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.
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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.
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| 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.
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| Dads chilling pool side |
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!
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| 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):
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| No, not Oracle. Reno Sparks Convention Center |
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!!
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