Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 14, 1991 TAG: 9103150256
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ROBERTA ENGLISH STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A team of 14-year-olds traveled to New Orleans last summer to capture sixth place in the American Athletic Union National Basketball Competition.
"It's a tremendous experience," said Joe Gaither, athletic director for the Inner City Athletic Association.
Gaither's group is the largest of AAU-sanctioned organizations in Roanoke. Boys, ages 11 to 19, play in competitions across the state in the spring in hopes of making it to the nationals in the summer. About 600-700 boys in the Roanoke Valley play on teams each year.
AAU teams play each other throughout the state, then the winning teams from each age division go on to the nationals.
Teams travel as far as Orlando, Fla., Indianapolis and Seattle to compete and Roanoke teams usually place among the top 10 finalists.
"We've gone as far as Yakima, Washington, and you can't get much farther than that and still be in the United States," said Jan Bruce, athletic director of the Roanoke Stars, the Roanoke Valley's largest girls' basketball organization of about 140 players.
In addition to basketball, the players get to go sightseeing in places they might never have the chance to visit.
"We like to give the players a little bit of the flavor of where we are," said Bruce, who took his girls to the French Quarters and Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Bruce encourages his teams to make friends with members of other teams, so they can be pen pals and look forward to seeing each other the following year.
"This helps the kids broaden their perspective," Gaither said.
"It keeps these kids involved and offers them the opportunity to have college people see them perform," Gaither said.
More than 200 college representatives attend the national competitions to see the older kids. This exposure sometimes leads to sports scholarships, Bruce said.
"The team I took to Seattle in '88 placed second in the country," Gaither said. "Everyone on that team is playing college ball now."
Bruce said that although there is no professional basketball for women, an athletic scholarship is a great way for a woman to get an education.
Playing their best game is important, but students are encouraged to do their best academically, too.
"The can't stop doing their homework to play basketball," Bruce said.
When teams go to competitions, they attend drug awareness and college preparatory seminars.
A team's travel expenses can add up. Bruce said it can costs parents $400 to $600 to send one of his girls to the nationals. Teams have fund-raisers to help defray the costs.
Some organizations are more fortunate. Gaither said expenses for the Inner City teams are covered by corporate sponsors and local businesses.
Both organizations have completed tryouts and games will start in April.
Students interested in trying out for the teams next year can contact Joe Gaither, 985-8808, and Jan Bruce, 981-2706, because tryouts are over.
by CNB