By Jason Ivanitz
Bolingbrook sophomore Ariel Massengale and freshman Morgan Tuck are living a dream right now as they were chosen to the inaugural USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team on Sunday.
A total of 34 girls were invited to the Olympic facility located in Colorado Springs to try to make the roster of 12 that will be used when team USA participates in the 2009 FIBA Americas Tournament. The tournament will feature eight teams (to be announced) and the top three countries will advance to the FIBA Under 17 basketball championship in 2010.
The two Raiders plan to return home Thursday from Colorado after spending a little more than a week away from home; the return date to Colorado has not been announced.
Bolingbrook is one of only two schools that has multiple players on the squad, and Tuck and Massengale are the only representatives from the state of Illinois.
Hello Coach Smith,
God Bless you, your family and your ministry.
I've been following you for some time and as God willed it I just became strength and conditioning coach for Kennedy King Junior College Girls basketball team under Hall of Fame and Legendary coach Gloria Reeves. I hope you can find time to research (URL above) what I do and why I do it. My mission is to help our youth graduate from college and basketball is a teaching tool that I use. God has gifted me in the area of b-ball. I was impressed with your conditioning (martial arts etc) program and anyone you recommend to KKC will continue to be conditioned Spiritually, Mentally and of course Physically. Hopefully Coach Reeves and I can meet with you at your convenience. I can be reached at 773-602-1316 or by email at louis3_coleman@yahoo.com.
God Bless
Coach Louis Coleman