The new RV Baugus Tex Preps Magazine is in stores now(Barnes and Noble). Some notables:
City is deep in 2014 -According to the magazine, 3 of the top 10 players in 2014 are SA area kids. "The Bakers Dozen" for 2014 has Recee' Caldwell #2(Johnson), McKenzie Calvert #3(Steele) and Wendy Knight #10(Reagan) in the class of 2014.
Featured-Wagner gets some major love with a glowing write up and featured pictures of three players, Adriane Davis, Aundrea Davis, and Kiarra Rivera.
Stats- Some local coaches do a great job at providing info on players and stats to the magazine. This helps increase the awareness of their programs and players. Reagan, Champion, Marshall, Steele, Jay, Stevens, Brennan, and Canyon are SOME of the schools that do a good job with working with the magazine.
No Top Teams?!- For the first time in while, no are teams are considered preseason Top 10 in the state by the magazine. Perennial Top 10 preseason teams Wagner and Steele are missing. John Jay has made the list the last couple years.
I would be very surprised if Steele is not a Top 10 team this season. Talent wins games and Steele has two legitimate McDonald All-American candidates in McKenzie Calvert(soph) and Kyra Lambert(frosh). They also have Rice commit and one of the best kids in the city in Elena Gumbs. Add talented freshman, Bri Mallard and Steele SHOULD make a legitimate run at Austin. Kari Wallace is used to coaching overwhelming talent and should be able keep everybody going in the same direction.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Senobia Winbush commits!
Senobia Winbush, the skilled forward for Clemens, has committed to Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
According to her SA Lady Rohawks coach Charlie Harper, Winbush had a number of suitors but decided that The Islander program was the best fit for her.
Winbush's size and skill apparently made her a much wanted prospect. She can guard on the perimeter and her length allows for her to rebound against bigger opponents.
Congrats Senobia!
According to her SA Lady Rohawks coach Charlie Harper, Winbush had a number of suitors but decided that The Islander program was the best fit for her.
Winbush's size and skill apparently made her a much wanted prospect. She can guard on the perimeter and her length allows for her to rebound against bigger opponents.
Congrats Senobia!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Erica Hernandez Commits!
The South Texas Hoyas have two of the best young teams in state of Texas. One of the first things you notice when watching the little Hoyas is the prevalence of young Latinas wearing a ponytail on the side of their heads. The reason why is simple; Erica Hernandez wears her hair the same way.
Hernandez reportedly committed to Southeastern Louisiana today on her official visit. The road to her Division 1 commitment has been a long one.
The first time I saw Hernandez was in a Georgetown tournament when she was in the 7th grade. Even then, Hernandez was torching the nets and scoring almost at will. Hernandez has a knack for inspiring others. In that Central Texas gym five years ago, the middle school scoring machine walked up to a 10 year old and said, " You are gonna be good, you remind me of Diana Taurasi". The 10 year old smile lit up the gym and she remembers that encounter with Hernandez to this day. Hernandez status is almost legendary in Floresville as she inspires the future Erica Hernandez's to achieve.
Hernandez was a Top 5 scorer in the area last season and has to be considered one of the favorites to lead the city in scoring this season.
Congrats Erica!
Hernandez reportedly committed to Southeastern Louisiana today on her official visit. The road to her Division 1 commitment has been a long one.
The first time I saw Hernandez was in a Georgetown tournament when she was in the 7th grade. Even then, Hernandez was torching the nets and scoring almost at will. Hernandez has a knack for inspiring others. In that Central Texas gym five years ago, the middle school scoring machine walked up to a 10 year old and said, " You are gonna be good, you remind me of Diana Taurasi". The 10 year old smile lit up the gym and she remembers that encounter with Hernandez to this day. Hernandez status is almost legendary in Floresville as she inspires the future Erica Hernandez's to achieve.
Hernandez was a Top 5 scorer in the area last season and has to be considered one of the favorites to lead the city in scoring this season.
Congrats Erica!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Alan Stein on Charlie Harper!
