would be appropriate to reach out and provide a update for the beneficiary organization of our annual tournament donations/proceeds. As has been the case the last several years, tonight we will ask our alums to provide a donation to support the Everett AAU youth basketball program as part of the tournament registration. Last year, our alumni group was able to raise around $750 to support this youth program, and it's worth providing the alumni base and the greater community with an update on how these proceeds are helping make a tangible impact on the lives of our young players.
The 2015-16 season was a time of steady improvement for all program teams. On the boys side, our 6th and 7th grade boys teams had highly successful campaigns, and qualified for the WesCo postseason tournament, an event which is reserved for the top-placing teams in the 20-team league. On the girls side, both the 5th and 6th grade teams had winning records in the Cascade League, with the 6th graders beating Meadowdale to win their postseason tournament (picture at right)! That same team also traveled to Wenatchee in March, and was the top-placing feeder team in the 10-team Steve Talbot Memorial Tournament, which was a significant achievement.
During the spring and summer months,
Everett AAU focused on skill development for its program players. Weekly 90-minute skills clinics were held at
Everett High School, where the primary focus was continuing to building the
foundation skill base for the players.
They would routinely work through a demanding regimen of ball handling
and shooting drills, and on average would get 150-200 shots up per
session. The attendance grew throughout
the spring and summer, to the point where 30-40 kids were turning out on a
weekly basis to work on their games. Going into program tryouts in October, you could see the difference
the clinics made – the kids were flat out better basketball players!
This trend of improvement has been
palpable in the early season returns program-wide. On the boys side, the 8th grade team
is undefeated in WesCo league play, and the 7th grade team has won 2
of 3 and is in the upper half of the league standings. The 6th grade has shown tremendous
growth this season, and is competing at a higher level than last year. The 5th grade team has lost
several nail-biters to the top teams in the league, and is ready to make a move
in the standings come January. On the
girls side, all program teams (5th, 6th, and 7th)
have winning records and are near the top of the standings in their respective
leagues. Regardless of records, what I’m
most proud of as a Program Director is how hard each of the teams compete from
start to finish. We’ve been successful
in instilling a culture of competition where the kids have fallen in love with
the process of getting better, and it translates to a style of play that we are
proud to put on display on a weekly basis.
Achieving these outcomes is the
result of a communal commitment to our kids that I’m extremely honored by. As I’ve outlined in previous correspondence,
Everett Hoop Club (the organization that runs the Everett AAU program) is registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is
committed to providing player development and personal empowerment
opportunities for kids in grades 5-8 attending Everett Public Schools that will
one day feed to Everett High School. Our
volunteers, financial contributors, and coaches all play an equally vital role
in ensuring that our program participants receive the coaching and mentorship
necessary to be successful. The kids are
learning the values of leadership, collaboration, and hard work. By instilling these values and placing our
boys and girls players on age-specific teams that compete against the best
competition in the Puget Sound region, we are committed to using basketball as
a conduit that not only develops their on-court abilities, but also teaches
valuable life skills.
Most importantly, Everett Hoop Club
believes that all players willing to commit to our curriculum should have the
opportunity to participate, regardless of any specific family’s financial
hardship. While 29 of our 80
participants are either on a full player fee scholarship or a reduced fee
schedule, we are steadfast in our belief that fiscal hardships will not be a
barrier for participation. As such, the
organization subsidizes player fees for families/households that do not have
the means to meet the financial obligation to play.
This continues to create an operational
challenge for the organization. While
EHC creates small revenue streams through tournament game admissions,
fundraising is a necessary ingredient to offsetting the cost of maintaining a
quality program. For us to continue making
this experience a reality for our kids, we reach out to community
members like our EHS alumni base and offer this opportunity to contribute. As was the case last year, your contribution
will go directly to Everett Hoop Club and will help provide the means to
purchase uniforms and equipment, league fees, facility usage fees, player
liability insurance, and other operating costs.
Most importantly, it allows us the ability to continue making positive
impacts in the lives of our program participants.
To this end, we hope that all alumni participating in tonight's event would be willing to make a minimum donation of $10 to support Everett AAU. While it might not seem like much, every bit helps our efforts to provide a viable platform for these kids to succeed. I would also say that contributions above and beyond that amount would be greatly welcomed and appreciated! If you have any questions about your donation, or would be interested in volunteering with our program teams or could help out in another capacity, please don't hesitate to reach out to me tonight at EHS or via email.
Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight...let's hoop!
Bobby Thompson
Class of 1996
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