We Don't Find Players, We Create Them!

Recently, Lammar Young, the founder and head coach of the YW Ballers, brought a few of his teams comprising 5th - 10th graders to compete against some of the most talented players in the world at the ZG National Tournament. It was an NJ AAU Sanctioned event, with every team entered being placed Top 1, 2 or 3, based upon their age bracket.

The YW Ballers played many games over the two-day Tournament, with the 14U team winning Nationals, 7-0.

The team included Darrius Phillips, #13, of West Orange; Jake Blaney, #1 and Christopher Berry, #6, both of South Orange; Isaiah Shoyombo, #7, of Millburn; Seth Edwards, #22, of Bloomfield, Cade Duncza, #2, of Bound Brook; Jase Robinson, #33, of Monroe; Monty Nedd, #4, of Ridgefield; Saeed St. Fleur, #5, of Roselle; and DJ (Dean) Germann, #16, Egg Harbor.

“There’s a difference between having a good team and having a good program,” said Young.

The Tournament was a “no moms allowed road trip.” The concept wasn’t only directed at saving money, it was also planned to foster bonding time between the players and their dads, teammates and coaches.

“When we arrived the first day, we noticed that we had to win seven games, with every game being a deciding factor of how early we would be done,” said Young. “The stakes were high!”

On top of that, the Tournament had well over 132 teams from all over, and out of the 132 teams, only two were from NJ. Young shared that excitement mounted throughout the day, after last-minute game schedule changes meant that the only two NJ teams would have to face each other, with one moving on, and the other going home.

According to Young, the second game of the day, was an intense one, as YWB had recently lost to the opposing team. With an outstanding first half from YWB, the score reflected, 35-8. Young said he felt this was “mind-boggling,” as the opposing team not only beat YWB previously, they had been having a fantastic year, with high scoring numbers on the boards, and great winning records.

“Even though this was only game two of the Tournament, it was actually the Championship game for these boys, as only one team would be able to continue,” said Young.

He said that with smart players, strong team support and a good coaching staff, the team was able to keep the lead during the opposing team’s comeback.

The YWB team then faced another team, playing three games in one day – all within six hours. The first day of the Tournament was completed, with the YW Ballers going, 3-0.

“A lot of talented players would struggle with the schedule, but the YW Ballers faced their challenges head on – one being that they had to play an 8 am game the next day,” said Young.

He added, “These boys were so determined to win, that they sacrificed game time and positions, with even one of our shorter players stepping into a roll as a center, just to make sure the job would get done.”

He said that “Operation deco” was a successful call on the coaches, with each game being different, each team being different, and that adversity for these boys was definitely something to overcome.

According to Young, game four was an interesting one, as the opposing team played a defense known as pack-the-paint 2-1-2. He shared that it’s something you don’t see often; however, through great preparation, YWB had a plan that not only worked but put on a show.

The boys hit 10 3-pointers, within the first 5 minutes of the game.

“The most exciting thing to see is a team shooting another team out of a zone,” he said.

At this point, the winner of the game was decided and YWB coasted to the next game, with just two more games to go.

He said that playing so many games was good for the concept but bad for the body. In order to make it to the Championship, the YW Ballers had to compete hard but manage energy at the same time. Collectively, that goal was accomplished. as the players knew their mistakes had to be limited.

They won. Another game was down, as they moved to game five in the Championship.

At this time, the boys were exhausted, the gym was very hot and the team had to adjust to the next team’s defense.

“It’s always interesting to see what defense the next team will use, and if we can overcome it,” said Young. “The last thing a team would want to see, after playing three games with more to come would be man to man full court press. Guess what? The other coach did just that – man to man, for the whole game!”

“The YW Ballers utilized their energy properly, so in the last game, the boys had an opportunity to go play their hearts out,” he said. “Ball till you fall and walk away with no regrets.

Young shared that the opposing team somehow had a “bye” prior, and that and this game was only their second game of the day. They were more refreshed than the YW Ballers.

“The odds were against us,” said Young. “But, with a line-up of MJ, Saeed, Darrius, Jase, Cade, DJ, Seth, Jake and Chris, anything can happen when these boys choose to come together as one.”

He added that they had been told recently, that sometimes they would will win games they should loose, and loose games they should win.

“It’s a true testament that anything is possible, if you put your mind to it,” he added. “These boys wanted to win the Championship game so badly, that not one player stood out; instead – they all showed up and showed out.”

“Even though the opposing team played us the whole game man to man, the boys were firing from all angles,” said Young. “During this game we saw 3-pointers from all over the court, and one finishes and fans favorite dunks.”

Young said that this game was so much fun to watch, that the “coach” even sat down and enjoyed the show.

“Congrats to YWB on winning another National tournament,” said Young.