The 2015 summer season will have a new twist that will bring together top clubs from across the country. The All Star Girls Report Summer League will make its debut, featuring 32 elite teams in each age group, for 17U, 16U and 15U. The best of the best will compete throughout the summer, with the League crowning its champions at the Summer Basketball Playoff in Charlotte at the end of July.
The concept, and the involvement of ASGR, immediately received a positive reaction from the summer circuit participants.
“We are very excited about this opportunity,” said Coach Bruce Price from the Peak Performance program in Atlanta. “This league is going to be a great measuring stick for everyone. We will have a chance to go head to head with the players that you read about, the players that are at the top of the national rankings. Our players will have a chance to measure themselves against the best, and we’ll see where they stand.
“I also like the fact that we will be competing in this league, and at the same time we will still have the opportunity to play in the regular events with all the other clubs.”
Each team in the ASGR Summer League will play three regular season games. These games will be scheduled on the days leading up to the traditional major ASGR events, including the tournaments in Raleigh, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas. The Summer League games will be separate from these main tournaments. Each League team will play in the Summer Basketball Playoff, with the regular season contests used for seeding purposes.
“We feel very fortunate to be a part of this league,” said Coach Shambric Williams from the Hoop Dreams Idaho program. “When we saw the list of the other teams involved, we jumped at the chance.
“In the Northwest, our teams have to travel a great deal in the hope that we can prove ourselves. With this league, we are going to get that opportunity throughout the summer. This is a great, great opportunity for our girls to be rewarded for all the effort and work they put into the game.”
Simply announcing their association with the All Star Girls Report Summer League has provided a boost to some organizations.
“I think this shows that we are willing to be innovative if we think it is something that is going to improve the chances for our kids to reach the next level,” noted Price. “This league is going to give our kids additional opportunities to shine, and in the end that’s what this is all about.”
The All Star Girls Report was launched by White in 1995, and it has been providing the nation’s most accurate player ratings for the past 20 years. White’s Top Ten All American Camp has produced 175 McDonald’s All-Americans since 2001, and he spent 15 years serving as a grassroots consultant for major brands such as adidas, Reebok and FILA. White, who currently serves on the McDonald’s All-American Selection Committee, successfully launched the Michael T. White Signature Shoe and Clothing Line in 2008.
The fact that the event is being run by the experienced ASGR staff has been a major selling point with the travel programs.
“I think anyone who has been to an All Star Girls Report event knows that there is a difference,” Brown said. “The talent level is great, and the turnout of coaches is tremendous. Last year when we went to the Deep South Classic, our kids were in awe of the environment. When we played, both baselines were lined with college coaches. It was an incredible experience for them.”
For more information about ASGR, you can visit www.ASGR.info, or you can follow us at www.Twitter.com/ASGR1995. For information on league opportunities and the uniform purchase program, you can contact Mike White at (818) 298-3488.