SA ISLANDERS 2015 APRIL MATTHEWS

 2015 April Matthews has LITERALLY come out of nowhere to help the SA Islanders compete against some talented AAU Club Basketball teams. She is still learning and growing by leaps and bounds. Athletic ability is evident as she can cover the floor in a heartbeat!
Just a small glimpse of the huge summer she had!

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SA ISLANDERS APRIL MATTHEWS

SA ISLANDERS 2016 BELLE TOVAR

This is this the 4th time she hits a shot from this DISTANCE this AAU season!
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SA ISLANDERS BELLE TOVAR

PBR End of the Road Showcase Round Rock

PBR End of the Road Showcase

All games under one roof
2400 ChilsomTrail
Round Rock, Tx

White Team
MONDAY
10am Away Ct 4
130pm Home Ct 1
5pm Home Ct 3

TUESDAY
1015am Away Ct 3
1245pm Away Ct 2


Black Team
MONDAY
1220pm Away Ct 5
240pm Home Ct 1
610pm Away Ct 2

TUESDAY
9am Home Ct 6
1130am Away Ct 1

SA ISLANDERS ON GIRLZPREPREPORT

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SA ISLANDERS CREATING HAVOC

AUTO AWESOME PICTURES

Moms vs Basketball Moms

I was just thinking this Mother's Day, how far Basketball Moms have come when it comes to their involvement in sports regarding their daughters.  Not too long ago, Fathers were the ones heavily involved in all aspects with their daughters basketball careers. 
Not any more. Here is my take on the difference between regular Moms and Basketball Moms.

MOMS- They constantly complain "You all going to be in the gym ALL DAY LONG?'
BBALL MOMS- When their kid is on fire on the basketball court , they declare for everyone to hear, "ALL DAY LONG BABY!"

MOMS- Wear makeup and dress up for all occasions.
BBALL MOMS- At basketball games, wear war paint and dress down as if to be cool.

MOMS- Never get enough of Oprah, Lifetime Channel and Cooking Channels.
BBALL MOMS- Never get enough of ESPN and watching Stephen Curry's 3pt barrage, Kevin Durant's 30pt a game streak or Blake Griffin's slam dunk highlights.

MOMS- Want their kids to grow up to be President, Lawyers and Doctors.
Bball Moms- Want their kids to grow up to play in WNBA.

MOMS- Think University of Connecticut Women's Basketball program is a big bully and should let other teams have a chance and cannot stand an arrogant Coach Geno.
BBALL MOMS- Would love their daughters to be offered a scholarship from the almighty Coach Geno to attend the greatest Women's basketball program ever.

MOMS- Cannot make it to the games cause their mom are visiting from out of town.
BBALL MOMS- They drag their mom to the game no matter what and make them sit on the bleachers even though they don't have an idea of what's going on.

MOMS- Just like to go to the games to catch up on general gossip with the other ladies,
BBALL MOMS- Like to go to games to gossip about the teams we just beat or cheated us from victory.

MOMS- Go support concessions in general to offer support to the overall program running the tournament.
BBALL MOMS- Are telling each other how ridiculous the prices are for a bottled water and sneaking them in the gym. They also are returning the stale Nachos and Popcorn as being unacceptable!

MOMS- Respect the refs and claim they look all proffesional in their uniforms.
BBALL MOMS- Are yelling at the refs and criticizing their pinstripe uniforms as Tacky and Cold!

MOMS- Live shopping at the Mall and at Kohls.
BBALL MOMS- Live at Academy, Nike Store and Foot Locker.

MOMS- Drop off their daughters at their games cause they have appointments for their hair or at the spa and don't have time to sit and watch.
BBALL MOMS- Go to games and tell their daughters,"You made me miss my appointments for that, you better bring it on the next one!"

MOMS- Never pay attention to the scoreboard during the game cause it does not matter, EVERYONE is a winner!
BBALL MOMS- Are constantly yelling at the scorer's table that the SCORE  is WRONG!

MOMS- Are very understanding, compromising and open minded.
BBALL MOMS- ARE NEVER WRONG!

MOMS- Think all Coaches are CRAZY!!!!!
BBALL MOMS- Don't say anything about their kid, cause they will get CRAZY!

MOMS- Want to spend a quiet day with the family for lunch and dinner for Mother's Day.
BBALL MOMS- Are yelling that we are running late to go practice at the Gym even though it is Mother's Day!

Well not exactly, but I'm close.

TO ALL MOMS AND BASKETBALL MOMS EVERYWHERE,
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!

