PIZAA HUT Mid Atlantic Show case was a huge success...

If you're a basketball fanatic, this was a great weekend to see some of the best young talent in not just this area, but from the Scranton, Philly, South Jersey, Maryland and Virginia area as well....  With over 150 boys and girls teams and over 6 different sites with multiple games being played, it was difficult to be at every game a fan wanted to see.....

Events like this should be a regular thing in the Harrisburg area and if it does happen, the basketball exposure in this area will pick up dramatically....   I watched an Advance Hoops 5th grade team get to the Championships against a team out of Philly....  These young guys such as Tyreese Smith, Keyian Bullock, Jordan McCraw, Alin Jones and Gerald Jarmon Jr, just to name a few, were just assembled this year and lost by single digits to a team that has been together for 4 years, ALL YEAR ROUND!!!! 

Parents and kids will have to understand that when you can take THE BEST 5th graders from an area and keep them together for 3, 4, and 5 years, you can now compete on a high level because of their ability to gel with one another... 

Talent alone doesn't work, what that brings is selfish basketball....   Kids that are normally the best players on their rec ball league team, aren't used to making the extra pass or giving the next man props because he was the leading scorer....  but these are the things that can help make a successful team and help build character...

There were a couple of teams that played in older divisions this weekend....  It wasn't about winning, it was about learning to compete on higher levels and fight adversity...  Build character when things aren't going your way and play ball the right way so the team will have a chance to win... 

There were some young guys I saw some promise in against older kids....  They just have to stay focused on training, stay positive, and continue to be coachable....  I watched kids like Ty Little, Austin Gilbertson, Grey Hess, Shaquan Benton, and Brian Garner develop over the weekend playing against kids that were 1 to 2 years older....  Not worrying about winning and losing so much, just focused on playing the right way!!!

There also were kids I saw who couldn't handle the added pressure...  Those kids have to decide how bad they want to become a better player.....

Remember, it's not about who the best middle school player is, it's all about being the best you can be as a junior and senior so you can earn a college scholarship....