The Road to Reno Chapter VI

Chapter VI:  The Final Day

Monday morning and it is warm very quickly.  Onto the last day of free breakfast and hungrily standing in the waffle line.  Grade 4 plays at 8:00 am on court 51.  Grade 5 plays as 10:40 am for the championship on court 49.  Grade 6 plays at 9:20 right next to the 4th grade.  Grade 7 plays at 9:20 for 3rd place on court 19. Court 51 was one of the very last courts.  Historically, this team does not do well with early morning games. This was no exception.  The team lost to the Modesto Hornets.  The 4th grade team was very sluggish, maybe 4 games in 3 days was too much for them.  They had a very hard time waking up their bodies. 

Coach Narciso prepping the 5th grade

Onto the next game.  Right next to the 4th grade, the 6th grade played.  This was an exciting game from start to finish.  F. Tria stood tall as the ball was tossed into the air and action began.  Veteran players brought it today including M. Masulit, J. Irwin and R. Adekunle.  New members such as M. Rodriguez, D. Callan and M. San Juan gave stellar performances with great all handling skills and boxing out for rebounds.  The bench was deep.  The competition was fierce.  Time slipped away under the fast moving feet of the players.  No one could make the seconds slow down.  Possession changes.  Missed opportunities.  Made shots.  Both teams were competitive and equally matched.  The game went into overtime.  One fan couldn't handle the drama as he collapsed from the intensity.  He was safely removed from the floor and the game continued.  Overtime is a very quick 2 minutes.  UH lost by only 1 point.  Another heartbreaking loss.  These boys were amazing to watch.  They have great skills and lost of potential.  They fought hard.  They fought to the end and each player contributed out there on the court.

4th grade lunch at Johnny Rockets

Playing at the same time as the 6th grade was the 7th grade.  They were on the other end of the Convention Center playing on court 19.  The UH Family made their way to court 19 and started to cheer once again.  The 7th grade team played for the 3rd place title. As always, these games are fast.  Time seemed to escape.  The two teams were tied early in the game, equally matched.  Then the UH boys started to pull away in the second half.  B. Gisler swooshed in his free throws while N. Conner scored amazing reverses.  The 7th grade boys won earning them the 3rd place title.

How the 7th grade chills

From that court, we headed back to the other side of the Convention Center to court 49.  It's time to cheer and support our 5th grade team as they play for the championship.  They played hard.  Nice to have a far court, less distraction, especially the whistles.  They can be so distracting.  People were cheering on the 5th grade team.  Unfortunately, they lost.  But they were surrounded by the organization, by the Family, still cheering to the very end. 

Losses are hard to deal with.  These boys, all the grades want to win and not just want to win, they work to win.  They learned to work well with eachother, moving the ball down the court.  From this Reno experience, our players leave with more knowledge.  It's our first year.  There were surprises which were out of our control, like a 12 year old playing on a 10u team against our 10u team. Two days later, he played against the 7th grade team. Or the one team our 4th graders faced with facial hair already growing.  What we walk away with, I realize, is integrity.  I'd rather be with an organization that loses with integrity and  raises men (and someday women) than to be with an organization which has to "deceive" to win.  If you are an organizaiton who allows players to play down or enter a lower division for the sole purpose of winning, you are cheating those kids.  You are treating them as if they can't do it and it's not fair to them.  UH has faith in our players.  They CAN do it.  All of our teams faced tough heart breaking losses, but they leaned on their coaches and their UH Family for support.  Not just their biological families who came to cheer them on, but their newfound brothers.  They can say they stepped onto the court, ball in hand, heart pounding in chest.  If they lost, they walked off heads high.  They can look their opponents in the face and say "yeah...I DID beat you"...even if the score didn't reflect it.

Family!!

The Road to Reno Chapter V

Chapter V:  Time to relax

After the dramatic and emotional game #3 for the 4th grade, many of the players and families retired back to their hotel.  Slowly, kids started gathering to go swimming.  Good idea.  Time for much needed relaxation.

