Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Dec 30, 2008
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During the offseason the New York Gauchos said goodbye to a great bunch of talented high school seniors who won several championships together for the organization. These days though, the new college freshmen are impacting high major Division I programs all along the east coast.
Darryl "Truck" Bryant is thriving at West Virginia and making a case to be the starting point guard as a freshman. Kemba Walker is one of the first players off the bench for an extremely talented UConn team. Jordan Theodore is getting plenty of minutes and making a positive impact for the Seton Hall Pirates.
Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Jul 30, 2008
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Of course, everybody wants to go to their age group's Division I National Tournament and have a good showing every single year. The coaches and parents obviously want their kids to do well at the top level of competition in AAU Basketball and our Gauchos organization is no different. We want to bring the most out of the kids in this program.
However, Coach Science Mapp with the 11U Gauchos team recently decided to pass on the highest level of competition (Division I) and go to the Division II National Tournament instead. The team qualified for both tournaments, but Science felt that the team was best suited for the Division II Tournament if they wanted to try and win a National Championship.
"We wanted to win a National Championship, even if it was at the Division II level," Mapp stated. "We also wanted to get them better and get them to see what the tournament was all about, because they haven't been to the Nationals before."
While neither the organization nor myself believes that the Division II level is necessarily where we want to be at, there is definitely something in Science's decision that all coaches should consider. His kids are young, and perhaps were not ready to compete at the highest level of AAU competition this summer . Instead, he went where he thought the team could have greater success and win games (his team finished 4th overall at the Division II level, which was good enough to qualify for Division I next year).
Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Jul 16, 2008
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The reason that I am writing about Pool Play in National Tournaments is because I think that a lot of people that follow this organization and AAU Basketball in general would like to know how the system works.
Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Jul 08, 2008
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BX Trainers Teach Gauchos Kids The Importance of Strength And Agility Training
On Tuesday, July 1st the BX Trainers came into the Gaucho Gym from Mamaroneck and impressed the large group of kids that showed up with their intensity and knowledge of strength and agility training. The kids were clearly responsive to the trainers and everybody seemed to learn a few things from the grueling two hour long session.
Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Jul 01, 2008
Practice
Being a good teammate begins in practice. When you are in practice and another player does something that is for the good of the team, you should applaud them and give them the attention that they deserve. For example, when another player takes a charge in a practice you should rush over, pick him up and tell him "Good Job" or something along those lines. A little thing like this can help a player to feel appreciated and make a difference in overall team morale and chemistry.
Games
Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Jun 25, 2008
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How To Work Out Harder
In most cases when kids go to the park or to a gym to work out and improve their games, the last thing that actually happens is the whole "improve" part. Many kids will try to work out on their own, which is a great first step but it is only the beginning to raising their games to a higher level. When kids step in the gym they need to know some of the basic attributes that a great workout should have.
Stretching And Warming Up
Stretching is a key component to getting a great workout in and to staying safe while working out. It prepares your body for more strenuous exercise by heating up and stretching out your muscles, increasing your circulation and pulse rate, and delivering more oxygen to your muscles (BodyTrends.Com).
Posted by: Jeremy Bauman
on Jun 16, 2008
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Coach Tommy's 12U team has been playing together for the past 3 years. The team has finished just outside of the National Championship Game twice, in 2005 with an L to the Central Kentucky Warriors, and in 2006 with an L to Baltimore's BEST (finishing 3rd both times), and in 2007 they finished in 8th place with an L to the United Stars. So, with these things in mind, how do they plan on making it over the hump this year?
During the last three seasons, the team lacked height on the national scene, so during the winter they found three new big men over six feet tall to add to a team that already had solid chemistry, is continuously learning the game of basketball, and is maturing before our eyes.
Some of the team's strengths include defense, fast breaks, offense, and playing unselfishly. Their weaknesses include free throws, boxing out, and man-to-man defense. In the weeks leading up to the nationals, the team plans on working on their weaknesses, as well as tightening up their strengths. The team knows that it may not be an easy task, but they are ready to take on the national competitors that are coming their way in July on their way to the title game.
