Father's Day Tournaments

The 6th and 5th Grades Play Father's Day Weekend

The setting for both the 6th and 5th grade was the Burlingame Sports Center.  This is a wonderful sports center with 3 basketball courts.  The BullDawgs run their tournaments here.  The parking is very tight, but not impossible.  The morning was already warming up and so was the action inside the center. 

The 6th grade had an early morning game, 8:30 am on June 16.  They were ready to go against the San Jose Falcons.  It was an exciting and close game as the boys rushed up and down the court in familiar UH fashion.  The ball travelled like a yo-yo on a string attached to the players' hands.  There were several lead changes and the defense was tough.  The UH boys played hard.  As the game stayed close most of the time, in the end the UH team prevailed.  The final score was 46-41 with a UH win.  They now had to wait until 2:00pm for their second game.  The heat outside was escalating quickly, but the action in the gym was even hotter.

The 5th grade team was a slim 8 man roster which included the talented UH 5th grade players and one 3rd grader from the 4th grade team, all lead by head coach R. Narciso.  The first game was at 9:40 am against the Belmont Falcons.  Game 1 was full of action.  The Falcons put up a good fight, working for every shot.  However, players such as J. Radich with his 3 point shots and C. Haastrup and J. Ortiz with their awesome rebounding was just too much for the Falcons.  After the amazing drives and layups by S. Fitchie and C. Carlton to add to the lead, the UH team won 32-22.  Now the 5th grade waits for game 2 of the same day.

Game 2 for the 5th grade was against EB Unite, a local East Bay team.  Some players from our side knew some players from the EB Unite team.  This was a close game with EB Unite leading the whole first half.  It looked dismal and possibly, the UH team was to suffer a loss.  However, after a pep talk at the half by Coach Narciso and his assistant, the boys came out on fire.  N. Gloria drove hard to the basket with determination putting up a beautiful layup.  A. Tohouri putting up a floater as it glided into the net.  N. Austria was aggressive under the basket, several times getting the rebound and putting points on the board.  The whole 5th grade team came back from the half with a passion.  The game remained close until the fourth quarter.  The UH team began to pull away in the final minutes winning game 2 43-37.  The 5th grade team ends the day with a 2-0 record.


Unfortunately for the 6th grade team, they played a hard second game.  The 6th grade team entered the D1 division and were tough enough to play an elite team.  They played hard and with lots of energy.  However, they would lose.  They would end their Saturday with a 1-1 record.  Maybe it was the long wait between the two games.  They had to wait from 9:30 to a little after 2:00 pm just waiting.  Burlingame is on the other side of the bay for us and a long wait between games can be very inconvenient icing our hot players.  I think they had a better chance if the games were closer together.  Onto game 3 for Sunday against Bay City for 3rd place.

Sunday was full of game 3's for this tournament.  The 5th grade played in the championship for their bracket as the 6th grade played for 3rd place.  There was the usual fantastic ball handling and amazing shots.  The regular outside shots made their 3 pointers and the bigs did their job rebounding and protecting the ball.  The players screened appropriately allowing guards to drive or dish out.  However, the 6th grade had a slow start to the game and their bodies took time to wake up.  These young boys had a tough game, again their first D1 tournament and ended up falling to Bay City, 36-44.  The 5th grade team played Team Esface out of East Palo Alto and with a 22-5 UH lead at the half, the UH team finished the tournament in first place.  The final score was 42-15 with an Uptempo Hoops championship victory.  Fortunate for the 5th grade team, they had the addition of J. Razal #23 to the roster who can play a strong forward.  Coach Narciso received the trophy and the boys were dawned with medals for their efforts. 

It was a busy weekend with an exciting tournament.  Both the 6th grade and 5th grade played hard.  Good job to the coaches and to the players.  The 6th grade won their first D1 game and that's an amazing feat in itself.  The 5th grade walked away with a tournament win.  Congratulations to both teams!

June 13 Dine Out Fundraiser

Last Day of School Fundraiser at Straw Hat Pizza

Our third dine out fundraiser for Uptempo Hoops was held at Straw Hat Pizza in Hayward on Industrial Blvd.  This Straw Hat is one of our sponsors giving money to UH helping purchase team bags and for assistance for scholarship players.  The fundraiser was all day.  It was the last day for New Haven School District and Fremont Unified School District.  It was the perfect day to celebrate the last day of school.  Warm, ready to eat food like pizza was the perfect eats. 

