On a windy Sunday in Charleston, Head Coach Kelsey Edwards calls out a drill to her team. Amongst the trophies and banners that Charleston Tigers have won over the schools time being a force on the court and on the football field, seven 7th Graders and one 6th Graders run the drill. It’s then Kailan Fisher from Trinity Junior High pulls up a 3 pointer from the top of the arc, nothing but net. “He’s the top Point Guard in his grade.” Coach Edwards says with a grin.
The team continues to run the drill, a little looser than Coach Edwards would like, they are given more direction as she explains why this group of kids. “We threw together teams from small schools that nobody looks at really. That’s really where I try to get most of my kids, because they don’t get many looks.” With student-athletes from Charleston, Lavaca, Monroe, and Trinity; there is an emphasis on the student “They always have to send me their report cards. Even though we are not through schools and we play just AAU basketball they still have got to send me those report cards.” Coach Edwards said.
“A lot of kids want to be fancy and go behind the back. If you don’t develop them and do the standard stuff you’re not going to beat any body.” Coach Edwards said.
Full disclosure I have known Kelsey for about 7 years, her son Zak Edwards played for the Greenwood Pittbulls when my son played, albeit a grade difference our teams scrimmaged each other quite a bit. It was a mutual friend of ours that got Kelsey into coaching. “He [Justin Jasna] was the reason why I got my own team at the Boys and Girls Club. He had the Hoop Dogs and they were awesome.” Coach Edwards said. Jasna had given me some advice during my time with the Pittbulls, “You recruit the parents than develop the kid.” this is something that Coach Edwards has done with her team, “The parents are big. They are a huge deal. Every single parent I have will pick up these kids.”
Sitting down with the kids Lavaca’s Tanner Hamilton becomes the teams PR guy. Asked what their favorite experience about being on a basketball team that has expanded outside of just playing Boys and Girls Club, “Nationals last year..” Hamilton says before being cut short by Matteo Gaona (Charleston) and Conner Freitheim (Trinity) “Dave and Busters!” they both said. “Mine would have to be the Dave and Busters as well, the whole team was there it was just a great time.” Hamilton added.
When talking to this team you get a sense of how in tune with each other they are. When asked what was the toughest team they had played it was the Force out of Little Rock and the Hoyas out of Pine Bluff. It was not just one kid responding to questions it was the whole team in near unison replying with the same answer. Jokingly they were asked “Who is the best player?” they responded “Probably Kailan.” The point guard from earlier in the article that was hitting three pointers with ease. “He breaks everybody, nobody has ankle breakers but him.” Tanner Hamilton said. “Out of confidence, ya’ll should say yourself.” Charleston’s Lukas Burleson added.
Then came the “Who is the best defender?” “MATTEO!” they exclaimed. Tanner Hamilton added “He’s got speed and that wingspan.”
When playing travel basketball or travel anything it takes a large commitment not just from the parents, but the athletes as well but there is a sense of pride being selected. “I quit baseball to play travel basketball.” Hamilton said “I was pretty happy that I got asked to play for a travel team.” Kailan Fisher added to the response “To me it’s special because, it let’s me know that someone want’s me to play for them.” There are some questions and answers that will be added to another article at a later date covering the curious world of travel sports.
After sitting with these kids, you begin to understand what the word team means to them. When asked what they take back to their school ball team they responded “To be a better teammate. To help pick up the next guy and help them.” When you are an athlete that has played at a higher level in your age group it can be easy to forget that not every kid has that opportunity. This group of kids certainly have not let that be forgotten.
In the teams second season, they are blazing the same path of success as the year before. The Ballerz have been in two tournaments this year with a another coming up this weekend in Conway.
