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!!

5th Grade Scrimmage vs. UC Kings

UH 5th Grades Hosts UC Kings

J. Ortiz and J. Houston ready to block out.

The 5th grade was ready for a great matchup against one of our local basketball clubs, the UC Kings.  The Kings were there early and after a short warmup for both teams, it was game time.  Both sides played hard.  Like other scrimmages, this was a close game.  There were several lead changes and the points were never too far apart.  There were some great plays including a rainbow shot by S. Fitchie for 2 points.  There were so many great plays that I saw, I am not able to list them all.  I saw great ball handling by J. Oki and N. Gloria and awesome rebounding by J. Ortiz and C. Haastrup.  There were great plays orchestrated by seasoned AAU players like N. Narciso, B. Peterson, and J. Radich.  As well as great contribution by new UH players like M. Luyon, M. Austria and A. Tohouri.  Their effort kept this game close. 

M.Luyon and J. Oki ready for action

N. Narciso talking it up on the court

The 5th grade team is a strong confident team with a lot of skills.  They were able to focus on the game they love and direct that energy positively on the court.  As this game went on emotions ran high.  Fans were glued to the fast paced action while the ball changed hands many times as well as the score.  It seemed the teams were neck and neck almost the whole game.  The score was close until the end of the game.  Our two coaches covered both ends of the court shouting plays and demanding movement.  The directions could be heard ringing throughout the gym.  The boys scrambled with every command and set up like naturals.  They all knew what to do and took directions well. 

The Kings started to pull ahead within the last few minutes of the game.  They were driving strong to the basket.  UH lost only by 7 points.  They continued to drive to the basket, rebound and complete passes until the very end of the game.  They fought hard, but it just wasn't their night.  We are very proud of the way our boys played this scrimmage and look forward to facing the Kings again in the future.  Great job to Coach Roland Narciso and Coach JP Peterson.  It was a well played game and a well coached game.

4th Grade Mission College on 5/12

4th Grade Mission College on 5/12

Fight for that rebound

It was a warm Saturday and the 4th grade had another tournament scheduled in Mission College just one week after their last tournament.  One thing for sure, it's at a better gym.  The Mission College gym has Paye's Place beat.  It's very well kept and spacious and bright.  The boys enjoy playing at this at this gym.  The games were scheduled in the afternoon.  At first ,we were unsure who would attend.  There were other events going on at the same time.  Out of our team of 13, 12 of the players arrived anxious to play. 

Boys working hard on the court against Esface.

The first game was against the Berkely Redhawks.  It was a rusty game for our players.  They weren't very fluid.  A few of them had forgotten what they were suppose to do on the floor.  Maybe the game was too late in the afternoon.  They were always leaving #24 open for an easy layup.  Some of the boys seemed a bit tired.  With all that being said, UH led the whole game.  The Redhawks played hard, but UH won the game with 8 points above the Redhawks.  After this game, the boys had an hour to kill until the next game.  The next game was scheduled at 5pm versus a club called Esface. 

Esface was a tough team with great rebounding.  Their bigs were hard to block out and hard to guard.  Our players would often lose sight of these players and there were easy baskets made.  UH fell behind quickly and Esface led most of the first half.  After hafltime, UH came back energized.  Our guards were drove to the basket with determination and the passes were more accurate.  Some of our defense was still a bit lacking, but overall, there was much improvement.  UH closed the gap by 4 points and finally losing by only 7 points.  It was an exciting game.  As the gap closed, the UH fans roared with excitement.  Unfortunately it was a bit too little too late.  It was a loss for UH, but they put on a great show in the second half.  The boys knew they were falling behind and worked hard to catch up.  The 4th grade ended the tournament with a 1-1 record.  Even though they lost the second game, the true measure is performance.  Seeing them work hard and execute plays is really what is important.  Good job to the 4th grade and the coaches. 

