Showing posts with label Elite Hoops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elite Hoops. Show all posts

Thursday, February 28, 2013

March Madness

Posted by Anonymous | Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Category: , , , , , , | 0 comments

It's that time of year again... March is here. It happens every year, and there does not seem to be a cure for it, this condition is called March Madness. For all of those basketball junkies out there, who just can't get enough of high school and college hoops, this is the best time of year.

Where did March Madness originate and why? March Madness began in Illinois in 1908, as what just started as an annual invitational tournament. By the 1930's it grew to be a statewide event with more than 900 teams competing. The remaining 16 teams in the tournament known as the "sweet sixteen" would draw sell out crowds. This was before the time that college and pro games were on television. 

The term "March Madness" was given to this tournament by an assistant secretary (Henry V. Porter) for the Illinois High School Association after seeing this event. He was so impressed by it that he wrote an essay to commemorate the tournament. The press loved this term and they continued to use it. The tournament was officially called March Madness by the 1940's and 1950's.

Today March Madness is an annual event for both high school and college basketball. March Madness now includes the Elite Eight and Final Four. This year's Final Four for Georgia High School includes 3 Elite Hoops Trained Teams (St. Francis Boys and Girls, and Greater Atlanta Christian Boys) Sit back, grab your favorite snack, and enjoy the talented young men and women who love to play this game... March Madness is HERE!!!

Henry Porter's Poem: Basketball Ides of March

The gym lights gleam like a beacon beam
And a million motors hum
In a good will flight on a Friday night;
For basketball beckons, "Come!"

A sharp-shooting mite is king tonight.
The Madness of March is running.
The winged feet fly, the ball sails high
And field goal hunters are gunning.

The colors clash as silk suits flash
And race on a shimmering floor.
Repressions die, and partisans vie
In a goal acclaiming roar.

On a Championship Trail toward a holy grail,
All fans are birds of a feather.
It's fiesta night and cares lie light
When the air is full of leather.

Since time began, the instincts of man
Prove cave and current men kin.
On tournament night the sage and the wight
Are relatives under the skin.

It's festival time, sans reason or rhyme with nation-wide appeal.
In a cyclone of hate, our ship of state Rides high on an even keel.
With war nerves tense, the final defense
Is the courage, strength and will

In a million lives where freedom thrives
And liberty lingers still.
Now eagles fly and heroes die
Beneath some foreign arch
Let their sons tread where hate is dead
In a happy Madness of March.

Michelle Manfredi
Elite Hoops Basketball
#ReleaseYourPotential

Monday, December 3, 2012

'Tis the Season

Posted by Anonymous | Monday, December 3, 2012 | Category: , , , , , , , | 0 comments

When thinking about what I should blog about next I decided to go with the theme of the seasons.  As Thanksgiving just passed and Christmas is just right around the corner I decided to look back and take a moment to be thankful and truly see and appreciate the life I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with.  To start, I have an amazing job that I am thankful for everyday.  Who would ever complain about being able to wear sweatpants and Chucks to work?   Yes there are days that I just want to lay in bed and be lazy, but I think everyone has those moments.  I am fortunate enough to say that I do something that I am truly passionate about as my career.  I get to teach the youth not only basketball but life skills.  Nothing makes me feel better than seeing a player grow in many aspects, on and off the court.  Right there I need to give a giant thanks to all of you out there reading this who has given me the opportunity to train your children.  Without you, I would not have a job (and of course, my boss).

Basketball is not just a sport to me; it is a way of life.  It has taught me so many valuable life lessons.  I have had an amazing playing career that some can only dream about.  I cannot be more grateful for those experiences.  I have learned a ton about myself through basketball.  Who would think that a 28.5 orange ball could take me to where it has?  Something that is so small and simple has changed my life.  Because of basketball, I have made amazing friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.  I know what it means to take it the next level, how to push through when the going gets rough, what teamwork is, being disciplined, mental toughness, and great time management.  I could go on forever on this part but I will spare you. 

I am thankful for my family and friends who have always been there for me.  My parents did everything they could to help support me with my dreams.  They mean more to me than I could ever say.  They never once shut me down.  They went above and beyond their parental duties to help me follow my dreams.  My dad used to drive me 2 hours each way on Sunday mornings so I could go to shooting coach for a workout at 8 am on his day off, let alone paying the price of the coach.    My parents sacrificed every weekend for my AAU tournaments and driving my teammates and I around.  I am pretty sure I am the only person in my college summer league that had their entire family come to every game (grandparents included).  I owe them the world and thank you could never ever express my gratitude for them. 