 Parents sat around the pool snacking and enjoying a variety of alcohol.  The kids swam and laughed.  The loss to the older players was forgotten.  We considered petitioning an obvious AAU violation, but decided against it.  It's not worth dragging the kids into some drama.  We know our kids played hard and they need to hold their head's high.  Not only out of pride, but also because, remember, they are now swimming. 

Bully's menu full of Dee-lishiness.

After a while, it was off to Bully's Sports Bar and Grill to celebrate our organization.  The restaurant is located on Robb Drive, right off the freeway and within 15 minutes of our hotel.  Seems like a far drive, but really it wasn't.  The place was already packed.  UH took up the whole restaurant.  The venue was small and barely were able to accommodate the entire crew.  The staff at Bully's is excellent.  The food delicious.  The atmosphere fun and exciting.  There is a whole wall of tv's showing current sporting events including random single tv's throughout the restaurant.  There is a video arcade for the kids and an open patio area.  When you walk in you face the wide and inviting bar.  The place is very open and you can see everyone. 

6th grade sharing food and fun

Everyone was in good spirits, socializing and laughing.  The kids were going from one table to the next.  The food came out quick and hot.  I had the fish tacos....highly recommend.  I also hear the burgers are excellent as well as the cheese quesadillas and chicken strips for the kids.  I didn't hear one complaint.  The whole organization enjoyed the restaurant. 

Thank you UH Gold Sponsors

UH packs the house

We also took the time to take pictures with our Uptempo Hoops banner which gave props to our gold sponsors:  Balentine Dental, Salins Orthodontics and RT Western Construction.  Also thank you to our silver sponsors: Cesar S. Gerardo Insurance Brokers, Radian Technology, Straw Hat Pizza and Bianca's Boutique.  Without their help, we wouldn't be able to send some of our scholarship players to Reno or afford the team bags.  Thank you sponsors.

The 7th grade had an evening game.  Time to shove the remaining food down your throat and go.  But wait...we have a birthday.  Coach Otico's birthday is today.  We brought a large cake donated by the Brar family and sung happy birthday to him.  His expression was well worth it.  He was surprised and appreciative and his team loves him.  To be surrounded by friends and family on your birthday, who could ask for more.  Sing.  Blow out the candles.  Eat some more.  Drink even more.  Then it's off to the game. 

Happy birthday Coach!!

Game 7th was exciting.  We faced Top Flight out of San Jose, CA.  Yes, travelled all the way to Reno to face a team less than an hour away from us.  They are a respectable team with good players.  The game was intense and fast paced. We were on our feet surrounding the court with UH members from all teams.  We were all there to support them just as they supported the 4th grade earlier.  The game went into overtime.  Hearts sank as the 2 minutes flew by quickly and in the end, they lost by 4 points.  Tears flowed by the players AND the fans.  Such a heart breaking loss.  Now, it's time for the younger brothers to cheer up the older ones.

Everyone gathered in the hallway.  All the players of all ages following Coach Noriega as he called over the players like a heard of lamb following their sheep Herder.  The 7th grade boys are exciting to watch and we are very proud of them.  Coach called everyone in for a cheer and even the younger boys held up their proud hands.  They look up to the 7th graders and know that as much as this loss hurt, they will bounce back. 

4th grade dad's NOT sharing their drinks with the moms

People returned to the hotel and spirits were once again high.  Everyone had morning games the next day.  The 7th graders were laughing and enjoying themselves by then.  The bright smiles showed how resilient they are.  High spirits evident by hearing them late at night, or early morning next day, however you look at it, running and laughing.  They were obviously playing games outside in the much needed warm air and just being kids.

The Road to Reno Chapter IV

Chapter IV:  Day Two

For Sunday, there is only one game. All the teams are playing at the Reno Sparks Convention Center.  It was a crowded, overwhelming time.  It's been advised one should arrive early for good parking and it's true.  The parking spaces were packed.  The Convention Center was full of court action, vendors and crowds.  Food filled the air.  The atmosphere was electric.  It was well organized chaos.

5th grade chasing down the ball

First up playing were the 5th and 6th grade boys.  They played about the same time.  The 5th graders played on the court which the 4th graders will play on.  Therefore, we stayed and cheered the 5th grade into a victory.  The 5th grade dominated their opponents.  There was some great hustle by all the players.  The fans were on their feet cheering. 