Congrats 4th graders

4th Grade Hosts a Scrimmage at Home

4th Grade Uptempo Hoops vs. UC Kings

May 11 at 8pm was set for a scrimmage between two strong Union City youth basketball organizations.  Uptempo Hoops hosted the UC Kings.  It was a friendly match up between two groups filled with familiar players.  The UC Kings are a seasoned ball club.  Our boys can stand to learn from this scrimmage.  The first half was hesitant on both sides, but growing increasingly aggressive.  The lead changed many times. The game stayed close.  UH may have opened up the scoring, but the next 2 points belonged to the Kings.  It went back and forth like this the first half.  The UH boys seemed a bit out of sort with their playing.  There was lack of communication and maybe some nerves as shown with the less than perfect dribbling.  UH needed to heat up.  They needed to show more aggression.  I can't remember who led at the half, but I know only one basket separated winner and loser.  Our coaches had to do some serious talking to our boys.  They were not meshing well.  There appeared to be a lot of focus on technique, but not a lot of effort on execution.

J. Duenas playing center had a great night of rebounding

Players watching, waiting, anticipating.

Second half was a different story.  The UH boys came out charged and owning the court.  Quickly, they pulled ahead by 4 points, then 6 and so on.  Their strong defense caused turnovers and the rebounding was a 110% better than in the first half.  They were blocking out and getting the second chance points.  As a spectator, you can hear more communication on the court.  The UH boys came back from their huddle with new found spirit.  This may be a scrimmage, but they understood to treat this like any other game.  They knew they had to hit the floor feet running and balls bouncing.  There was no time for them to find themselves out on the floor.  Half of a basketball game can go very fast.  The bigs had some awesome blocks. The guards stole and drove to the hole, not looking back.  Finally, the forwards stepped up by rotating to the basket, protecting the rim and setting up screens.  There was more passion on the court. 

Players waiting for an inbound

The game grew intense.  Emotions were worn on their sleeves, or, rather, their jerseys.  Both sides clung to the ball creating a lot of jump ball situations, neither side ready to relinquish control.  Bodies, dove to the ground, causing a thump on the floor and squeaking of skin against hardwood.  Arms were thrown during rebounds and bodiless hands caused turnovers.  Players slammed the ball, driving down the court, until finally putting the ball out of its misery by sinking it through the rim.  The UH team continued to pull ahead until...count down... 10 - 9 - 8 - 7...the ball is owned by UH... 6 - 5 - 4...now the ball belongs to the Kings... 3 - 2 - 1... game ends with a UH victory by 12 points.   

Cinco De Mayo Picnic

Fun in the Sun and Why it's "Family"

The 7th grade team planned a Cinco De Mayo picnic because they had a few hours to kill between games for the Pacific Tournament.  It sounded like fun.  I decided to ask if the 4th graders can come and enjoy the fun and bond with their older counterparts.  What better day to have a picnic than Cinco De Mayo?  What better location than Burton Park in San Carlos?  The 4th grade was there, just around the corner anyway.  The 7th grade had game one at 10:00 am and coincidentally the 4th grade had their 2nd game at 10:00 am.  The 7th grade Team Managers thought it was a great idea to have both teams together.  Unfortunately, because it was short notice for our 4th grade team, only 2 players were able to make it and join the fun. 

Players from 7th grade and 4th grade teams pose with pinatas

Burton Park was beautiful.  We set up near the outdoor basketball courts, which were next to the tennis courts and close to parking.  There are baseball fields and two playgrounds.  The park also has a small water park and ample grass area.  The one downside is limited bathrooms.  We were able to park close and enjoy lunch with everyone during this warm, but mostly mild day.  The 7th grade players were in great spirits even after a close loss.  Our 7th grade team is made up of a group of wonderful boys.  They are on the brink manhood, but always the playful boys at heart.  They treated the two 4th graders like younger cousins.  One 4th grader is actually a 3rd grader, but the older kids treated him like he was just another ball player, not just some little kid.  As a group, they walked together, played together and beat up pinatas together.  After lunch, to kill time, the players walked to a wide grass field and played football. The team which won admitted to winning by "cheating".  Everyone was laughing while walking back.  There were no hard feelings.  It didn't even matter who won. 