Sometimes we tend to let life take us out of our element.  Times can get hard and trying.  But when it gets to be too hard, we need to take a step back and look at everything we have.  I always say the little things mean the most to me in life.  We all need to take a look at those little things that we have and are blessed with them and truly appreciate their value.  You never know when it could all be taken away from you. 

Life is a rollercoaster, and rollercoasters are supposed to be fun.  Enjoy every moment and make the most of those moments.  Learn from the challenging moments; don’t wish they didn’t happen, because they are learning experiences.  Life will never throw anything at you, that you can’t handle.  Accept and embrace challenges, obstacles are just a test of strength.  But most importantly, take time to appreciate what you have and what you have been blessed with.  Give thanks to those who have helped you and take the time to help others. 

In closing, I want to say thank you to all those who have helped me throughout my life and my career.  I would say names but than this blog would go from 1 page long to 200 pages.    I am really appreciative of everyone who has helped me so far and cannot wait to see what the future holds for me.  Thank you to Elite Hoops and everyone who continues to work with us!  ‘Tis the season!

Michelle Manfredi
Elite Hoops Basketball

Monday, October 15, 2012

It's All About Heart

Posted by Anonymous | Monday, October 15, 2012 | Category: , , , , , , | 1 comments


We want to coach your game not your heart.  As a coach, one of the most frustrating things is having a talented player that just does not have the heart.  It seems to be more of a consistent thing these days, which can be tiring at times. 

As a player growing up, my parents never had to tell me to go work on my game.  I wanted to work on my game.  I would have my parents move the kitchen table so I could dribble in the kitchen, or help me shovel snow so I could get shots up in the winter.  They never had to force me to go to practice.  I wanted to go.  I had it in my head at a young age that I was going to be a D1 player, and that it was on me to make my dreams come true. 

Of course, everyone has his or her tired days but once you step on the court, it is a different world.  A lot of players seem to bring their troubles from the outside world onto the court.  To me, the court is the one place and time where I can forget everything in the outside world and just focus on my game.  For those 90-150 minutes that I am out there, there is nothing else on my mind.  It is just me and the game that I love.

A lot of players today shut down or give you and attitude when you try to get them to go harder.  Most players seem to take the game for granted.  What they don’t realize is that it is a privilege to be able to compete and that opportunity could be gone at any moment.  You never know when your last time stepping on the court is.  I would give just about anything in my life to lace up my shoes and play in one more game for Niagara or one more game in Germany.  I always preached that to the college players I coached in hopes that they would give their all day in and day out.

When people ask me what my biggest strength and weaknesses are I give the answer, “I have no STOP button.”  It is my strength because I always go hard in the things I am committed to.  I will give my all to the very end and then some.  The reason it is my weakness is because I am unable to stop myself even when I should.  For instance, my pro career was cut short because I refused to stop playing when I was told to give it a break.  I pushed for another 4 months on an injury to finish the season, leading to the end of my playing career. 

Coaches want players that come to practice consistently giving their all.  It is tough to coach players that have no energy or enthusiasm.  Players who work hard are my favorite players.  Our job as a coach is to make you a better player, to give you skills to improve your game, to help to get to the next level, and to help you grow as an individual.  It is not fun to coach players who have no drive or excitement for the game.  We should not have to preach daily to you to work hard and have more passion.  It should be something that you want to do.  Practice and basketball should be fun.  Of course sometimes it is hard, but those are the times that help build your character and show what type of player you really are.  Life isn’t always fair, and it isn’t always easy, but hard work really does pay off.  The more heart and passion you have toward something, whether it be basketball or some other aspect of life, the more you will enjoy it and working for it.  A coach/teacher can give you all the skills, drills, and lessons that you need to succeed, but if your heart is not there, you will not succeed.  Once again… We want to coach your GAME, not your HEART.

Michelle Manfredi
Elite Hoops Basketball

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

2011 Elite Hoops NIKE Basketball Camp Schedule

Posted by Elite Hoops | Tuesday, January 11, 2011 | Category: , , | 0 comments

Elite Hoops will be directing 19 NIKE Basketball Camps across the east coast this summer for players ranging in age from 8-16. Eleven of these camps will be in Georgia where Elite Hoops is based while the other camps will be in Alabama (3), Tennessee (3), North Carolina (1) and Indiana (1).


These camps are a great way for players to work on their individual skill development that they might not be receiving as they are busy traveling for their summer team tournaments. Each NIKE camp directed by Elite Hoops is run with the individual player in mind. Players will play in one 5 on 5 game per day, however the rest of the day is spent on skill development.

