Practice schedule for the week of May 20

tshirtfront-1Here are practice times for the week of May 20:

MML U-17: Tuesday night, 6-8 pm at Mott Community College.

MML U-16 Blue: No practices this week.

MML U-16 White: No practices this week.

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Schedule for CDBA Classic in Kalamazoo this weekend

Tournament Sites:

Courthouse Athletic Center
7365 S Sprinkle Rd. 
Portage, MI
49002
*courts CH#1-4 – BE ADVISED: Courthouse does not allow outside food and drinks.  Personal reusable water containers are acceptable, but not throw away plastic bottles.
 
Loy Norrix High School
606 E. Kilgore Rd.
Kalamazoo, MI
49001
*courts LN MAIN & LN AUX
 
Centerpoint Church
2345 N 10th St. 
Kalamazoo, MI
49009
*courts CP#1 & CP #2

U-17

L1. Macomb County Cougars

L3 vs. L4

Fri. 9:30 pm

CH #2

L2. Mid Michigan Lakers

L1 vs. L2

Sat. 8:00 am

CH #1 – dark jerseys

L3. Michigan Madness

L4 vs. L2

Sat. 11:30 am

CH #3- dark jerseys

L4. CDBA

L3 vs. L1

Sat. 11:30 am

CH #4

 

L1 vs. L4

Sat. 3:00 pm

CH #3

 

L2 vs. L3

Sat. 5:20 pm

CH #4- light jerseys

*UPDATE: For MML u17, if we finish 1st in the pool, our first bracket game will be Saturday night at 7:40 pm.  2nd or 3rd place will have us playing Sunday morning at 10:20 am.  4th place will tick coach Miller off, but have us playing at 8:50 pm Saturday evening.

U-16 Blue

       
G1. CDBA

G3 vs. G4

Fri. 9:30 pm

CP #1- light jerseys

G2. Elite Skills

G1 vs. G2

Fri. 8:20 pm

LN Main

G3. Mid Michigan Lakers Blue

G2 vs. G4

Sat. 9:10 am

CP #1

G4. Shoreline Hoops East

G1 vs. G3

Sat. 10:20 am

LN Main – dark jerseys

 

G2 vs. G3

Sat. 12:40 pm

LN Main – dark jerseys

 

G4 vs. G1

Sat. 1:50 pm

LN Main

~UPDATE:  The first bracket game for MML u16-blue,  wherever we finish, will be 8:00 am Sunday morning.

U-16 White

J1. CDBA North

J1 vs. J2

Fri. 6:00 pm

CP #1

J2. Shoreline Hoops West

J3 vs. J4

Fri. 7:10 pm

CP #2 – light jerseys

J3. Mid Michigan Lakers WhiteJ4. Tri County Tigers

J1 vs. J3

J2 vs. J4

J2 vs. J3

J4 vs. J1

Sat. 8:00 am

Sat. 8:00 am

Sat. 3:00 pm

Sat. 4:10 pm

CH #4 – dark jerseys

CP #1

LN Main – dark jerseys

LN Main

~UPDATE: For MML u16-white, a 1st or 3rd place pool finish will put us in a bracket game at 7:40 pm Saturday night.  A 2nd or 4th place finish will have the bracket game at 8:00 am Sunday morning.

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Don’t Call it a Comeback

Out of the throes of adversity can arise amazing stories of perseverance, resolve, character, heart, and a number of other things related to those ideals.  Recently, the MML U17 team faced some adverse times in their most recent tournament in Lansing, but through it all I was reminded of a story that came full circle in that same weekend.  A story of trust, timing, and temerity.  One of a spark of faith through one that reached far beyond what he could have imagined.  A story that now includes a 35-point, 12-rebound performance that seemed unlikely if not impossible at the time.  The story of MML’s own Marquavian Stephens.

A bit less than two years ago, Marquavian was an up-and-coming freshman basketball player at Swartz Creek heading into a promising sophomore campaign.  On a Wednesday night (which also happened to be the night before his 15th birthday), Marq and a number of members of the team were having one of many open gyms at the school.  In an otherwise normal break in the action on the sidelines, surrounded by his friends and associates, he collapsed, the victim of the results of an arrhythmia that he knew nothing about.  Thanks to God and the quick work of the basketball and volleyball coaches, a defibrillator was used to artificially restart his heart to the correct pace.  The story that was told on the news later and in the newspaper detailed the events, but none told of the faith I personally witnessed with him in the time that followed.

After getting a call from another MML member that was there, I immediately started looking for updates and answers, but most importantly began to pray.  With the help of social media, many gathered to share thoughts of hope and prayers for healing for a kid that had seemingly not had a negative confrontation with anyone.  Even with all of that, on his 15th birthday he and his mother heard that he would likely need to have a pacemaker inserted into his chest cavity to regulate the beating of his heart due to an abnormality that went undetected until that point.  While it would necessary to maintain his life, it would also spell the end of his playing career before it really got started.  When I heard it, my heart sank.  When I shared it with other members of the program, there was a similar response.  But I learned you cannot measure the heart of a warrior.