Football game in action. 

It was pinata time!  At first, some parents were reluctant to have a pinata, wondering if 7th graders were too old.  As I mentioned:  boys at heart always.  That's a good thing.  They loved having the pinatas.  First, the players debated back and forth deciding who would get first swing at the hanging paper star.  The two 4th grade players were allowed to take the first swings.  Then walked over a 2 and a 1/2 year old, wide eyed baby girl.  The older players were so nice to help her hold the bat and cheer her on.  The first pinata didn't last very long.  The beatings it got from even the younger family members wore the thing down.  One of our mothers, A. Corona, tried her best to ressurect the pinata by rewiring the hook as a father, A. Carter, pulled on the rope.  The pinata hit the ground and was victim to a group of hyper boys hungry for candy.  They tore into it. Candy flew everywhere.  Nicely, everyone including the players gave some to the younger girls who attended the picnic.  Some players didn't get to hit the pinata, so out comes pinata #2. 

B. Gisler gives pinata #2 a good whack!  Look ma, no blindfold!

I'm not sure if pinata #2 had it easier.  The players seemed to keep tying it back up just to hit it again.  Players all wanted to just swing the bat, some blind folded, some with no blind fold so they can get a good hit in.  Streamers attached to the star flew in the wind and twisted with every blow.  More candy everywhere.  Kids filled their grocery bags with gum, lollipops and chocolate.  Just like kids, parents filled their hands with candy to take home.  Lucky for the 4th graders, the day of games were over, however, the 7th graders still had to face game #2.  We were a bit worried the 7th graders exhausted themselves and filled their bodies up with fruit flavored sugar.  However, they are the young and sugar burns off much faster. 

Boys don't hesitate to grab their share.

Once a pinata, now a hat.

The day drew on and it got hotter.  The kids had their fun in the sun.  The parents relaxed and even Coach Fitzgerald showed up with his son.  It was a lot of fun.  I'm appreciative the 7th graders included us.  It's moments like this which make UH a family.  On the way home to the East Bay, my van was quiet.  All three kids had fallen asleep.  It was a good day.   Team Managers, L. Gisler and T. Carter did a fantastic job of setting up this event and sharing it with other UH members.  The summer hasn't yet begun, but I know there will be other moments such as this to look forward to.

Pacific Tourney for the 7th grade

3 Games, 2 days, the Pacific Tourney on Cinco De Mayo

The below write up written and submitted by T. Carter.

Great weekend Uptempo Family! We played against some good competition and had some fun in the sun. We had a slow start but ended on a positive note, taking 3rd place in our pool. Our first game was a nail biter with much excitement in the end. Although we lost by 3 points, we really excelled in the second half scoring 34 of our 50 points. Leading scorers were Ambulkar with 13 and Conner with 12. Our second game was evenly scored per quarter, we kept up an even tempo while tiring them out in the second half.  Gisler leading the team with 17 of our 35 points.  Not our teams best game, but a great learning lesson.

Hearing words of encouragement on day 1.

Now talk about saving the best for last, what a game on Sunday with a win of 49 to 22 against Modesto Blast. We played a great defensive game, allowing most of their points in the first half and shutting them down by end of third quarter. Leading again was Gisler with 16 points, not far behind was Ambulkar with 7 and Conner and Murphy scoring 6 each. As always all three games were played with an Uptempo team spirit, well executed passing and a supportive team attitude, helping and encouraging one another.

Boys not quite ready for a picture...but that's ok.  Surprise!!

