Joe Bressi has an extraordinary coaching resume, with long and successful stints at the high school and collegiate levels. Bressi is, however, in just his second summer of coaching travel ball with the Central PA Elite program.
“It’s definitely different. When you are coaching in the summer, you are working with the best of the best. You have nine or 10 players who are all really, really good, and that’s not what you have in high school,” Bressi said.
“We take very good players from a number of high school programs. My job is to make sure that they are all doing the right things to showcase themselves as quality college prospects.”
The Central PA Elite athletes will be showcasing their potential at the 2017 Deep South Classic, which will be held in Raleigh, NC from April 20-23. The event, which will feature some of the finest travel teams in the nation, will be played at the Raleigh Convention Center. There will be 20 courts in the building, keeping the entire event under one roof in downtown Raleigh.
Bressi’s squad at the Deep South will feature tremendous balance, with 2018 standouts such as Lauren Pettis (6-1, PF), Lauren Mills (6-0, G), Nikon Valencia (5-9, W) and Ahmya Woodyard (5-7, CG).
“Lauren Pettis gives us a legit inside force,” Bressi said. “She is a tough competitor, and she can really run the floor. Lauren Mills is a three-point shooter with great length on the perimeter, and she is also very fast.
“Nikon is a very, very good player with an inside-outside game. She is a great rebounder for her height, and she is a very smart player. Ahmya is leading a very good high school team (Harrisburg) right now. She is very fast, shoots the three and penetrates. Ahmya always plays fast, and she always plays hard.”