The restaurant can be found in a strip mall on Industrial Blvd.   There is ample parking and the service is wonderful.  The salad bar is clean and offers a variety of options.  There are two dining rooms, one of which can be reserved for private parties.  There is also an arcade which offers a variety of fun games for all ages.  For the grown ups, there are at least 3 tv's showing current sporting events.  The environment is open and welcoming right from entering the double glass doors. 

Ayson family enjoying family dinner

Uptempo Hoops families came in waves enjoying the fresh hot food.  Straw Hat Pizza offers a variety of the usual suspects:  pizza, salad, drinks.  Other items which are popular are their baked sandwiches, sub sandwiches and appetizers such as cheese sticks and bacon garlic bread sticks.  The famished families ordered a variety of foods while kids enjoyed playing in the open arcade and trading in tickets for prizes.  There was socializing, eating and good times.  As families stayed and enjoyed the atmosphere, the phone was on a constant ring for take out orders.  The Manager informed me the calls were from Uptempo families. 

Haynes family waiting for a delicious pizza

With the assistance of M. Irwin, this third UH dine out fundraiser was a success.  These are more than fundraisers to bring money into the organization, which is much needed and important.  These events are a time for the members to socialize and get to know each other outside of a basketball atmosphere.  The summer, full of tournaments comes and goes quickly.  It's nice to make the time to attend these events. 




UH fills up the Straw Hat dining room

Everyone is already looking forward to next month's dine out fundraiser.  The Board is already swarming with ideas for the warm month of July.  We look forward to every one's support and as always invite all UH members, our families, friends and fans.  Go Uptempo...and have some dine out fun!!

No Mercy Tournament - 7th Grade

2012 10th Annual Summer Classic-No Mercy North Peninsula Force Tournament in Pacifica

Submitted by L. Gisler (7th grade TM):

Oh they so silly!

First game was on Saturday, 1:15 against the Benecia Black.   The game started off with B.Gisler forgetting his shoes so L. Murphy lent him his lime green pair to wear.  A little tight, but workable!  All the boys seem to be wearing such a wide array of shoe colors these days!  First quarter showed some nice passing by E.Cha, and good defense by N.Conner & K.Ayson which allowed us to lead 11 - 5.  Second quarter there was a great deny by D.Lee, a couple of clean passes from B.Gisler to T.Ambulkar which lead to scores, super assists by R.Parilla , and an awesome steal by J.Ignacio, which kept the score about even at half time. 

7th grade chowing down on some beach BBQ

Second half brought an in-the-air steal by M.McKinney, a flying deny by B.Gisler, and some solid scoring by E.Haynes.  But unfortunately, The Benecia Black was a tough team which didn't let up, and their defense was quick to shut down our offense, so the game was lost 40 to 46 at the end.  I think the boys feel that if they get a chance to play The Benecia Black again, the outcome would be very different if Uptempo just played the game they know how to play.

With 3 hours to spare til the afternoon game many of the players headed to the beach to enjoy a beautiful day.  But around 5pm it was announced there wouldn't be a second game due to a forfeit, so the boys were disappointed they wouldn't play again that day, but it allowed them to eat a second helping of delicious BBQ lunch!

Sunday was a 9:40am game and the opponent was Payes Jr. team.  The boys dominated the scoreboard right from the get-go.  The highlight of the game was that Coach Rene promised that he would do 100 push-ups if L.Murphy scored a 3-pointer. So, L.Murphy came through and swanked one a second before the first half ended! which put the team into a happy frenzy.  Coach Rene conceded that he'll honor his bet, hopefully at a practice that all the boys attend to witness first hand! (footnote:  Coach did his push ups). 

Final score was 66 to 19.

Roadtrip to Sacramento

4th Grade Plays Sac Area Sports

For our 4th grade, to get a good game within the same age group, we take to the road and head East to Sacramento.  We end up at San Juan High School in Citrus Heights.  We get pretty good competition in the Bay Area, but from experience, we can get some good tournaments against non Bay teams as well.  We found it.  The 4th grade showed up with a strong 9 player roster.   The starters were ready to go and we had a deep bench.  What is even more exciting for the players (and parents and fans), we were able to get J. Ortiz, a 5th grader who is 10u eligible.  Thank you for having a late birthday.  He's been with UH since the inception of the organization.  He's a strong center with fantastic post up skills.  He can rebound and knows how to protect the ball.  Ortiz possesses a high basketball IQ as he plays his position very well.  For this Sac Area Sports tournament, it was obvious our 4th grade brought all the lessons learned from Reno with them.  They were very ready to hit the court running.

