By Walter Hagins, Commissioner

The Maryland Lady Shooting Stars kicked off its inaugural season (under the newly acquired adidas Grassroots- Sponsorship) with a 75-team tournament that featured some of the area’s elite talents, both boys and girls from ages 10 to 17.  For those who are new to the organization, the adidas Shootout Classic provided a preliminary glimpse of what to expect this season.  Those who are playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the first time were able to experience some notable differences of AAU and high school basketball.  Furthermore, the talents were able to observe the true intensity of playing Shooting Stars’ basketball.  And while the organization did extremely well overall as a unit, kudos must be extended to Coach Leo Cromartie and his Team Maryland 16U squad for going undefeated and winning the 16U championship.  In addition, the proverbial praise goes out to Coach Bailey and his Team Maryland “gold” for their display of superior basketball throughout the tournament.

16U “juniors”

The 16U “juniors” went 4-0 in their first tournament.  This is a great accomplishment considering that this team was formed less than a month ago.  More staggering is that the talents have never played with each other before.  It became evident that this team will play each game both with discipline and energy.  Perhaps more striking, however, it appears that this group is beginning to develop chemistry that model’s Coach Leo’s persona.  For many, this is very welcoming and this bunch seems to be more focused on team and less on individuality.  For the critics who thought that the Shooting Stars would succumb because of the departure of a few, they will be surprised by the finished product once this team reaches its full potential.  Certainly, the biggest distinctions with this year’s team are leadership, vision, wisdom, experience, discipline, and maturity.

15U “gold”

Coach Bailey and his elite 15U “gold” took the tournament by storm.  This year’s team has beefed up in the post and is even more experienced in the backcourt.  With a combination of new players blended with the nation’s #4 ranked D-1 cast, the sky will be the limit if the group continues to develop.  During the tournament, “gold” went 4-0 to start its season and showed hustle and heart throughout each game.  And although it was evident that those just joining the team still must develop chemistry with the others, the manner that “gold” dominated their competition (specifically in the second half) was very impressive.  With the anticipated return of two of their perennial talents, Coach Bailey could stand in prime position to contend on the national circuit at both the 15U and 16U divisions.

14U “Fresh”

The 14U freshmen team has taken the entire organization by surprise.  For what this team lacks in numbers of players they make up through communication and chemistry.  Throughout the tournament, this team demonstrated character and heart.  In their controversial 1 point lost to the D.C. Heat, the talents, although disappointed, accepted the ruling by the referee and approached their remaining games with determination and focus.  As one fan described this team’s overall performance in the tournament best, “that team is going to be the Stars next Team Maryland elite squad!”  Coach Broadus and crew are headed in the right direction with this highly-talented group.

13U

This weekend allowed the 13U Stars to show the reason so much talk has been surrounding them. The team that is probably the biggest in the area gave promising signs of what to expect in the near future.  The “maturation” of leaders seems to be the formula for success.  With Coach Fuller at the helm along with the developing of a talented squad the possibility of winning a state championship has transformed from a wish to a reachable goal.  Once this team fully adopts the mindset of Shooting Stars, basketball that is versatile in playing physical and finesse basketball, this team will increase their chances of becoming one of the top teams in the region.

12U

The 12U Shooting Stars faired relatively well considering that some players have to re-establish their roles as leaders on the team.  With that being said, the team has not lost its moxie or energy.  Also, the majority of players have already established continuity and chemistry that will serve them well as they prepare to take the 12U division by storm.  The adidas Shootout Classic gave coaches, players, and parents a great opportunity to assess this team’s strengths and areas needed for improvement.  Similar to last year, however, the expectation is that they will represent the state of Maryland this year in national play.

10U

The Shooting Stars 10U started the tournament with a commanding victory followed with a tough 4-pt lost to the Maryland Sure Shots.  However, their final game gave a true look at areas that need significant improvement.  The overall sentiment felt by spectators was that the team seemed to regress to earlier years of development.  For a team that has been together for a while, this display is opposite of the fight exhibited last year and contradicts Shooting Stars basketball.  On a positive note, the coaches have already discussed plans to return this squad back to the level they need to be competitive this year in the District Qualifying Tournament (DQT).