Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase-Parent Letter


Below is a copy of a letter I sent to parents with kids registered for the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase this coming weekend.  I'm posting a copy here in order to reach those who I may not have an email address for.  Please help me pass the word about the contents of the letter to those who may not frequent this website. Please read all of the documents very carefully, as they contain all of the information you need for this weekend.  If  you have any questions or concerns after reading the material, feel free to email me at BuckeyePrep@yahoo.com. There is a lot of excitement built up over the event; it should be a classic!!

Parents/Coaches,
 
We are now less than one week away from the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase.  I hope you and your son/player is exciting and looking forward to attending the event. Rest assured; my staff and I have done our best to make your experience a positive one. I want to take a few minutes to provide you with some additional information about what you can expect this weekend.
 
Although the schedule, rosters and showcase rules have been posted on our website (http://www.BuckeyePrep.blogspot.com) for well over 2 weeks, below is a link to that material.  Please take a few minutes to carefully read though all of the material, as it should provide you with all of the information you need. Also, please double check the spelling of your child/player’s name as well as the grade division your son/player is set to participate. In addition, because the final schedule and rosters will be posted at the site, they are still subject to change up until then. I would suggest you check the website for updates on Friday evening before heading to the showcase. If your son/player's name does not appear on a roster, one of a couple of things may have happened. Either we did not receive registration forms and/or the fee, or you made a payment via Pay Pal, but did not send in the registration forms. Consequently, we were unable to match the payment with your son/player's name. If that's the case, call me ASAP! Because we are completely sold out, we can not add any additional players to the event. There will be no walk up registrations accepted. 
 
For the first time, this year’s showcase will be divided into 3 segments. The initial segment consists of the Ohio North vs South and Ohio vs Michigan challenge games which will tip off at 11:00am on Saturday the 22nd. Although we highly encourage players, parents and coaches to attend the games in order to support the teams representing their end of the state, the only players who are required to report for these games are those players pre-selected to participate in the games. Players participating in the games should arrive at least 1 hour before the start of their game to register, take photographs and meet with the coaches. Admission for the games will be either $10.00, or $8.00 plus 2 canned good items.  Although it may be easier for you to pay the extra $2.00, because we are partnering with the Mid-Ohio Food Bank to help support those in need, we ask that you bring the canned food items as a way of giving back.
 
The second segment of the showcase involves a guest speaker (OSU’s Scoonie Penn) and skills and drills station work.  This segment will start around 7:00pm on Saturday evening. Although registration will open at 10:00am on Saturday morning, will last throughout the challenge games, everyone should plan to arrive at the gym by 6:00pm so that the registration process can be completed by 7:00pm.
 
In terms of the skills and drills, the players will be divided by teams (see material) and will start at one of the 8 stations, then rotate every 20 minutes from about 8:00pm to 10:00pm.  I have done my best to select the best basketball trainers I could find to run the stations.  In addition, as another way of recognizing skill, Elevate Basketball Academy’s Antony Cheatam will be evaluating players during the station work, and he will select 10 players for the “NBC4 All-Skill Team.” Awards will be presented to 10 players on Sunday morning during opening remarks.
 
The third segment of the showcase will begin on Sunday morning. There will be an additional skill and drill session starting at 8:00am Sunday morning (1/2 hour) which will serve as a warm up for players before the games tip off at about 9:15am. I will deliver opening remarks by about 8:45am, followed by a guest speaker (CBS’s Clark Kellogg) at about 9:00am. After the games tip off at 9:15, each of the 37 teams will play 3 games.  Some games will probably start early, so players should arrive at the gym at least 45 minutes before their team is scheduled to play.

I know some of you will look at your son/player’s schedule, determine that he does not play until later in the day, then question if it’s ok to show up and register right before his game. It’s ok if you do that, but you will be missing other parts of the showcase that could prove beneficial. Also, you need to make sure you arrive early to register, because the games may start early. In addition, seating will be very limited, so plan and dress accordingly!
 
During the course of those games, the coach will rank players from 1-10, and make notes on an evaluation sheet which will be used for selecting the all-star teams. There will be 1 all-star game per division, and the top 2-3 players from each team will be chosen to participate in the final game. The all-star games will tip off starting at 5:45pm on Sunday afternoon. Awards will be presented to all all-star game participants, including special “Top 5 Awards” for each division.
 
For those of you who will be coaching a team at the showcase, please read the attached letter very carefully, as it outlines expectations and responsibilities. For my high school coaches, you should report to the gym at least 90 minutes prior to your game. You should wear black slacks or kakis, and a red showcase polo shirt will be provided to you.  
 
I know I’ve given you a lot of information, but I wanted to make sure you had the information you needed. Please make sure you read the showcase rules document carefully, and keep an eye on the website for updates. Again I would like to thank you for supporting the event, and I hope you and your son/player have a fantastic experience!
 
Rob Taylor
Founder
Buckeye Prep Report



4 comments:

  1. Rob,
    I hope the refs. will be instructed to ref the game and not worry about staying on a crazy schedule. Lets not let this turn into a football game.

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  2. Rob,
    Let's hope this event goes as planned and is a great success Lets hope kids get fantastic exposure and opportunities ! Let's hope all travel safely Let's hope for the health of all participants. Let's have a blast. I'm so pumped!!!!��������������

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  3. Will the 7th grade North/South game be available on CourtCred.com?

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  4. Not sure, but I doubt it. I think they are going with the 3 HS games.

    ReplyDelete