Otico keeping it on the low low

First, it's warm up time on the blacktop. San Juan High School is beautiful.  The blacktop courts are right outside of two gyms, one small and one large.  It was mild, but quite windy that day.  The boys were wrapped up until they started warming up.  They shot around and ran the familiar drills.  Will this weather ever warm up?  Maybe...but as these boys played...you will see.... if the weather wasn't hot...these boys WERE. 

Game 1 was against Team Esface of East Palo Alto.  This season we faced this team twice before this match up.  One of which was in Reno, where UH ended up the victor.  Could there be another Reno repeat or has Team Esface figured out UH?  Team Esface put up a great effort and has obviously improved since the Jam On It tournament.  In the end, UH prevailed winning game #1, 27-20.  At this point in the season, not only has the 4th grade team improved, they are more comfortable being on the court and playing with each other.  Only a month or two ago, this same winning team may have not been able to close out a game.  They learn fast. 

R. Noriega drilling a pass.  Will A. Brar catch it??

Boys invade little Del Taco

It's lunch time!!  There is about 2 and a half hours to kill until game 2.  The team drove from one eating joint to another until finally settling on a local hot spot....yup...Del Taco!!  OK, maybe not the most modern and exciting place to eat, but the kids loved it.  Del Taco, is a small fast food Mexican cuisine eatery.  The space is limited with tables seating 4 at the most.  As one can imagine...UH 4th grade took over the joint.  Kids were everywhere, playing games at the tables, eating up cheesy Mexican food and laughing.  The good thing about times like this is that the ball players can once again just be kids.  They tease each other, laugh together and share food.  They even share personal space as those tables meant for 4, these boys easily squeezed 6 of themselves shoulder to shoulder.  The parents also bond and laugh and forget about the diet. 

Onto game 2, UH vs. Team Trail promptly at 2pm.  The weather has now warmed up and so has our 4th grade players.  The wind is blowing hard and fast, and just like the wind, the 4th graders blew past the competition.  They played even better in game 2 with more conviction and determination.  There were amazing eye catching plays by our guards and the rebounding was excellent.  Our outside shooters were on point.  D. Ravara setting up on the weak side, swoosh, the ball floats into the net.  A. Brar planting both feet on the right side, a perfect arch into the hole.  Both sides were covered with both outside shots as well as rebounding.  The guards weaving in and out, in control.  Fast hands of M. Griffin and anticipation of J. Yabut causing turnovers in the UH flavor.  Final score:  28-32....even though the scorekeeper added 2 points to Team Trail and forgot to add one point, a free throw by C. Carlton, to UH.  The scorekeeper was more absorbed with talking on his cell phone rather than keeping an accurate score.  Fans told him.  Officials told him to correct the score.  But of course, if you don't record the score on paper, you have no point of reference.  This was an unfortunate use of authority.  Just because they are 10u, does not make their games any less important.  The officiating for both first games were performed very well.  UH has a 2-0 record.  So does the competition for the 3rd game, the NorCal Pharaohs.  Onto a championship game.

Boys showing some defense.  Look at the communication!

First, let me say, the NC Pharaohs are a wonderful ball club led by well experienced and respected coaches.  My dialogue with the head coach began in game 2 when he tried assisting us with rectifying the score, even though it wasn't his responsibility.  It was just the right thing to do and he did it, well tried, the scorekeeper still refusing to change the numbers.  The Pharaohs are fast and excellent ball handlers.  They entered the gym in unity and our boys stared in awe.  The game was on.  And what a game!!  The 2 teams were neck and neck til the very end.  Fans were off their seats and creeping onto the court.  R. Noriega - 3 pointer and 1.  Yes, a 4 point play!  Fans screamed.  C. Carlton, dribbling behind the back, ending in a reverse for 2 and 1, a 3 point play.  Fans jumped.   T. Inciong, unguarded under the rim, his sweet spot, easy 2 into the basket.  Fans in hysteria.  I. Otico running the open court, arm in the air, calling for the pass, 2 points.  Fans exclaimed.  The small gym was energized and filled with excitement.  The frenzy was intoxicating, both sides screaming in the spirit of exaltation for every basket and every play.  These boys, all of them on the court played their hearts out.  When they used up what was left in their hearts, they ran on pure adrenaline and energy.  When that ran out, their bodies devoured the remaining oxygen left in the gym. 