M. Luyon did a spin move to the basket sinking 2 points.  Veterans like N. Gloria and B. Peterson performed great with determined dribbling to the hole.  The rotation was done so well, every player contributed to the win.  People were keeping us in touch with the 6th grade action.  They won their game.  It sounds like they played with a commitment to win.  2 wins to start the Uptempo Hoops day. Great job to the 5th graders and Coach Narciso and Coach Peterson.  Great job to the 6th grade and the much needed win and Coach Irwin, Coach Tria, Coach Bautista and Coach Ilustre. 

Coach Peterson's pep talk

Could this day get anymore exciting?  YES!  Yes, it can!

Onto 4th grade action.  The youngest team made up of a talented group of boys, most are 4th grade and 2-3rd graders.  They may be small, but they are quick and they play hard.  Most sacrificing their bodies for a loose ball or driving into defenders to get the foul call.  These boys think quick on their feet.  Day 2 was against the Clayton Blaze.  Warm up time.....where is the team we are facing?  What them??!!  Those giants?!  Some players were bigger than our 7th graders.  It's not just that they are large 4th graders, it's obvious they are older.  At least half the team. 

The game grew physical quickly.  There was a lot of shoving and pushing.  The fans got louder and louder... and LOUDER.  The officiating was less than perfect (far less).  The Uptempo Hoops 4th grade moms were up in arms, screaming, yelling, cheering.  Why?  Because R. Noriega was slapped by 3 separate defenders...no foul call.  C. Carlton took a charge, which he knows how to do...a foul called on him.  D. Ravara and T. Inciong being body bumped...more like body thrown...no foul call.  The ref ignored obvious reach in's and travels by the other team.  Tip for future ref's:  dragging the pivot foot IS travelling.  And, yes, that WAS a charge.  The ref repeatedly ignored 3 second violations.  It was apparent this ref wasn't as experienced as the other one. It became increasingly frustrating after coming off a game of bad officiating just to end up in another game with bad officiating.  Yes, we were screaming.  We wanted her to watch BOTH sides, not just the smaller boys.  Maybe she felt threatened by the other obviously larger players.  We were hushed by the staff and security was brought in.  It's understandable.  We were very loud and emotional and the other fans were very animated and physical, stepping onto the court, not once, but twice.  The other team received a technical for their behavior.  Both sides received warnings.  We complied to the best of our ability.  We didn't want a technical. A. Brar shot the technical making beautiful baskets.


The game was exciting and full of drama.  Fans came over from another game to watch us, wondering what all the noise was about.  The excitement was magnetic.  This is just for the 4th grade.  They are brand new to this venue.  But we cheered as if they were returning players twice over.  We screamed until our throats were hoarse and forced more shouts after that.  We WERE loud.  Let me explain, yes, the mom's were loud and obnoxious.  Me right along with them, if not, at times, the loudest.  It was not because we wanted just to shout at the ref.  We are not the types to throw popcorn at strangers in a movie theater.  However, we protect our boys.  We're mother bears.  A mother to one: a mother to all. 

Noticeable size difference.  Poor J. Yabut and A. Brar.... try your best to block out boys!

Our boys played hard.  With all their heart.  They played to the very last second.  There were no ice packs given out because no one wanted to sit.  They all wanted to get out there again and play and play hard.  They were finally getting the message that to win, they had to push back.  One player even said he wanted to win because today was coach's birthday.  The size of this team was intimidating.  One player was growing a goatie, which we just explained as a hormonal imbalance (yeah buy that one).  One of our most experienced coach's response was "this is not a 4th grade team".  Our UH 4th grade lost.  Tears ran as head's hung low.  They didn't want to look up.  They dragged their heavy feet in disappointment and shame.  They didn't have to. 

What dried up those tears?  Maybe it was the coach's pep talk.  Maybe it was the mother's hug.  Maybe because the game finally ended.  What I think cheered them up was to see more than half the Uptempo organization there.  They came in between games to watch their little brothers play their hearts out.  And when the tears did come...it was the older players with the words of encouragement that made our boys feel proud.  So many compliments filled up their ears.  The tears wiped away by jokes and jabs at the other team.  Tears dried up by the positive pats on the back.  Simple words of encouragement travelled miles in the young players' ears. 