"You can be successful and not significant. (Success has to do with achieving goals, significance is about impacting lives)" Alan Stein
Alan Stein does not know Charlie Harper and his Lady Rohawk program. Stein is one of the most respected and recognized strength and conditioning trainers in basketball. Stein may not know Coach Harper but his tweet this morning provided a perfect description of Harper and his relevance to San Antonio girls basketball.
Noelle Kindred is a Lady Rohawk. Even though she has moved on to college basketball, she will tell you that she is a Lady Rohawk to the core. Kindred has an older sister, Nicole, who also played for the Lady Rohawks and matriculated to Our Lady of the Lake to play basketball. The Kindred sisters have a younger sister name Natasha. Natasha is too a Lady Rohawk and she is the most talented of all three sisters. Nathasha and Nicole have size, length, athleticism that college coaches look for. They also play(ed) major minutes for MacArthur High School. Noelle is not blessed with the same physical attributes as her two sisters. She played sparingly for MacArthur during her time there. However, Noelle is PLAYING college basketball for free. Noelle is attending Iowa Community College and her first two years of education are being paid for. This is the type of significance that Charlie Harper and his Lady Rohawk program has on the lives of his players.
Gone are the days when Coach Harper had BCS caliber players like his daughter CeCe(Kansas), Monica Engleman(Kansas), and Sune Agbuke(Baylor). Many believed that Harper's days were numbered as a successful club director when CeCe left to college. Since CeCe's departure, Harper has HELPED 11 out of 11 seniors graduate to college basketball programs!
The Lady Rohawks played in the ShesBallin Extravaganza this past April. The Rohawks took a beating on the court. An opposing coach was overheard saying "mismatch" after his team beat the Rohawks by 50 or so points. No onlooker could claim that Harper was being successful at that time; except Coach Harper.
Harper puts little significance into winning and losing club basketball games. He can care less if kids barely earn playing time for their high school teams. In fact, he is almost "blinded" by his mission. The first time I saw this perceived "lack of foresight" was two years ago. We were sitting in a gym watching his daughter CeCe play against Reagan. Reagan had a junior guard on the team that barely played. He leaned over to me and whispered, "I'm going to get that kid into school." I thought he was crazy! This kid looked good in warm ups and at halftime but played no more than 10 minutes in a high school game. I wondered how a kid that could not garner playing time as a junior in high school basketball was going to thrive on the ultra competitive club circuit that the Rohawks play on. By that June, I saw how shortsighted I had been. I was the one who was apparently blinded by perception. I saw the Reagan bench player hold her own against a loaded TeamXpess team that featured BCS guards in Len'Nique Brown, KiKi Ageous and Meighan Simmons. I had to take notice of the newly transformed player and learn her name was Alicia Houston. Houston went on to have a great summer and played major minutes for Reagan her senior year. More importantly, she went on to earn a scholarship to Midwestern State, a Division 2 school in Central Texas.
Speaking from a SUCCESS standpoint, one could make the argument that Harper has not achieved what other clubs in the city have as of late. Harper can not claim dozens of BCS kids on his website. Harper can not claim to have beaten the so called best club teams in the city over the last few years. What Harper can claim is that every senior kid in his program has graduated to a college basketball opportunity. Just as important, his impact on their lives is evident.
When Harper is working his graveyard shift, he gets frequent text messages from his former players seeking his advice. Some text how much they miss him and learned from him. One recent text was from Ebony Watkins. The UTA freshman quit the Lady Rohawks going into her junior year. She came back for a senior season that catapulted her onto the national scene. Those who know Ebony can not deny the maturity that she developed under the tutelage of Harper.
Success is relative. The same coach who beat the Lady Rohawks badly and yelled "mismatch" is having success with the help of Harper. Harper taught a young recent grad to dribble. He paid trainers to work with this kid when his job would not allow for him to work with her and his team. This player chose one of the most prestigious schools in the country and will be playing basketball this season at this school. The coach who yelled mismatch helped train this kid for a short period of time, yet put her matriculation on his website as one of his success stories. True, this coach helped her but it was Charlie Harper and his Lady Rohawk program that nurtured this kid and had the most impact on her BASKETBALL destination.