One comment I made about our boys was "they brought Reno back with them".  What I meant was two fold.  First, they brought the excitement.  Second, they brought back what they learned and they learned a lot.  It was a great game to watch.  28-28 and 2 seconds left.  The longest 2 seconds I've ever had to wait.  UH lost to a buzzer beater.  UH players' hearts sank.  Usually my heart would sink with them, as I get very emotional at games.  Tears flowed over their elongated cheeks.  This time, however, I scraped up the remaining energy the players solemnly left on the court.  After the coach's encouraging words, I addressed the miniature band of brothers, who walked away war torn.  "Don't you dare cry.  Don't you dare feel ashamed of yourselves.  Hold your heads high and proud.  Your parents are so proud of you, be proud of yourself.  You played awesome.  Walk over there and congratulate the Pharaohs for a great win and you be proud of how good you played today".  They played better than I've ever seen this team play.  It was important to me they knew that.  I know those teammates who could not make it, would have made this even more exciting and maybe, tip the seesaw of victory in our favor.  The communication on the court was right on.  The passes with direction and meaning.  There were impressive drives to the basket.  Loose balls fell onto the hardwood, and so did bodies.  Both sides fighting hard, fighting strong.  UH has nothing to be ashamed of.  I'm so proud of my boys. 

Families enjoying dinner at Fenton's.  Ice cream solves everything.

Eyes dried and one more group picture then it's off to be boys again.  What solves everything, per Coach Otico?  "ice cream".  Off to Fenton's in the Nut Tree in Vacaville.  Ice Cream DOES solve everything.  The kids pigged out on good food, some on more ice cream, but all played in the coin operated rides.  The families relaxed together, enjoying the mild weather and laughing over the kids' antics, kids and kids at heart.  Only the kids pigged out?  No...a tough loss is also a great excuse for us parents to eat a little too much.  This was a good way to end the day, we wished all the team was there, we wished all the organization was there.  The big brothers, help the 4th grade forget their losses.  Congratulations to Coach Otico and Coach Inciong, you led these boys to a victory today.  Fentons is a great family restaurant and UH is a great family.

End of day picture.  Awesome group of players. 

The Road to Reno Chapter VII

Chapter VII:  Final Chapter:  Thoughts From The Families


This weekend was more than a tournament.  It was full of friendships created and nurtured.  There were memories made, which will last forever.  Yes, we came here wanting to win.  What we walked away with is so much more.  Uptempo Hoops builds an organization based on family values.  We are raising adults with conviction and integrity.  We want to be proud of these players both on and off the court.  We are proud.

Balentine Plaza Dental Care     Salins Orthodontics      RT Western Construction

We spent time getting to know each other, breaking bread at Bully's and chilling by the pool.  I wish we had more time there.  I wish we were able to have a parents night out.  Time just went so fast.  Walking away from this experience I'm richer.  I've made new friends and spent time with old ones.  I watched all three of my children build fond memories. 

The best memory is seeing the organization come together to support the other teams.  I loved the anarchy caused by the varied game schedule. UH members asking "which court now?" and moving together in animalistic herds from one court to the other, hungry for the next game.  I didn't see any other organization come together the way Uptempo Hoops did.  The feeling I had inside welled up with pride like a balloon, about to burst into emotional air, as I scanned the room.  Though my son plays on the 4th grade team, when the 7th grade lost, we were there, a group of us.  We shared tears and laughter and hugs.  We chanted and cheered.  This group of people will be lifelong friends...and family.  We will watch each other's kids, and like that night of the 7th grade loss, we will cry together and cheer together.  Reno meant this.  From different courts, there were proverbial hugs and high fives.  From different states, there were cyber tears (both of joy and hurt).  Reno meant we shared something more than basketball, we shared emotion, emotion which runs deeper than any buzzer beating shot.

Moms hanging out by the pool

Submitted by L. Gisler (7th Grade TM and new mom):

Well, if anyone thought that the snowy car ride over the pass to get to Reno was going to put a chill on the players, they thought wrong. The first two games on Saturday at the Reno Sparks Convention Center against the teams Bay City Basketball from SF, and the Blazin Heat from Chico, showed that the boys were hot, winning handily each time (53 – 34 & 43 – 35 respectively). Part of the enthusiasm came from the wonderful surprise that one of their team mates, Tanish, who had been saying all along that he couldn’t make it to the tournament, showed up right before game time. Way to go Tanish & Coach Rene on keeping that secret from all of us!

Sunday brought a late 8:00pm game time, so boys got to sleep in late, play video games, explore, hang out at the famed Circus Circus or Grand Sierra Resort, and enjoy a great dinner with the rest of the Uptempo families at Bully’s Sport Bar. Finally game time arrived, and the game against Top Flight Elite was intense, fast paced, rough, and of course sprinkled with questionable reff’g calls. At the end of regulation time the score was tied, which the rule calls for a 2 minute overtime play. The sidelines were packed with other Uptempo teammates and families, all bellowing their support. But it wasn’t enough to carry the boys over the hurdle, and with hearts broken they lost the game by 4 points, 38 - 42.