SA Islanders CyFair Invitational Highlights

Over the weekend Cy Fair Invitational Highlights. Plenty of bloopers as well to go along.
But just a little something to show how hard these young ladies have been working.

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SA Islanders CyFair Highlights

SA Islanders Sights and Sounds

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SA Islanders Sights and Sounds

SA Islanders 2014 Club Ball Season

WOW,  I can't believe we are here again ready to start the Club Ball season.  We are ready to start our 5th season as an Organization. It is a credit to all the Parents and Players that have dedicated and committed a lot time and effort, that LEADERS EXPRESS ORGANIZATION is still going on.

First, I will put out a disclaimer.. We don't have the best players or we don't have a monopoly on the smartest players. There are also a lot smarter, better people doing this than me.
So that being said, that makes my job significantly harder. We have to find a way to compete against teams that have a lot of high quality players that are working hard themselves to get better. My hope is that we are making a DIFFERENCE in young ladies life's through discipline, work ethic, hard work and establishing leadership skills.

A lot of people in the coaching field always state that they don't chase trophies, which is a valid point and has a lot of merit when as a coach, developing players skills, expanding basketball IQ etc should take precedence. But when you can take a group of young ladies to a Large Tournament that has a lot of decent talent and skill and find a way to come out on top, then that can speak volumes about what you are doing as an Organization, might not be that bad.

So as to a quick recap about last year's basketball Club season, I am extremely proud of the SA Islanders for winning the PrimeTime National Championship in the JV Division. Over 48 teams in the JV division alone, a lot of lessons were learned including teamwork, overcoming adversity, dealing with obstacles, instilling mental toughness etc., on the way to the Championship!
And in the process, we have had numerous players garnering interest from numerous Colleges!
It is a great start as we move forward this season.

If Skill Development is key to the success of any program then I will start with our starting three guards for the Black team and move on to all players in the organization.

Lexi, Belle, Tara

2016 Alexia Torres is the starting Point Guard. She is coming off a stellar season at Incarnate Word HS finishing 3rd overall in scoring in her District following her freshman campaign at Marshall HS where she was 4th overall in scoring in a tough District 27-5A and also being named NewComer of the Year.  She is closing in on 1000 pts for her HS career. What is amazing is that she is not known for a Scoring PG per se but more as a "Pure" or "True" PG.  She has added a nice mid range shot and pull up shot to go along with her long ball as well as a threat getting to the basket. She can run the floor or slow it down. Oh yeah, her defense is not too shabby. Very Coachable and Super kid! Always has a "team first" mentality.

2016 Belle Tovar is our Shooting Guard. But don't let that fool you. She had to play JV at Judson HS this season due to UIL transfer rules.  She had to play PG which enabled her to work on her overall game. She averaged over 25 ppg and almost 10 assists a game. The only games they didn't win was when she didn't run the point and the team was working on developing other players.  Her range is well beyond 3 pt shot arc! Her mid range and pull up are becoming automatic as well.  She has the ability of driving to the basket and getting to the line. On defense, she is not afraid to mix it up against the opposing Posts. It is not out of the norm if she is among our leading rebounders for any given game. She is gearing up for a strong Club Ball season that will propel her into the basketball HS season.
Overall, she is one of the best in the city at what she does. That is why she has sparked interest from numerous Colleges. Great thing is she is already committed to a field of study in College and is determined to achieve it. Great kid and fierce competitor!

2016 Tara Molina is our PG/Shooting Guard. She made Honorable Mention All-District and was named best NewComer of the Year for District 26 5-A. She also played PG for her HS team. Her handles are smooth as can be. She has the ability to create on a dime. She has the ability to ignite a team in a lot of ways especially with the 3 pt shot. Against the wall, playing for Johnson HS, she hit six 3 pointers against MacArthur to help her team advance to the playoffs. She followed that performance with four 3 pointers by early in the 3rd quarter against State bound Wagner.  Tara has been with program since its inception. Super nice great kid with team mentality!

Erin Wimberley

2016 Erin Wimberley is working her way back from an ACL injury. She is an integral part of the team. She is strong as can be. She has been an Islander since day one and has played together with Alexia for at least 6 years. She has kept a Positive attitude through her rehab and is anxious to get back to the court. Her mid range has been looking very nice. Smart player with "team" first mentality. She is ranked #14 out of 584 and has a GPA of 4.0 with a 97.16 avg. She received 1st Team Academic All-District. Great kid with great attitude!

