Launching the 2013 season!
Just like last year we launch our season at Mountain Mike's pizza. This fundraiser has always been a success for us as everyone loves pizza. This all day fundraiser is a great turnout for our organization. We saw some familiar faces and had fun meeting new ones.
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| Tristan and mom, Teresa waiting for their order |
Our fundraisers are an important part of our organization. They bring opportunity to kids, who love the game of basketball, in many ways. Our fundraisers help keep costs down and every year, they help provide some tokens of appreciation to our players. All the players play hard and are dedicated. The families are involved and we have many parents who step up to help. Our fundraisers, like with any organization is much needed. We appreciate all of the UH Family, both the players and extended friends, family and fans who come out to support us financially. This year, we plan to be more active with our fundraising. There will be plenty of opportunity to eat out and have fun.
I had the pleasure of sharing a table with a new player to the 4th grade team, Tristan and his family. It was nice getting to know one of our new young players. They are excited for Tristan to play with Uptempo Hoops this summer season. Later I met one of our female athletes family, Jasmine. They had questions regarding Reno and you can feel their excitement. The whole atmosphere in the restaurant was a buzz.
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| Jasmine and family cozy up |
Mountain Mike's did not disappoint. It is a warm open area and in a good location. The food is good and families were able to socialize the night before spring break. It was a delight to walk around and meet some players which I've only seen at the check in table and their families. It was also a pleasure to see returning families which I only see during the AAU season. There was enthusiasm in the air among the new to AAU players. Returning players couldn't wait to hit the courts one more time for back to back games. They were ready for the challenge. Most were excited about Reno and excited to play in their first tournament.
After finishing up our early dinner and enjoying the frozen yogurt next door, we left as more Uptempo Hoops families entered. Later that evening I returned to mingle more and greet more families. The same mixture of returning and new were there. I'm still learning names, but I recognize faces. It's a warm feeling to see familiar faces and soon to be familiar faces. It's an even greater feeling to see our young athletes and to know that over the next few months they will grow with us. Moutain Mike's may represent our launching pad for the season, but it's just the beginning.
Our coaching staff consists of more than volunteers who love working with children. Our coaches go through training and learn along the way. Another benefit to being part of the UH Family, our coaches attend personal training hosted by Coach John Peterson. For more information on Coach JP, his program, camps, staff and players, visit the Ohlone College Men's Basketball website and don't forget to be a fan on Facebook.