Picture time.  No, not a team picture.  A picture of brotherhood.  The organization players stood strong with each other in the picture.  Shoulder to shoulder.  UH brother supporting UH brother.  Win or lose...they were there.  The older, more experienced and skilled players were there and they were saying "great job".  One mother of a 7th grader asked "how is it we lost, but here we are cheering the loudest?"  We were.  We cheered together.  We had the most fans with us.  "When I say UP you say TEMPO!!!   UP!!   TEMPO!!   UP!!   TEMPO!!"

One last classic quote which I love...."yeah, the 4th grade is hard the 3rd time around"

UP!! TEMPO!! UP!! TEMPO!!

The Road to Reno Chapter III

Chapter III:  Day One

Hanging out at the Grand Sierra Resort

Today was full of ups and downs and emotionally charged.  I only attended the fourth grade team games, but I heard from others that the other teams were very similar.  Unfortunately for the UH crew, the teams played at different times in different locations.  La Quinta is in a good location as it is central to the various locations which we played.  The 4th grade team walked onto the court of the first game confident and self assured.  They were able to beat a team, which beat them badly, only a few weeks ago.  They played Esface from East Palo Alto.  Fortunate for the 4th grade team, Esface never had the lead. 

The 2nd game was intense.  They faced a very tough team from Turlock.  The coaches had scouted them earlier and came back with how athletic they were.  Our boys didn't want to hear it. They came to play and faced this team.  After being down as much as 11 pts, the UH team came back within 3 points.  Unfortunately there were a lot of bad calls and UH lost.  At this point, I'd like to mention, no game should be left up to the officiating to determine.  However, one can't hope to notice many of the calls were against UH as one official continued to laugh it up and chit chat with the opposing team's coach.  I'm just saying. 

7th graders' 2nd win of the day.

Games were played throughout the city, but always in the vicinity of our hotel.  We were lucky to be centrally located.  Even as the weather continued to be erratic and rain would pour and it was cold, everyone was in good spirits.  Later that evening, the 7th grade played their 2nd game.  Even through tired eyes, the other players wanted to watch and cheer on the 7th grade players.  All the other games were done, so off to support our older players. 

The day ended with the 4th grade 1-1, 5th grade 1-1, 6th grade 0-2 and 7th grade 2-0.  Tomorrow is a new day.  The boys all played hard today.  They came together in the evening, as UH does at the 7th grade game. 

Everyone at the 7th grade evening game.

The excitement winds down.  The weather finally begins to settle.  The rest of the UH Family arrives and everyone relaxes from an intense first day.  For most, this is a first time for them.  There were some wins today and there were some losses.  All in all, it's good that the teams still came together and ended the day supporting each other. 

The Road to Reno Chapter II

Chapter II: Twas The Night Before

The night before a tournament, everyone is anxious.  The players are excited  The coaches are psyched.  The families are nervous.  What's it like for an event as large as Jam On It in Reno?  Are emotions more mixed or maybe by now, everyone is ambivalent.  I don't think so.  I think the bag of emotions the UH Family is dragging by a thin drawstring sack is ready to explode.  It's packed to the rim with excitement, nervousness and anticipation.  Mixed in there is a certain amount of fear and trepidation.  But it's all good.  It's this type of mixed bag emotions our players...all of us need.  We have to center the emotions and turn them into strength. 

We've arrived safely in Reno, most families have by now.  Reno and much of the way to Reno was filled with bumper to bumper holiday traffic and unsettled weather.  Getting out of the bay was bad enough not to mention the Sacramento traffic and the traffic through the hills near Tahoe.  That was greatly due to the weather.  I stayed in touch with a group of UH'ers who texted the traffic status and weather, where they were along their journey.  I received texts about snow falls and flurries and rain and yes, even sunshine.  Could this be a sign of the tournaments to come?  Some up and some down, but all end with sunshine?  OK, maybe that was a little corny.  But to stay on the positive, we are all going to do our best and win or lose, it will be fun. 