2017 Alexis Worley is also working her self back from ankle surgery. This past season, she helped CC Ray HS make it to the playoffs. She is another big part of our puzzle. At 6'3", she is an imposing player that can run the floor. Footwork and mid range shot had been coming along before the set back with her ankle. She is committed to come back stronger than ever. Another great kid with a great attitude. She is also a fierce competitor and a fire in her belly.

2016 Victoria Pena is coming off a great sophomore season as well. She averaged right under 10ppg for OConnor HS.  She has made drastic gains in her skill, intensity and defense earning her 2nd Team All-District honors. She also made 1st Team Academic All-District. She is working hard to get to the next level. And have I mentioned she has a GPA of 99.2. Ranks 25 out of a Class of 752 making her in the Top 4%. Great work ethic and great kid!

2019 Ashley Adaszczyk is coming off a great MS basketball season. She single handily led her team, St George Episcopal to her District Championship game. Her handles are tight and is starting to blossom as one of the best guards in the city for her age group. Her mid range and pull up shots are drastically improving adding another weapon to her outside shot. She is really working hard against girls that are 3 or 4 years older. Great kid!

2017 Brianna Soliz was named 2nd Team All-District in her freshmen season playing for San Angelo Lakeview HS. She is strong and deceivingly quick with nice size and exceptional footwork especially compared to her age group. She has a nice touch on her mid range shot as well. Can run the floor as well. Super nice kid with great Attitude!

2015 Hannah Murray was named 2nd team All-District for a tough competitive District 27-5A playing for Warren HS. She has made incredible strides especially when you consider she has not played Club Ball very long. As a Post, she can lay down the hammer on Defense with her shot blocking ability. Her footwork and mid range has improved drastically. Great kid with great Attitude!

2015 April Matthews is developing into the type of player that can truly be a better College player than during HS especially when you consider she hasn't played Club ball that long. She is a hard worker and very determined. Although a Post, she also transitions to a guard as her skill set keeps on developing. Her footwork is night and day compared when she came on board. Colleges should definitely keep an eye on her. Great kid with great Attitude!

Hannah, Ari, April

2015 Arianna Craver is in a lot of ways a carbon copy of April Matthews. They both play for Clark HS. They both possess a lot of the same traits. Ari has just completed her first year of playing any competitive basketball besides school ball. She has some real get go and a great motor. Always positive and vocal. Her overall game at all different levels have increased dramatically since she came aboard. She is working hard on her skill set and explosiveness. She is also very smooth as she moves with or without the ball down court.  A lot of upside! Great kid with great Attitude!

2015 Lunden Patterson completes the trio from Clark that play for the Islanders. She has grown up before my eyes in a matter of a year. She has legitimate range from 3 point land and is working hard on her mid range, handles and defense. But to be sure, she is working hard at school as well. She made 1st Team Academic All-District. She ranks #9 out of a Class of 667 (Top 2%). She almost has a GPA of 102. Super nice, smart kid!

2016 Erin Ashley came away with Honorable Mention All-District Honors playing for Smithson Valley even though she was playing out of position because of a lot of injuries to school Posts. She also won 1st Team Academic All-District. She has a GPA of 96.1 and definitely in the Top 20 Percentile of her Class. Great Attitude and Hard Worker. She has been an Islander since day 1. She has a strong skill set and is a great competitor.

2016 Brianna Lane is recovering from an ACL injury incurred playing school ball. This kid has had a lot of adversity and always bounces back stronger. She has grown leaps and bounds in limited action.
She is the starting PG at Marshall HS and was named to 1st Team Academic All-District. She ranks #27 out of over 650 kids in her Class (Top 5%) with a GPA of 4.0. Super nice Great kid with an attitude to match!

2016 Julie Hernandez played JV because of UIL rules prohibiting her playing Varsity due transferring rules. She was the starting PG and helped her Lee HS team beat a lot of teams they had never beaten before. She is a tough cookie and a real competitor.  Super nice kid. She has been an Islander since day 1.

2017 Nancy Jones played JV PG for Madison HS. She is smart as can be on the court. She has a real nice, smooth stroke beyond the arc. She always seems to be at the right place at the right time. She is strong and deceivingly fast. Working hard on her skill set. Great kid with great attitude.

Victoria and Cindy

2016 Cindy Si played JV for Brandeis HS. She helped lead the team to an undefeated season and a District Championship. She has a GPA of 102.43 and ranks #4 in Class of over 700 making her in the Top 1%. She is blossoming into a real nice player.  She has nice height that is used for Post in school ball but is steadily improving her skill set enabling her to play a 3 and a 2. Tremendous upside. She has a smooth shot and is learning to attack the basket with confidence. She has a will and desire to succeed. Great Attitude and work ethic!