In a recent meeting with Harper, I found him to be kind of rude. He takes dozens of calls in the middle of conversation. He can be loud, his laugh at a decibel that can be heard two blocks away. He will leave his guest waiting; waiting on him to take calls from coaches as he constantly promotes his players. His phone calls and interruptions during meetings are a humbling experience. I found myself listening to call after call from former players who just wanted a little of his time. They seek his advice, they thank him for his frequent text messages of encouragement.
In a day where some club coaches charge exorbitant fees to provide recruiting assistance for their own kids to get in school, Harper is winning. In the day where club coaches constantly recruit over their own players to chase trophies, Harper is successful. In the day of kids playing for club coaches and despising the experience with regret, Harper is leading the pack. Unfortunately, some of us are so far behind that we think we are winning!
Alan Stein does not know Charlie Harper and his Lady Rohawk program. Stein is one of the most respected and recognized strength and conditioning trainers in basketball. Stein may not know Coach Harper but his tweet this morning provided a perfect description of Harper and his relevance to San Antonio girls basketball.
Noelle Kindred is a Lady Rohawk. Even though she has moved on to college basketball, she will tell you that she is a Lady Rohawk to the core. Kindred has an older sister, Nicole, who also played for the Lady Rohawks and matriculated to Our Lady of the Lake to play basketball. The Kindred sisters have a younger sister name Natasha. Natasha is too a Lady Rohawk and she is the most talented of all three sisters. Nathasha and Nicole have size, length, athleticism that college coaches look for. They also play(ed) major minutes for MacArthur High School. Noelle is not blessed with the same physical attributes as her two sisters. She played sparingly for MacArthur during her time there. However, Noelle is PLAYING college basketball for free. Noelle is attending Iowa Community College and her first two years of education are being paid for. This is the type of significance that Charlie Harper and his Lady Rohawk program has on the lives of his players.
Gone are the days when Coach Harper had BCS caliber players like his daughter CeCe(Kansas), Monica Engleman(Kansas), and Sune Agbuke(Baylor). Many believed that Harper's days were numbered as a successful club director when CeCe left to college. Since CeCe's departure, Harper has HELPED 11 out of 11 seniors graduate to college basketball programs!
The Lady Rohawks played in the ShesBallin Extravaganza this past April. The Rohawks took a beating on the court. An opposing coach was overheard saying "mismatch" after his team beat the Rohawks by 50 or so points. No onlooker could claim that Harper was being successful at that time; except Coach Harper.
Harper puts little significance into winning and losing club basketball games. He can care less if kids barely earn playing time for their high school teams. In fact, he is almost "blinded" by his mission. The first time I saw this perceived "lack of foresight" was two years ago. We were sitting in a gym watching his daughter CeCe play against Reagan. Reagan had a junior guard on the team that barely played. He leaned over to me and whispered, "I'm going to get that kid into school." I thought he was crazy! This kid looked good in warm ups and at halftime but played no more than 10 minutes in a high school game. I wondered how a kid that could not garner playing time as a junior in high school basketball was going to thrive on the ultra competitive club circuit that the Rohawks play on. By that June, I saw how shortsighted I had been. I was the one who was apparently blinded by perception. I saw the Reagan bench player hold her own against a loaded TeamXpess team that featured BCS guards in Len'Nique Brown, KiKi Ageous and Meighan Simmons. I had to take notice of the newly transformed player and learn her name was Alicia Houston. Houston went on to have a great summer and played major minutes for Reagan her senior year. More importantly, she went on to earn a scholarship to Midwestern State, a Division 2 school in Central Texas.
Speaking from a SUCCESS standpoint, one could make the argument that Harper has not achieved what other clubs in the city have as of late. Harper can not claim dozens of BCS kids on his website. Harper can not claim to have beaten the so called best club teams in the city over the last few years. What Harper can claim is that every senior kid in his program has graduated to a college basketball opportunity. Just as important, his impact on their lives is evident.