We exit Virginia street because our GPS is slowly "recalculating" at a painstaking rate and atleast I know Virginia street.  Driving down a less than crowded area, the kids look up gazing at the neon signs.  Slowly we move with the traffic excited to see the "RENO:  The Biggest Little City In The World" sign.  Yay, we made it.  Not we, just us in the car, but Uptempo Hoops.  We made it.  

The La Quinta is brimming with excitement in the air.  We are not the only players staying here.  There is obviously a girls sports team of some sort staying.  They run giggling from room to room clutching their bag of chips or what not junk food splurge for the weekend. 

We check in and thanks to Coach Irwin, much of the staff has their passes for the tournaments and all the teams are checked in.  We are ready to go.  The rain starts to pour down about 9:30 at night.  People are running through the rain to their warm and comfortable homes for the weekend.  Rooms are illuminated like candles in the dark.  Walking up the wet stairs as our footsteps resonate, you hear laughter in rooms and muffled chatter.  Players peer out steamy windows every time they hear footsteps.  They are anxious to find their teammates, however, tomorrow is game one and it's getting late.  The rain turns into a drizzle, but it's cold.  There's a chill in the air that's common to Nevada.  The sort of desert chill you see on those nature shows when they show all the nocturnal animals on the prowl in the sand.  Yeah, that cold.  The cold doesn't effect UH people though.  We bundle up, but again, the excitement warms up our bodies like hot chocolate.  It's a comforting feeling. 

Five minutes to midnight and I sit here and blog about the night before UH's largest tournament so far.  The kids are all washed and in bed.  The 4th grade coach, Coach Otico is still texting me.  He's working late too.  Or maybe he's just a bit nervous.  He's been working hard on the women's spirit wear, hauling them all the way to Reno with a car full of kids.  If it was like my car "are we there yet" wasn't just a repeated question, it became their mantra.  So, I know he's just as tired and exhausted as I am.  I'm sure all the coaches and UH staff are.  We are tying up last minute things for tomorrow...like blogging.  Yes, I'm tired, my back hurts and I have a bit of a headache.  But, it's worth it for these kids.  What begins tomorrow, to the whole UH staff is worth all the efforts.  Tomorrow is a new day and an exciting day.  All our aches and pains endured this late night will dissipate in the morning air.  It's tournament time people and let's get it on!!!

The Road to Reno Chapter I

Chapter I:  How We Grew

Strength and conditioning

The road to Reno begins.  Everyone attending is excited, enthusiastic, nervous and a little bit fearful.  We take the time to note our path to the Jam On It tournament in Reno, NV.  Where did we start?  Let's take a minute to reflect on what we've accomplished this season thus far. 
In an earlier blog post, I remember how this organization started out with little more than a dream.  Maybe less than that, maybe just a mention of a good idea.  One year later, we've blossomed into a competitive and respected organization.  We grew.

4th Grade waiting for team bags

I remember the tryouts.  I remember being in awe of the talent who sought out to be part of Uptempo Hoops.  I felt nervous for the players trying out and in the end I wanted everyone to be part of the UH Family.  As hard as it was to decide on the core players, the decision was made with no regrets.  Onto the strength and conditioning unique to UH by Precision Athletics.   It was a few weeks of hard boot camp style training.  Watching the players made the parents tired (as amused as we were).  That seems ages ago.  We grew stronger.

5th Grade watching and cheering on 4th Grade

Since then, we were able to raise enough money to buy each player a team bag.  This was through the hard efforts of our members soliciting donations, sponsorships, etc.  As a reminder, 100% of money gathered goes to the kids.  That has always been part of our philosophy. What we do, we do together and for the players.  We grew closer.  

In groups, we watched and cheered for our other teams, and we learned from them.  We faced a number of tournaments.  We won some.  We lost some.  However, we learned from each matchup.  The players increasingly got better and better.  We learned plays, understood positions, learned to play with strangers and make them brothers.  Even coaches learned and matured in the process, growing close to their players turning the organization into a brethren.  We grew smarter. 

6th Grade fighting for a rebound in a tournament

7th Grade scrimmage

We faced friends and previous teammates, as well as strangers in scrimmages.  We played them hard like any other game.  We pushed.  We stood strong.  We dribbled hard.  Our rebounding couldn't be matched as we blocked out and grabbed second chance points.  Moreover, we played with unrivaled discipline.  We walked off the court, win or lose, head's high because we never lacked class.  We grew respectfully.