In the morning, after we stretch and have an active warmup, players run through two hours of offensive and defensive skills stations which also include 15 minutes of classroom teaching. After our Skill Stations, we have Camp Contests in which players play a variety of competitive shooting, ballhandling or dribbling games. After lunch, players compete in our Living by Number (LBN) series, where they compete to get their name on our LBN Banner by breaking ballhandling, or shooting records held by previous campers. After the LBN series, players are put through our 3 on 3 CutThroat half court games. This is an intense and fast paced game that forces players to catch in the triple threat, screen, cut and communicate with their teammates.

If you're looking for a way to improve your game and want to have fun while you do it, make sure to register for one of our camps today. We would love to have you attend one our our camps and learn how to get the most out of your game.

Elite Hoops has been directing NIKE Basketball Camps since 2005. In 2010, Elite Hoops directed 20 NIKE Basketball Camps in 5 states with over 1100 players attending those camps.


Lee Miller
Elite Hoops Director

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Is Georgia High School Basketball the Best in the Nation?

Posted by Chris Langley | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 | Category: , , , , , , , , , , , | 0 comments

Check out Elite Hoops workout with Rivals #3 team in the Nation
MILTON HIGH SCHOOL:

Is Georgia high school basketball the best in the nation?
Check out the Rivals.com's 2010-2011 preseason rankings compiled by Senior Analyst Dallas Jackson and other Rivals.com high school site publishers, and then tell us what you think.



1. Melrose
Memphis
TN
37-4

Memphis has taken over New York City as the nation’s hotbed for high school hoops and this Melrose team could be the best in the country. The team will be without guard Chris Jones, who exhausted his eligibility, but the team returns two forwards in Adonis Thomas as well as guard Cedrick McAfee. The Golden Wildcats finished the 2009-10 season ranked No. 10 in the RivalsHigh 100 but have even higher expectations for this season.

2. St. Anthony
Jersey City
NJ
27-3
The Friars ended last season with a heartbreaking triple-overtime, one-point loss in the Non-Public Group B state finals and are out for more than redemption in the 2010-11 season. Despite the losses of Derrick Williams (Richmond) and Eli Carter (prep school), the Friars return a great core of talent. Seniors Lucky Jones and Tyuan Williams lead the returning cast alongside junior Jerome Frink. The team will welcome Myles Mack, the No. 84 ranked player in the Class of 2011, and Kyle Anderson, the No. 1 player in the New Jersey Class of 2012, from the now closed Paterson (N.J.) Paterson Catholic.

3. Milton
Alpharetta
GA
29-4
The no-brainer No. 1 team in the state of Georgia this year is the defending state champion, Milton Eagles. The team had a mixed bag of results against top-tiered competition in 2009-10, but as a young team had enough talent to win the Class 5A state title. The Eagles return three elite players and have expectations of a national Top 5 finish. Leading the way is Ohio State commit Shannon Scott. The 6-foot-2 point guard has great court vision and a quick step to penetrate. His counterpart in the backcourt, Dai-Jon Parker, provides a great second scoring option on the perimeter. Cleaning up the glass is 6-foot-7 forward Julian Royal. Royal, a Rivals.com four-star player, is down to Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, and Wake Forest for his college choices.

4. Poly
Long Beach
CA
28-5
The Jackrabbits have the unenviable distinction as being the top preseason team in the state of California. The team had solid - but not spectacular - performances in its national games in 2009-10, but then did not make a deep run into the playoffs. Poly returns only one nationally-ranked player in 6-foot-6 forward Ryan Anderson, but brings back three other top players in the state – seniors Alexis Moore (USC) at point guard and shooting guard Alex Carmon, as well as a rising star in 2013 wing player Roschon Prince.

5. Findlay Prep
Henderson
NV
32-2
The Pilots are a team without a home as the season approaches. The team was affiliated with the Henderson International School for the previous four seasons, but with the school closing, the accreditation for its players is up in the air. Coach Mike Peck has done a fabulous job molding both the talent and egos of many of the nation’s elite players, winning a RivalsHigh 100 National Championship in 2008-09 and finishing No. 3 in the country last season. For the Pilots to be successful in this coming season, they will rely on guard Nick Johnson to provide the scoring and leadership.

6. Oak Hill Academy
Mouth Of Wilson
VA
29-4
Perennial power Oak Hill could have finished last season in the Top 5 nationally had it performed better in the season-ending National High School Invitational tournament. There was an exodus of graduating talent, but that should not slow the machine at Oak Hill. Returning this season is standout forward Sidiki Johnson. Johnson, at 6-foot-8, can control the paint but still has room to develop. The future Arizona Wildcat will be joined by Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha transfer Quinn Cook to create an excellent inside-out opportunity for the Warriors.