2015 Analisa Arguello played at Incarnate Word HS playing with Lexi. She is also a PG by nature. After a layoff from Club Ball, she has come on board the Islander family. She has tremendous work ethic and seems to always be having fun. As she heads into her final season of HS ball, she is determined to make a difference by being the best player she can be, going into it. Nice skill set already in place. Working on getting stronger and polishing up skills and shooting. She has an overall GPA of 94 and being in Honor Roll for 3 straight years. Great kid with great attitude!

2015 Marissa Regino played HS ball at Lee as well. She is relentless and a fierce competitor. She loves to play the game and it shows on the court. Her school set is improving from a 2 guard to a PG. She is not afraid to play under any circumstances. Great kid that has gone through a lot with a great Attitude!

2016 Jennifer Sullivan is another kid from Lee HS. Because of her height she is used as a Post. But she is working hard in her skill set. Another kid that doesn't show any fear when on the court no matter the circumstance. Steadily improving and working. Very proud of her for her dedication and commitment. Going through a lot of adverse situations but you would never know it because she has an upbeat demeanor. At this rate, maybe our 3 Lee HS kids can accomplish something that hasn't happened in a long time, win a District game! Great kid with great Attitude!

Bri Soliz, Jordan

2017 Jordan Brooks played considerable minutes and even started with her San Angelo Lakeview HS team earning her 2nd team All-District Honors as well as her teammate Bri Soliz. She currently has a 4.0 GPA ranking her in the Top 5% in her Class. She has a lot of upside as well. Her defense sticks out with her hustle play. She is working hard on her skill set. She helps run the PG position at school. It would be interesting to see if she and Bri can help lead their HS into the playoffs next season. Super nice kid!

2016 Audrey Carranco plays for the fighting Beeville Trojans. She has been playing Varsity since her freshmen year and is the starting PG. She received Honorable Mention All-District Honors as well as being named to the Academic All-District team in District 30 4-A. She has a GPA of 99.36 and is ranked #13 in her Class. This kid has tremendous spunk and drive. She is committed and dedicated. She is working hard on polishing up her skill set. Has a nice floater in her arsenal when she attacks the basket. What a Great kid with Great Attitude.

2018 Alison Shanklin plays for the FEAST program. She helped her team have a successful season playing all the way to Nationals up in MO. She had always played Post but was skilled enough to run the point for her team all the way to Nationals. She is ranked #1 in her Class Academically. She is working hard on her skill set. She will definitely be a strong player once in HS. Nice hard working kid!

A collection of young ladies from around the area that truly represent San Antonio in many ways. As one parent recently remarked, "A True Melting Pot".
And by having read this blog, a collection of Players that truly represent our Organizations name, LEADERS EXPRESS! An impressive group on and off the court.

I will finish by stating that in most things in Life, Strive to be the Best you can be, don't put ALL your eggs in being Number #1. It's for only "One" person....., but "Every One" Can Make a Difference by contributing in different ways in the Community either by becoming Doctors, Nursing, Lawyers, Accountants, Business Owners, Scientists, Police, Firefighters, Teachers, etc........... and yes even Coaches!

GO ISLANDERS!!

SA Girls Basketball Class 5A Rankings Regular Season ending 2-6-14

So the playoffs are here with 2 exceptions, Jay vs Clark and Johnson vs MacArthur having to settle 4th place ties this coming Friday.

Clark took care of Jay to be in the drivers seat only to lose and get upset by Marshall to be in this predicament.  Clark is playing without starting PG because on an injury making their task a little bit tougher. The winner gets a shot at the city's Top Ranked 5A team, Steele.

How Johnson is in this situation is beyond any reasonable explanation. They were preseason State Ranked and now are fighting for their lives to make the playoffs. They beat down OConnor, took care of Brandeis, Churchill twice and beat District Champ Reagan once pretty convincingly  only to lose to Madison twice, Roosevelt twice and to MacArthur once. Winner of Johnson vs MacArthur gets a shot at Wagner. Let's see, the way this works is Johnson might be able to beat Wagner if they get a shot but might lose to MacArthur to prevent them a shot at Wagner. Confused, well that was the point.

In the first round with games already set, some interesting match-ups:

Churchill vs New Braunfels - Has anyone won more close games than Churchill. It seems half of their District games were decided by less than 5 points. They beat Roosevelt 26 to 25 to secure second place. That means two things, either the clock is going to eventually strike midnight and it will be time to go home or will the experience and challenges of playing close games going to prepare them mentally for a long run. New Braunfels should not be overlooked. They played Judson pretty tight and had a good showing against Wagner.