When Harper is working his graveyard shift, he gets frequent text messages from his former players seeking his advice. Some text how much they miss him and learned from him. One recent text was from Ebony Watkins. The UTA freshman quit the Lady Rohawks going into her junior year. She came back for a senior season that catapulted her onto the national scene. Those who know Ebony can not deny the maturity that she developed under the tutelage of Harper.
Success is relative. The same coach who beat the Lady Rohawks badly and yelled "mismatch" is having success with the help of Harper. Harper taught a young recent grad to dribble. He paid trainers to work with this kid when his job would not allow for him to work with her and his team. This player chose one of the most prestigious schools in the country and will be playing basketball this season at this school. The coach who yelled mismatch helped train this kid for a short period of time, yet put her matriculation on his website as one of his success stories. True, this coach helped her but it was Charlie Harper and his Lady Rohawk program that nurtured this kid and had the most impact on her BASKETBALL destination.
In a recent meeting with Harper, I found him to be kind of rude. He takes dozens of calls in the middle of conversation. He can be loud, his laugh at a decibel that can be heard two blocks away. He will leave his guest waiting; waiting on him to take calls from coaches as he constantly promotes his players. His phone calls and interruptions during meetings are a humbling experience. I found myself listening to call after call from former players who just wanted a little of his time. They seek his advice, they thank him for his frequent text messages of encouragement.
In a day where some club coaches charge exorbitant fees to provide recruiting assistance for their own kids to get in school, Harper is winning. In the day where club coaches constantly recruit over their own players to chase trophies, Harper is successful. In the day of kids playing for club coaches and despising the experience with regret, Harper is leading the pack. Unfortunately, some of us are so far behind that we think we are winning!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Great HoopGurlz Article!
ESPN HoopGurlz writer Marc Lewis does it again. Here is a terrific piece on "having too many cooks in the kitchen".
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Football Tips!
Watching the precision of the Steele offense against Southwest tonight, I noticed some quick similarities to elite basketball players.
QB- A good quarterback throws to areas and leads his receiver to success. A good point guard leads her teammates with passes that also enables success. Passing to Bigs at half court vs aggressive traps is setting them up for failure. Like a good QB, a good PG will give a "catch and shoot" shooter a pass that flows into her shot. While a QB may throw a few jump balls , the elite QB's throw passes that allow for yards after a catch, the same way a good PG will make passes that lead to easy scores.
Offensive Linemen- Contact is a good thing. When training young girls to play in the post, it can be difficult to teach them that sealing a defender and holding that seal is advantageous. A lot of kids want to play what I call "hide and seek". They make a basket cut and try to run away from defenders. This allows defenders to shoot the gaps and intercept late passes. Instead of cutting and running away, good cutters and post players seal opposing defenders by initiating contact. In football, offensive linemen understand that contact is the only way for them to do their job successfully.
Running Backs- A good running back plays low and changes direction by planting their outside foot. A good slashing basketball player has a tight enough handle to NOT let the ball hinder their change of direction or pace. Playing low and planting the outside foot allows for north south plays. Like a good running back, a good slasher constantly reads the 'secondary" by having her eyes up and ability to beat more than one defender.
QB- A good quarterback throws to areas and leads his receiver to success. A good point guard leads her teammates with passes that also enables success. Passing to Bigs at half court vs aggressive traps is setting them up for failure. Like a good QB, a good PG will give a "catch and shoot" shooter a pass that flows into her shot. While a QB may throw a few jump balls , the elite QB's throw passes that allow for yards after a catch, the same way a good PG will make passes that lead to easy scores.
Offensive Linemen- Contact is a good thing. When training young girls to play in the post, it can be difficult to teach them that sealing a defender and holding that seal is advantageous. A lot of kids want to play what I call "hide and seek". They make a basket cut and try to run away from defenders. This allows defenders to shoot the gaps and intercept late passes. Instead of cutting and running away, good cutters and post players seal opposing defenders by initiating contact. In football, offensive linemen understand that contact is the only way for them to do their job successfully.
Running Backs- A good running back plays low and changes direction by planting their outside foot. A good slashing basketball player has a tight enough handle to NOT let the ball hinder their change of direction or pace. Playing low and planting the outside foot allows for north south plays. Like a good running back, a good slasher constantly reads the 'secondary" by having her eyes up and ability to beat more than one defender.
