Dawson Blanck On The Rising Stars High School Basketball League Providing A Solution

At MYAS, we are constantly thinking of our mission, which is to "improve the delivery of youth sports services" to those we partner with and serve.

That's why I'm so proud of our team for recognizing a need and filling it — and watching young high school athletes thrive in the games at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN.

We were seeing and hearing about so many passionate young basketball players who didn't make their high school teams and had no viable options to not only play but develop their game. So gathered a lot of intel, strategized a way to create teams, foster learning and, most important, provide them an opportunity to play the sport so many of them love or really enjoy.

The Rising Stars High School Basketball League (RSHSBL) provides boys in grades 9th through 12th who did not make their high school team during the tryout process a chance to not only play on a team but also regularly work with highly-skilled developmental (“Dev”) coaches, many of whom are retired high school head coaches. This league play consists of 12 Rising Stars teams and 13 intact teams from other organizations.

Some rec leagues run by communities, park and rec programs and associations might have been able to provide some of these athletes the chance to play games. But we noticed that there was a desire to get more than just games. Some of those players were hungry to improve but how could they, without working with experienced coaches with a background in developing players.

Because, for many, they still strive to make their high school team the next season or the season after that.

They didn't want to give up.

We are thankful to the MN High School Basketball Coaches Association for helping us get the word out throughout the Metro, and we were pleased with the initial number of student-athletes who have registered. But more important than numbers was providing these ball players a great experience and an avenue to grow their games.

We couldn't be more pleased that Jim MacDonald is among the coaches who are working on developing the 118 players that registered. Coach MacDonald was the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Fridley High School for 32 years, leading the program to multiple conference titles, over 400 wins and earning a spot in the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

While Coach MacDonald doesn't coach a specific team, he is among those that leads the practices during the week, referred to as Master “Dev” coach,  implementing drills and training plans to help all the players improve.

When I visited the National Sports Center during league play on January 8th and 22nd, I was humbled to hear so many positive comments from parents and spectators about the RSHSBL. Some talked about how sad their boys were about not having any place to play organized basketball after tryouts, and others talked about how excited their players were about their teammates and their opponents. One parent said his 16-year-old was among the final cuts at his East Metro school, which was heartbreaking since "basketball was his thing." But the player had no alternative option to keep playing, until they discovered the RSHSBL.

"We decided to give this a shot," the dad told me, "and this has been awesome!"

That was very powerful for me.

I couldn't help but wonder about someone in my own family, who may have benefited from such a league after being cut during tryouts in a sport he greatly enjoyed. Could he have continued on in the sport, and what could he have learned or experienced?

Something else about the RSHSBL that I really appreciate is that the dedicated coaches of these teams are volunteering their time and excited about the opportunity to collaborate, work with and learn so much from Coach Jim MacDonald, Coach Mark MacDonald, Coach Kendrick Livers, and Coach Eric Wright, who have coached basketball for a long time.  One of the biggest challenges for a less experienced coach is running a practice, and they get plenty of support.

But we know how excited the kids are about the games, which is why we keep stats, update standings, create a weekly leaders update on our site, and they'll get to participate in a season-ending tournament! The passion and commitment by multiple members of the MYAS team, ensuring this league is a safe, positive, and productive experience for these student-athletes has been their top priority. A big thank you to Jeff Schultz, Ashlie Anzel, Akua Kennedy, Kevin Wilson and Kahlil Robinson for their work on this league.

There's been such positive feedback about the RSHSBL that we are already hearing lots of requests for us to expand and grow the program — which further bolsters the need.

Still, at MYAS, we are thrilled at the momentum created, a problem solved and, most importantly, student-athletes serviced and engaged.

CLICK HERE for more information on the Rising Stars High School Winter Basketball League.