Judson vs Roosevelt - Judson needs to get some consistent scoring to make a good run in the playoffs. Against Roosevelt, they play against a team that has nothing to lose which can lead to trouble if Judson doesn't have the right mindset.

OConnor vs Southwest - This should be an entertaining game to watch. They both have an up tempo feel when they play and they both like to set up traps on opposing guards. Southwest in a full court setting while OConnor likes to trap at half court. Both teams have streaky shooters especially beyond the arc. Southwest can't fall behind if they are to have a chance. 

As a potential 1st round game, Wagner vs Johnson would be a nice match up with the amount of college bound players on the court at the same time. But that is getting ahead, Johnson still has to take care of business against MacArthur. The same team that they lost to once and barely beat by 3 in their first meeting.

That leaves some intriguing potential games for the second round. If all the favorites win, we should see Steele vs Judson, Stevens vs Churchill, Reagan vs OConnor, Wagner vs Brandeis.

Which leads me to this, I will only rank the previously 8 mentioned teams. Everyone else is Honorable Mention!

8) Churchill - On paper, they are overachieving which is a credit to their coach and top players. Their strengths are their guards. Can they ride their guards to a run? Can they get more contributions from an inside presence and from their bench?

7) Judson - They seem to be missing something that prevents you from stating they are playing like a well oiled machine. They have very talented and capable players. They have guards that can penetrate and create and an inside presence. They need to find their shots from the outside to open up the inside. This team has the players that can put the clamps on opposing teams with their defense, rebounding and intensity.  Now is the time if they want to make a run.  A lot of seniors in the starting roster.

6) Brandeis - On paper, they have one of the deepest teams. Capable, smart, savvy point guard, at least 3 legit posts, capable abundance guards especially in Freshman Gabby Connally who is able to get to the rim, hit beyond the arc, create and get to the line if need be. They will be tested early. If they can get a signature win, they can make a deep run.

5) OConnor - This team has some great wins but some losses that have not been good. A good or great inside game in basketball is like having a great running attack in football. It is quite possible that their guards can carry them far but it would be a lot easier if they can get the inside game going in a consistent manner. They are better when their defense creates offense. Out of all their wins, beating Brandeis twice impresses me most. Which team is going to show up in the playoffs?

4) Reagan - When I saw Reagan lose to Johnson, one thing that struck me besides the play of Wendy Knight, was the fact that all the young supporting cast played with a demeanor that radiates CONFIDENCE. Although they lost, they shot, they attacked, they played like they were veterans even though they are only sophomores. Going back to Wendy, she put on a show against Johnson with her game on the court and in how she conducts herself as a team leader! To go back to State, the young ones are going to have to keep playing like veterans.

3) Stevens - Does this team have a bad loss? They are healthy again and looking to make a run. One of a few teams that can literally match up against anyone in the city. They have a lot of weapons on offense and a lot of weapons on defense. Can this be the year they go to State?

2) Wagner - They are healthy again which makes them a dangerous team. They beat Steele without their complete roster. They have the most entertaining pregame ritual than any High School team I have seen. How is that important to the game? That shows me they have chemistry, a bond, trust in one another. They have in my opinion more overall players that on offense can create for themselves and/or team. If a team plays them man to man, they don't need to run plays. Spread the court and someone is going to have an advantage. You play them zone, they can light up with 3's. Can everyone stay on board for a Team Goal greater than individual performances?

1) Steele - They have shown some kinks on their armor. Even a loss to Wagner still doesn't knock them down. When you are the defending Champ, you get some latitude. Playoffs are a complete different platform than the regular season. Everything gets magnified in the playoffs. When push comes to shove, you get the sense this team's intensity will go up a lot of notches if this team feels a challenge coming on in the playoffs. Which to me still will make them the team to beat to get to State in Class 5A.

In conclusion, Brennan starts their march to State in Class 4A. Yes, these rankings are for 5A teams but there is something to be said when Brennan has BEAT 6 of my top 8 teams including ALL my top 5!
Preparation, Commitment, Experience, Skilled, Well Coached are some of the attributes that make this team tough to beat. 
It would have been interesting to see what they would have done if they were in this years Class 5A Brackets.

SA ISLANDERS 2016 ANABELLE "BELLE" TOVAR HIGHLIGHTS

SA ISLANDERS 2016 BELLE TOVAR HIGHLIGHTS
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BELLE TOVAR HIGHLIGHTS

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