Team: Honey Badgers
Coach: Robert Kreutzer
Boys, 7th Grade
A group of successful young thirty-something men look back at the days when they each played on the Honey Badgers team in the spring of ’12. They were just 7th graders, but their successful 2012 spring JAM season was one to remember. The alumni included:
#11 Keenan “The Mayor” Roark played up a year his entire youth sports career. Now 6’8”, Keenan was only 5’ 4”at the time but led the team in “and 1’s” and became the team’s motivational inspiration. He played basketball at Yale, and graduated with a law degree. Keenan is currently a US Senator from Connecticut.
#25 Blake “Mr. Equation” Jones: known for his unique ability to beat any press by solving the equation on the court. Blake played basketball for UCLA, and obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics. Currently a Professor of Mathematics at M.I.T., he also enjoys coaching his son’s 2nd grade basketball team.
#14 Nicholas “The Viper” Kreutzer’s basketball skills partially came from his hobby of field herpetology. He was quick, agile, and struck like a viper on the court. Nicholas played basketball at Stanford University and received a Ph.D. in field biology. He is currently doing research in Peru, where he started the first JAMazon jungle basketball league.
#22 Justin “Checkmate” Gailey brought his many years of competitive chess skills to the court. He always found the perfect route to “checkmate” his opponents during a game. Justin attended the University of California, Berkeley, and he is now the lead engineer in the Mars settlement operation at NASA.
#10 Erik “Renaissance Man” Emsbo traveled the world at a young age. That “world vision” transferred right over to the court; he always knew just where to be for the perfect open shot. Erik received his doctorate in Marine Biology from USC and currently resides on a research boat traveling the Indian Ocean.
#9 Ritter “The Piano Man” Roark used his piano playing fingers to develop mad “Gannon Baker” ball handling skills. He was the team leader in steals and his 3 point shot came in handy for game winners. Ritter attended OSU where he led the Buckeyes to their 2019 national championship. He is currently on tour with his band, The Honey Badgers.
#32 Connor “Doc” Redmond operated by transferring his tackle football skills to the basketball court. He was a beast on the boards, but always exhibited excellent sportsmanship on the court. Connor received his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he is near the discovery of an all-out cure for aging.
#3 Korey “the Tsunami” Shenefield used his wakeboarding skills to weave through the opposition on the court. The basketball recruiters at the University of Hawaii couldn’t resist the waves of greatness they saw in his playing; now he’s living the dream as the head coach of the U of H girl’s wakeboarding and basketball teams. All of the players have become lifelong friends and still keep in touch.
Team: Ballers Basketball Club
Coach: Earl Caleb
Boys, 6th Grade
Ballers Basketball Club: Getting It Done
A team that plays great together is a team that has the making of being a Champion Team. All contenders should load up their arsenals with all available firepower, as the Ballers are ready to battle to become Champions once again! This club is explosive and highly hazardous to your game! The Ballers Basketball Club is one of the most balanced teams from top to bottom.
The Ballers are coached by Coach Caleb, who flat out gets his team ready to play day in and day out. Better get ready for a battle as Coach Caleb’s’ troops will be ready for a big time title run.
The Ballers Basketball Club is loaded with talent.
(#3), Joshua Caleb “Mr. Smooth,” is the coaches’ son who rebounds and fills it up from a distance. Mr. Smooth has a dead eye accuracy and can stroke the ball from anywhere on the floor, he is a scoring machine.
(#5), Thomas Dangerfield, “Smack the Boards,” this kid is a tenacious player, he can mix it up on defense and offense at any given time; he is the board of control when it comes to offensive rebounding and put backs.
(#11), Joshua Baumgartner, “Raining 3’s,” plays with intense discipline and will hit the open jumper. Joshua is a crafty guard that knows how to penetrate the gaps, get to the goal, and deliver in the clutch.
(# 23), Michael Brooks Jr., “Mad Handles,” can handle the rock, take it to the hole, and hit open shots. He does a nice job of getting everyone involved. Michael has mad handles and uncanny dime dropping vision.
(#21), Bryan Eckert “The Enforcer,” plays hard nosed defense and rebounds with authority. Don’t let his solid defense fool you; the enforcer can get up the floor, attack the hoop and score.
(#35), Cameron Jack “The Finisher”, is an offensive threat and has a keen eye to attack the hoop, score and finish. The Finisher will burn you on offense and put you out on defense.
(#42), Kenny Thrower, “K-Force,” is a very powerful player in the post that continually cleans up the boards, and scores with power. K-Force brings electrifying energy and patrols the paint.
School is in session, so be prepared for the Ballers to bring their “A” game!
1) Caleb, Joshua 3
2) Dangerfield, Thomas 5
3) Baumgartner, Joshua 11
4) Eckert, Bryan 21
5) Brooks, Michael 23
6) Jack Cameron 35
7) Thrower, Kenneth 42
Team: JAM South
Coach: Jim Belmont
Boys, 5th Grade
Alaric Carlson # 5
Alaric is our ‘Defensive Warrior'. He got the never give up, hard working attitude like a Warrior. When he sets his mind up for something, he'll go for it all the way!
Brandon Dixon # 1
Brandon is the 'Lightening Bolt' of the team. He can move swiftly through the opponents, jumps out of the gym, and a fierce competitor!
Dimitri Diaz # 2
Dimitri is also known as Mr. D, the 'Great Defender'! He moves fast down the court and blocks the opponents like no other!
Evan Belmont # 3
Watch out for this guy... Evan is our 'Mighty Mouse'! He can set picks like no other, no matter how big the opponent is!
JD Stickel # 8
JD is our 'Birdman'. He is Fierce and Fearless. He is very persistent in rebounding and his middle name should be Mr. Rebound!
Mac Konrad #7
This guy got the 'Mind like Water' attitude, but his game can be like a fierce fire. Beware of Mac as he's very versatile in his game!
Manas Jalihal #6
Manas is what we called the 'Hard Working Machine'. He absorbs new skills very well and his 'can do' attitude is a great attribute to the team. Keep up the good work!
Surya Manavalan #4
Our 'Mr. Long Arms' is a great team player. Surya always stays positive, keeps his head up and push himself to do his best in all situations!
Our Team Profile:
We are the Persevered rookie team that was formed last minute. We are Fighters, and yet our Resilient Spirits have been tested over and over again with great obstacles during this season. Yes, we are raw, and many many times we are at the verge of giving up. And yet, our Courage and Perseverance keeps us going and we will continue to put our best efforts to improve.
This may not have been a great season for us, but we will come back for REDEMPTION the next season! After all, we realize giving up is not an option. It is a part of life hard learning lesson that we all have to experience; it is what we do and how we deal about it that makes us a better person. Just like what Michael Jordan once said: "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
Message to the Parents: Thank you so much for your commitment and the endless support to the Team. Although this is not exactly a great season for us, please note the children's ability to play basketball has improved tremendously. Encourage your children to continue to work hard with a positive attitude. Once we capture that missing 'chemistry' in the team, I'm sure their confidence will soar high. The best has yet to come! - Coach Jim and Coach Troy