Game Points Scored Summary:

Sat. 5/5 vs Club Prototype
Loss 53 to 50
Parilla  2
Gisler  10
Ambulkar  13
Conner  12
Parilla  5 (one 3 point shot)
Lee  6 (two 3 point shots)
Carter   2

Sat. 5/5 vs Top Flight Elite
Loss 43 to 35
Ignacio  1
McKinney  4
Conner  2
Gisler  17
Lee  2
Hooper  2
Parilla  5 (one 3 point shot)
Ayson  2

Sun. 5/6 vs Modesto Blast
Win 49 to 22
McKinney  2
Murphy  6
Gisler  16
Ambulkar  7
Cha  4 (one 3 point shot)
Parilla  5
Ignacio  2
Conner  6
Hooper  1

You can see by the list of contributors, this is an all around team.  If their name isn't listed on a given day, it's because they contributed on assists and rebounds.  An all around team is built of all around players. Great job Uptempo Hoops 7th grade team!!

Cinco De Mayo 4th Grade Tournament

Cinco De May was filled with excitement

For the 4th grade Uptempo Hoops team, there's another tournament today.  The setting of this match up is Paye's Place in San Carlos and first game, an early 8:00 am.  I don't know if early morning games are harder for our young players or our parents who enjoy the weekend sleeping in.  The positive thing is, with early morning games, the parking and traffic is excellent.  The parking at Paye's can fill pretty quick and there is not a lot of street parking either. 

Game #1 against Paye's begins

The morning was chilly and a few players got there just in time, like ourselves.  Luckily the tournament itself was running a little late.  This gave the boys enough time to warm up as a team.  Paye's has 3 very small courts.  It's a nice facility, but the seating and sidelines are very limited in space.  The scoreboard hung high above the bleachers causing fans to constantly turn around to check on time and score.  We are grateful for the opportunity to play anywhere, but Paye's could use some updating to accommodate AAU tournaments better.  Onto game #1. 

Duenas, Ravara and Brar sets up for the inbound

The 4th grade played one of Paye's teams.  They were tall and the team was composed of 4th and 5th graders.  They had 6 players.  UH with their deep bench pulled ahead quickly leading by10 points early. Part of me felt a little disheartened.  We are accustomed to playing older and bigger boys, however at one point, we would like to play real 4th graders.  Are there any in the tournaments we enter?  The boys were ready to play and face the challenge as always.  With their confidence and bright spirits, Uptempo Hoops 4th grade team walked onto the small court.  The game was strangely quiet for an AAU game.  The opposing team fans were fairly polite and demure.  We felt a little "obnoxious" shouting out.  The game wasn't as fast paced as we have seen in the past, but it was still a good game.  The players played hard and all of them got in good game time.  The ending score was 19-26 with UH coming out the winner of game #1. 

Uptempo Hoops plays a great game against the Thunderbirds

Game #2, on the other hand, turned out to be extremely fast paced, loud and exciting.  We faced the Thunderbirds, we we faced earlier this season.  We were familiar with them.  This game did not disappoint.  Players were aggressive, yet there was respect from the players as well as the fans.  One of our players wiped out into out of bounds, and #24 of the Tbirds assisted him back up.  That mere gesture of stretching out that helping hand goes a long way in character.  The game goes on with the ball changing hands, players putting their bodies in harm's way and both teams with more than their share of fouls.  At this young age, there is so much talent on the court.  Both teams played great, wanting a win.  Unfortunately, UH lost steam, maybe due to playing the first game of the day or because it was a very physical game.  Our 4th grade boys lost to the Tbirds.  Again, the boys should feel proud of themselves.  As we gathered outside deciding who was going to an after tournament picnic, the Tbirds passed by complimenting our players and thanking us for a great game.  Two match ups against the Tbirds, both losses, but full of lessons learned. 

UH 4th grade poses after their win

Our 4th grade still has a lot to learn.  On the court, there is hesitation and almost a nervousness that won't go away.  Watching them, makes me nervous.  With that being said, with every tournament, they are getting better and meshing well as a team.  It will take a few more tournaments for this team to flow well.  It's the future, the next tournament which we look forward to. We stay positive because our boys stay positive.  We know they will get better and we have to remember, after three tournaments last year, we didn't have any wins.  (ha ha).  Cinco De Mayo goes on and it's picnic time with the Uptempo Hoops 7th grade team.