Keith Taylor with the assist!
With the first day of high school visits for college coaches tomorrow, the city will again have distinguished visitors.
To prepare for these visitors, some high schools coaches have been doing their part to HELP their kids get in school.
According to conversations with a few Division 1 coaches this past month, the name of Raven Reyes has continued to come up. The reason for the added interest in "Rae Rae" is a major push from Jay assistant, Kieth Taylor.
Coach Taylor has apparently been sending numerous emails and providing video of Reyes to Division 1 coaches lately. Reyes has a number of schools already on her trail due to her participation with her club team, South Texas Hoyas. However, Coach Taylor has dutifully been beating the bushes to increase her options.
This is a stark contrast to a story a Division 1 coach told me recently. Reportedly, a local high school coach whom has significant tenure, yet has not won at a successful level, was contacted by colleges often. This complacent coach failed to HELP her star athlete in anyway in terms of communicating and working with colleges. This coach uses the kid to chase wins, but does not help her in her pursuit of using basketball to gain an education. This kid, a 2012 player, recently committed to a Division 1 University. Now her high school coach wants to enjoy the ride and throw celebrations in November for the Letter of Intent signing.
I was encouraged last year when I visited Madison High School's new gym. The sparking new foyer to the gym contained a beautiful case. The case did not contain recent district titles from the girls basketball program because Madison has not won district recently. What the case did contain were pictures and the accomplishments of CeCe Harper and Monica Engleman. Both of the Division 1 players for Kansas are being celebrated for their contribution to the Madison program and THEY are the true trophies for that program. The Madison program allowed both kids to flourish while both kids established Madison as a Top 10 team in the city. This was mutually beneficial relationship.
It is great to hear of coaches like Keith Taylor and his boss, Mike Floyd, who care for their kids beyond high school. I hear that some high school coaches have problems with overvaluing their players when marketing them to colleges by claiming a Divison 3 walk-on is a High Major Division 1 starter. However, overvaluing players is surely better than under appreciating them and their contributions by not HELPING them pursue a college education.
To prepare for these visitors, some high schools coaches have been doing their part to HELP their kids get in school.
According to conversations with a few Division 1 coaches this past month, the name of Raven Reyes has continued to come up. The reason for the added interest in "Rae Rae" is a major push from Jay assistant, Kieth Taylor.
Coach Taylor has apparently been sending numerous emails and providing video of Reyes to Division 1 coaches lately. Reyes has a number of schools already on her trail due to her participation with her club team, South Texas Hoyas. However, Coach Taylor has dutifully been beating the bushes to increase her options.
This is a stark contrast to a story a Division 1 coach told me recently. Reportedly, a local high school coach whom has significant tenure, yet has not won at a successful level, was contacted by colleges often. This complacent coach failed to HELP her star athlete in anyway in terms of communicating and working with colleges. This coach uses the kid to chase wins, but does not help her in her pursuit of using basketball to gain an education. This kid, a 2012 player, recently committed to a Division 1 University. Now her high school coach wants to enjoy the ride and throw celebrations in November for the Letter of Intent signing.
I was encouraged last year when I visited Madison High School's new gym. The sparking new foyer to the gym contained a beautiful case. The case did not contain recent district titles from the girls basketball program because Madison has not won district recently. What the case did contain were pictures and the accomplishments of CeCe Harper and Monica Engleman. Both of the Division 1 players for Kansas are being celebrated for their contribution to the Madison program and THEY are the true trophies for that program. The Madison program allowed both kids to flourish while both kids established Madison as a Top 10 team in the city. This was mutually beneficial relationship.
It is great to hear of coaches like Keith Taylor and his boss, Mike Floyd, who care for their kids beyond high school. I hear that some high school coaches have problems with overvaluing their players when marketing them to colleges by claiming a Divison 3 walk-on is a High Major Division 1 starter. However, overvaluing players is surely better than under appreciating them and their contributions by not HELPING them pursue a college education.
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