7. Douglass
Oklahoma City
OK
29-0
Being the best team in Oklahoma is usually good enough for a national ranking in the mid-30s. However, the Douglass Trojans could prove to be a very strong exception to that way of thinking. The Trojans, who finished ranked No. 62 in the RivalsHigh 100 in 2009-10, are very reminiscent of last year’s national champion, Houston (Texas) Yates. Douglass returns all five starters from a team that was the best in its state despite not being in its highest classification. The Trojans like to score a lot of points and put the ball on the floor. It is very unlikely that many teams in Oklahoma - or the rest of the country for that matter - will be able to keep up with this team in 2010-11.

8. Wichita Heights
Wichita
KS
23-2
Wichita Heights is the reigning two-time Kansas 6A state champion and figures to three-peat and have its best team ever in 2010-11, after only losing one senior to graduation. Returning star Perry Ellis developed enough as a junior to dominate the competition and is probably among the Top 50 players in his class. Wichita State commit Evan Wessel and Dreamius Smith return for the Falcons. Smith would be a mid-major prospect if not for his ability on the football field. Many will focus on the ability of Ellis, but this team is much more than a one-man show.

9. Winter Park
Winter Park
FL
29-6
Winter Park had a great resume of wins and a handful of disappointing losses last season. However, the Wildcats were able to come together to win the Florida Class 6A state title. The team is led by the No. 6 player in the country and recent Duke commit Austin Rivers. Rivers is the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and is rated as the second-best high school shooting guard in the country. Rivers’ specialty is scoring from pull-up jumpers behind the arc. If teams overplay that, he has a lightning-quick first step to the right. His basketball IQ makes him one of the better passers in the country as well.

10. North Central
Indianapolis
IN
25-3
North Central was the best team in a very basketball-rich state in 2009-10. The team returns a lot of talented players from that team, which won the Indiana Class 4A state title, and has a solid group of young athletes that will make the team a threat to win for the next two years. Leading the team will be all-state player D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Smith-Rivera averaged 17.7 points and six rebounds per game last year, and those numbers should rise this season. The defending champs lost all-state guard Terone Johnson but will replace him with his younger brother, Ronnie, who appears ready to be a star himself. 6-foot-4 Dedric Griffin and sophomore sensation Darius Latham also return to the best in the Hoosier State.

11. St. Patrick
Elizabeth
NJ
26-3

12. Taft
Woodland Hills
CA
26-6

13. Jesuit
Portland
OR
26-2

14. DeMatha
Hyattsville
MD
32-4

15. South Atlanta
Atlanta
GA
18-2

16. Norcross
Norcross
GA
27-3

17. Penn Wood
Lansdowne
PA
27-4

18. Norcom
Portsmouth
VA
25-4

19. Sacramento
Sacramento
CA
26-7

20. Bellaire
Bellaire
TX
35-2

21. Lincoln
Dallas
TX
24-3

22. Hopkins
Minnetonka
MN
30-2

23. Butler
Huntsville
AL
23-7

24. Southeastern
Detroit
MI
16-8

25. Merrillville
Merrillville
IN
22-4

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Malcolm Brogdon Chooses Virginia

Posted by Lee Miller | Thursday, August 26, 2010 | Category: , , , | 0 comments

Elite Hoops trainee and Greater Atlanta Christian senior, Malcolm Brogdon verbally committed to the Virginia Cavaliers on Monday.  When Brogdon first started training with Elite Hoops, he was being recruited by mid majors. In one short year, Brogdon went from being a mid major, 2 star player into an ACC bound player and candidate for Mr. Georgia Basketball for one reason.  Work ethic. To see Malcolm in one of his Elite Hoops training sessions click HERE.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Hot Start for Williams

Posted by Chris Langley | Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | Category: , , | 0 comments

Lou Williams, Elite Hoops Hall of Famer and point guard of the Philadelphia 76ers, is off to a great start this NBA season. One year removed from coming off of the Sixers bench, Williams, now a starter, finds himself as one of the top scoring point guards in the Eastern Conference and amongst one of the best in "efficiency" in all of the NBA. Read more about Lou's hot start from these 2 articles:

Friday, September 4, 2009

Elite Hoops Coach Lands Tough Opponent

Posted by Lee Miller | Friday, September 4, 2009 | Category: , , , , | 0 comments


The Belmont Abbey men's basketball team will open the 2009-10 season with an exhibition contest at the defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday, November 6 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Abbey, coached by Stephen Miss, Elite Hoops Camp Coach and a 1992 graduate of UNC, finished 20-9 last season, its first 20-win season in six years, and will welcome back seven players, including two starters, guard Richard Barbee and forward Chad Patus.


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