Dads chilling pool side

Monday was slated for a 5:30pm game, to play for third place. With such a long drive home, everyone was looking at arriving home well after midnight. But with some carpooling and rearranging, every single family was willing to sacrifice their sleep to finish the tournament out and see it to the end. But again, as we are discussing our plans, Coach Rene comes through and gets our 5:30 time changed to 9:30 am!

Monday we wake up to a beautiful day in Reno, and it carries over to the court and we handily beat the Stanco Stampede team 66 – 54 to secure 3rd place! For many of the boys this was their first experience in such a large venue. Over 900+ teams were there, all types and abilities. The Convention Center was pretty overwhelming, with whistles blowing all around, loud yelling, constant movement, bright lights, strong players and yet our boys played with class and sportsmanship. Thank you to all our Coaches for their time, support and guidance (did you realize that we had 4 coaches assisting the 7th graders and not one of them has a child of their own playing on it?), and to all the team managers for their endless arranging, and to the parents for their constant sustainment of their children and the team. One of the dads said it pretty well in his posting ”Stay together…forever. Not just as players on a team but as brother for life."

Uptempo Hoops is one of the greatest families around!


Submitted by M. Irwin (6th grade TM):

Reno's Jam on It weekend was a great experience for us as a team and family.  Despite the warnings about the magnitude of the crowds and chaos, we were pleasantly surprised with the organization of the massive event.  Our first out of town tournament with the whole Uptempo Hoops family was a huge success.  Great games were played with some heated and painful losses but the best part of the weekend was definitely the camaraderie and friendships that our players and families shared throughout the weekend on and off the court.  We played and cheered together, watched each other's games, broke bread together at our Bully's night out, had Circus Circus get together, mobbed breakfast nooks and hotel pools, shopped at the outlets, and even squeezed in an early morning pre-game hike!  We'd do it all again and more...and are already looking forward to next year! 

Until next year Jam On It!!

Submitted by L. Haastrup (new 5th grade mom):

                                

The trip to Reno was a wonderful experience for not only the boys but for  myself as well.   It was a great way for me to  meet and get to know the other families from Uptempo that I had only seen at practice.  Thanks to Liz Narciso for setting up the early morning hikes at the nearby Michael Thompson trail on Sunday and Monday.  The  views from the rugged trail were spectacular and the hikes energized us to cheer the boys on at their games.  I was impressed with how spontaneous the pool party came about from just myself supervising the boys playing in the pool to Rene and others bringing down wine, drinks, and snacks 15 minutes later!  What a perfect way to unwind with the  parents chatting and having a good time while the kids played in the pool after their tournament games.   It was neat to see the Uptempo spirit continue on with the dinner at Bully's Restaurant Sunday evening.   Reno showed me what it is like to be part of the Uptempo Family.  I am fortunate to be a part of this family and am looking forward to what Reno has to offer next year!!!

Submitted by A. Singh (6th grade TM):

We had a great time in Reno!!  It was fun to watch the boys play.  The get together on Sunday evening at Bully's was also fun and we enjoyed meeting everyone.  Great experience for the teams and the families.

Submitted by A. Griffin (new 4th grade mom):

No, not Oracle.  Reno Sparks Convention Center

Given this was our second straight year going to the Reno Jam On It tournament, we were in awe of the growth of the number of teams. At 960 teams it was 200 more than the previous year. That said we had an awesome time being able to watch the team compete and give it their all on the court. The wins and losses are very secondary to just having them be able to experience how big the game is and to be a part of it. Our coaches did an excellent job getting the teams ready and the Uptempo families did a great job in supporting them. Having the boys and all the families together for meals and just to hang out was rewarding in itself. We could not have asked for a better experience and hope we can go back next year!

Final Thought:

We couldn't ask for this event to have been better.  Everyone walked away wanting more basketball and more social time with each other.  We are very proud of the organization.  Every family, every player, every parent is such an integral part of this basketball club.  We thank the coaching staff:  R. Inciong, G. Otico, R. Narciso, J. Peterson, J. Irwin, B. Bautista, S. Ilustre, R. Tria, R. Noriega, J. Fitzgerald, B. Sangco, Q. Evans and C. Bermudez.  Our coaches are doing a great job of turning our young boys into competitive and confident men. 

We are already looking towards Reno next year.  This was a great experience and a great way to start off our summer.  Our Family grows in numbers and in strength and in skills.  This is an organization to be proud of.  Go Uptempo!!