The excitement and anticipation for the road to Reno is shared by the whole group.  Through the training, the practices, the tournaments, the scrimmages, we've prepared ourselves for something more than the largest AAU tournament.  We prepared ourselves for what it means to be a team.  Not TEAMS.  The 4th grade will cheer on the 6th grade, the 7th grade will cheer on the 5th grade and so on.  We started out in tryouts as a bunch of kids who loved basketball and just wanted to play.  We enter Reno as one team in support, camaraderie.  This is how we got here.  This is the beginning of our road.  We grew.  We grew stronger.  We grew closer.   We grew smarter.  We grew respectfully.  We grew into FAMILY (on 3!!). 

All Uptempo Hoops huddle and listen

Two Grades, Four Teams and A Lot of Ice Cream

The Raptors Host UH for a Scrimmage

It was Thursday, May 11 and a very cool evening.  Outside, the wind picked up and it was getting cooler.  Inside, action picked up and it was getting hotter.  We were running late, but walked into 2 scrimmages already in process.  The larger full court of CCMS was divided in half.  In the far court the UH 5th grade went up against the Raptors 5th grade.  The small court did not sway either team..  They were going at it hard and playing well.  They were committed to the dribble, passed well and each team scoring.  It was a very good match up.   In the near court were the two 4th grade teams, fast paced as ever.  Commanding of the ball changing back and forth and back. 

4th Grade Scrimmage

I watched more of the 4th grade scrimmage.  It may have been fast paced, but from what I saw, our 4th grade players were doing extremely well.  That is until they moved to the full (larger) court.  They seemed to run out of gas.  They were moving off the court in a slow paced fashion.  This may have been true of the other team too, but it's hard to focus on the opponent when one is intent on their own players.  "Pick it up!!" shouted Coach Otico with intent.  He was right to do so.  We should have all yelled "pick it up!!" or "move faster!!"  They eventually did and it was a good game to watch. 

5th Grade Scrimmage

The 5th grade (larger court scrimmage) was fast paced from the get go.  They sat out first watching and cheering on the 4th grade, but once it was time to switch, they launched into action.  The opponent put on a good defense.  Coach Narciso took a time out to regroup and review with the team.  He encouraged them to think on the court and play better defense.  The Raptors' defense was strong.  Our boys had to use their basketball IQ and think quick.  They were full of energy and enthusiasm.  Bodies bounced against the hardwood as they dove for loose balls.  They stuck with the rolling ball until it crossed the out of bounds line and awaited the decision:  UH or Raptors ball?  This went on until the end when the score was so obviously close. 

4th Grade enjoying ice cream

Coach Narciso encouraging his team

This was an unusual scrimmage because the 4 teams shared the large group.  The 4th grade switching with the 5th grade like tag team wrestlers.  The next anxious to get back in and pin down the opponent (figuratively speaking of course).  Maybe because it was a less than normal game or scrimmage, our boys didn't play as hard as they could have.  From what I saw, our teams were still strong, but could have used a little more "oomph"...if that's how you spell it.  Or maybe they knew there was a surprise at the end for all 4 teams.  There was an ice cream social...and yes.  It was cold.  Cold or not, they dawned on the Uptempo Hoops hoodies and dug right into the ice cream sundaes.  Some went back for seconds.  The 4th grade went first and lined up again right after the 5th grade. 


4th and 5th Grade in line for ice cream

As always scrimmages are welcomed as they add a dimension to our usual practices.  Even so, we remember these are practices for games.  The intensity should always be there 110%.  Scrimmages are an opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them.  It's a time for the coaches to assess the weaknesses and encourage the team strengths.  Overall, the teams did well.  I'm always proud of these teams and I love watching them play.  They did well overall tonight.  Most players came with intensity and passion.  Coaches came, as always, ready to coach a team with victory in mind (score kept or not).  It's in the attitude. 

Hopefully this scrimmage has prepped our young players for their next game....Jam On It Reno, NV.  Good luck players!!