Days had passed, tests had been run, and doctors had gone from pacemaker, to no surgery needed, and back to the need for a pacemaker.  It was grueling for those on the outside so I can only imagine what he must have felt like having his hopes raised and dashed seemingly daily.  I remember just praying that his mind would be okay and this setback would not cause a cloud to come over him.  After all, he faced death head on and won.  The only time I saw Marq in the hospital in Detroit was when I was driving back from Toledo with a fellow teammate of his that had asked to see him.   Marq asked him where he had been and I found it challenging to hear him tell Marq that he had been visiting a college for basketball knowing what he was going through.  However, Marq seemed to light up when he heard that.  Then he said something that blew me away although I know he had no intention of doing so.  He said, “Yeah, I’m going to be doing that soon.”  I wondered had he not heard his own diagnosis.  Then I wondered if he really believed it?  All I know is I left the room that day amazed by his faith and resolve while going through it and a bit embarrassed by the lack of my own as an observer.

The next day, the doctors found the issue that had been ailing Marq and it was determined that no pacemaker was needed to be installed!  When the call came to me, I immediately thought back to what he had just said in that hospital room a relative short time before that.  If a young man could be so confident in his statement, how can we not be?  How much smaller was  what we went through in that tournament to this in the grand scheme of things? 

Marq’s performance in our first game referenced above reminded me of this story and how far he had come.  When adversity presents itself, I think about how strong he was through it all.  I am reminded of the explanation of faith that my pastor, Dr. Lonnie W. Brown gave us; Faith is- F- Final A- Authority I- Impossible T- Things will H- Happen!  Indeed the final say so was out of my hands, or Marq’s, his mom’s, his team’s, his supporters’, or anyone else’s hands.  God had the final word on that issue at that time.  Saturday’s performance marked the culmination of a long road back.  It was not his first game back, but it was certainly  the greatest recent example of his potential as a basketball player.  It’s not the end, but just the begining for him as well…

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Posted: MML practices for the week of May 13

Here are practices times for the week of May 13:

MML U-17: Monday night, 6-8 pm, at Central Church of the Nazarene, 1261 W. Bristol Road in Flint Township & Tuesday night, 6-8 pm at Mott Community College.

tshirtfront-1MML U-16 Blue: Tuesday night, 6-8 pm at Mott Community College.

MML U-16 White: Wednesday night, 6-8 pm at The Cage Fieldhouse, 4110 Morrish Road in Swartz Creek.

Please submit your final team fee payment prior to the next tournament.

Also, please be advised that we are guests in these facilities. Please do not leave your garbage on the floor.

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Schedule for Moneyball Shootout in Lansing

PLAYING SITE: AIM HIGH – 7977 Centerline Drive, Dimondale, MI 48821

16U

POOL A
1) REACH
2) MICHIGAN MAVERICKS 1
3) MID-MICHIGAN LAKERS BLUE
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013
3:35PM – COURT #2 (1 vs 2)
5:45PM – COURT #4 (2 vs 3)
7:55PM – COURT #4 (1 vs 3)
POOL B
1) OAA
2) MID-MICHIGAN LAKERS WHITE
3) DETROIT SPARTANS
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013
3:35PM – COURT #3 (1 vs 2)
5:45PM – COURT #5 (2 vs 3)
7:55PM – COURT #5 (1 vs 3)

17U

POOL A
1) REACH – CORE CITY
2) MICHIGAN MAVERICKS 1
3) FLINT’S FINEST
4) MID-MICHIGAN LAKERS
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013
4:40PM – COURT #1 (1 vs 2)
4:40PM – COURT #2 (3 vs 4)
6:50PM – COURT #1 (2 vs 3)
6:50PM – COURT #2 (1 vs 4)

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Schedule change: Tuesday evening practices moved to Thursday this week

The U-17 and u-16 Blue teams will not practice Tuesday night due to a scheduling conflict at Mott. Instead, those two teams will practice Thursday night at Mott starting at 6 p.m.

Please spread the word.

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Schedules for Michigan Warriors Jam Fest- May 4,5

Okay, here we go for the tournament this weekend.  Be advised that we are only guaranteed 3 games in this tournament so every game is important in jockeying for position to play in bracket play.  Take each opponent seriously, no matter what they may look like.  Let’s go win!  Parents/family/guardians, there are a plethora of hotel options in the Livonia area should you decide to stay.

U17 (Pool E):

Game P10 Saturday @10:20 am- vs. Team Detroit (Franklin court 10)

Game P22 Saturday @2:20 pm- vs. Michigan Elite (Franklin court 11)

Game P33 Saturday @6:20 pm- vs. Blue Angels (Churchill court 4)

If 1st place or 2nd place in pool, we will play at 0920 Sunday morning at Stevenson.

U16- Blue (Pool A):

Game P1 Saturday @09:00 am- vs. Parallel 45 (Churchill court 01)

Game P13 Saturday @01:00 pm- vs. ZBA Elite (Churchill court 03)

Game P25 Saturday @05:00 pm- vs. Michigan Warriors (Churchill court 01)

If 1st in pool, we play at 1:20 pm on Sunday.  If 2nd, 10:40am Sunday at Stevenson.

U16-White (Pool B):

Game P5 Saturday @09:00 am- vs. Westside Slammers (Churchill court 03)

Game P18 Saturday @01:00 pm- vs. Little Ma Power (Franklin court 11)

Game P30 Saturday @05:00 pm- vs. Plymouth-Canton Wolfpack (Churchill court 04)

If 1st in pool, we play at 1:20 pm on Sunday.  If 2nd, 10:40am Sunday at Stevenson.

Site Addresses for Tournament

1. Livonia Churchill High School

8900 Newburgh RD.

Livonia, MI. 48150

2. Livonia Franklin High School

31000 Joy RD.

Livonia, MI. 48150

3. Livonia Stevenson High School

33500 Six Mile RD.

Livonia, MI. 48152

4. Northville High School

45700 Six Mile RD.

Northville, MI. 48168

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