Resources

Ares Wins at Trust The Process Fall Showcase Tournament

November 15, 2019 by Coach Kosta Leave a Comment

As the season seems to be blowing by, we are all excited to watch the teams grow. The teams seem to start understanding where they need to be and what needs to be done on the court. Recent drills to fine tune some fundamentals on both offense and defense, rebounding, and playmaking, really paid off this last tournament.

Saturday we battled at the Trust The Process Fall Showcase Tournament held at Soldiertown in Oakland, California. 11u walked away with the championship and 13u walked away having an amazing tournament all around.

13u Ares Team

The 13u is a special group of kids. They range from age 11-13 and have shown a tremendous amount of growth of the last few months. There is no secret to who one of our key players are on the team. Torey who runs the point for out team has been an exceptional player and young man. As the team gets to know each other, there is only good things to come.

The 3 games 13u played were against Trust The Process, Scholars, and the Hayward Panthers finishing 2-1 for the tournament. All 3 games were great. Two, one point games and a win by 20. Even though these boys still have a long process ahead of them still, we are proud how far they have come along.

11u Ares Team

The 11u executed the game plan just like we practiced it the week of. They have gotten down the concept of the fast break and their defensive positioning was just right. These boys went 3-0 on paper, our last game of the evening we ended up playing a 12u team as a scrimmage and even a couple of the siblings who are almost/are 12 got to help and earn them self a ring.

With an actual record of 2-1 in the tournament, the 11u won big in the first two games and hung in there well with the 12u team they competed against.

Phenom Coach at Soldiertown

Alex and Rehmat got to compete and participate in the Phenom All American Camp help annually in San Diego. Their Coach Leo Svete from the camp happens to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we ended up running into him at the tournament. The kids who participated naturally were happy to see him and were quick to pose with him between our games.

Coach Leo has played basketball both in College and in the European league. He holds training on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area and we hope to have him out to get a session in with our club. Alex and Rehmat both have been invited back to Phenom and they look forward to seeing their coach again.

Basketball Night with the Stockton Kings

October 29, 2019 by Coach Kosta Leave a Comment

Ares Basketball is holding a fundraiser event with the Stockton Kings during their opening night against the Santa Cruz Warriors at the Stockton Arena Friday, November 8, 2019. The event is aimed to help offset costs of gym, travel, and tournament costs into our new basketball season. Buy your tickets online or by contacting us directly. Come out to support your local G-League basketball club and Ares Basketball with a fun night out to Stockton Kings’ opening night!

Tickets are $19 – Access and inclusions:

Reserved seating rows 9-10 in section 117 (see image below)
Admission to Stockton Kings vs Santa Cruz Warriors Opening night
Access to “Friday Family Feast” $1 Soda, $2 Hot Dog, $4 Unlimited Popcorn!
Free Stockton Kings Hat *
Tunnel Buddies – kids receive access to the tunnel pre-game **
$4 donation towards the Ares Basketball program

Image of section 117 row 9 at a Stockton Arena hockey game.

* Please ask for the hat while picking up your tickets at will call.
**Tunnel buddy spaces are limited and are reserved for players first.

Ares Basketball wins at WCBBA AAU Tournament

October 4, 2019 by Coach Kosta Leave a Comment

After 3 months of training and playing against bigger, more advanced teams, the Ares boys got the job done.

11u held it down!

This past Saturday, we attended the WCBBA tournament held in the Concord California area and brought out the 10/11u and our 13/14u teams. Even though we only have one 11yo and one 14yo on each team, we normally play the upper bracket with both teams and don’t even bother asking for an exception to help push the kids, however, with missing a few key members for the older team, we played the 13u bracket this time around, and glad we did.

Our first game for the afternoon was against Prime. We battled hard for 40min to fall short by 4 points. Prime is known for putting together and training some top talent in the area and always a challenge to play against.

Second game was a lot different. I asked to be put in D2 11u and this tournament delivered. Our next game up was against the Titans 11u. You can tell most of these kids were about to turn 12 or were already 12 from their size and skill level, but that didn’t stop us from stepping up and do a great job against the Titans, winning by 8.

Third game I knew would be tough. SJ Unity had just defeated Prime in OT by 1 and if we beat Unity by 7 or more, we would win the tournament. The stage was set, the kids were ready to battle…

40min went by and we were looking to close out the game with a 10point victory. Out of the timeout the kids knew what they needed to do. Get a stop, don’t let them score, no 3’s, don’t let up.

5…4…3…

The whistle blows, foul on the 3point buzzard beater shot. SJ Unity player hits all 3 making it a tie between Prime and Ares…and since Prime beat us, they got first.

13/14u games were a lot better…3-0 better

For 3 months now we have been playing up against 14u teams which normally contain a mix of high school freshmen and 8th grade boys. The boys did well over the last few months hanging in there and playing some good basketball. I knew going into what our actual matchups should be that we would do well…but not as well as I thought we would since we would face off against some experienced teams.

Game one was against the East Bay Eagles. We got some history coaching against each other and my parents could tell by the way the other coach was acting. You can tell that he really wanted to beat me since it’s been years since he has been able to pull off a win against any of my teams…but I can save that story for another time.

The energy coming from the team was great the first game. There were still some chemistry missing but I the rotation was better this time around. Torey (I call him “Take-Over Torey”) really did well that game. There was no one on the other team that could stop him.

Game two was against the Bay Area Sharks. I knew that the team has been together for a while and he was watching our game against the Eagles so he knew he had to take care of “Take-Over Torey” in order to have a change. Over the next 40 min, there was constant pressure on Torey making the rest of the team step up…and they did an amazing job to pull off a win.

The third and final game was against the Aztecs. When I first saw we were playing that group I was a little disappointed. Last time we faced each other, we won my a big margin and was not sure what to expect. I am the kind of coach that will never under estimate our opponent no matter how much we won by the last time we faced off each other. You never know where they were in their process last time we faced off or if it’s even going to be the same kids.

As they walked through the doors, it was NOT the same team. I actually heard some of our parents sigh thinking its going to be a good but long game. The kids that came in looked like ballers, I will admit that. Even the kids who remembered this team from last time was starting to get a little intimidated…see…never underestimate.

I chuckled a bit.

I looked at our assistant coach and said “we got this” and called the team in for the huddle. After a short pow-wow and pep talk, they hit the court motivated to win the last game. Out the gates these guys were on fire! 16min went by and I had not realized that I had still to put in my bench. Score was 30-2 at the half.

In the second half I changed it up. I mixed some of my starters with the bench players and started to rotate them out every 4-5min. The kids knew what was coming to them and they were excited. They did so well, I was able to have some of my 10u players help and even almost score against kids much much taller than them.

Looking for a team?

Do you live in the Tracy, Stockton, Patterson, Manteca areas and looking for a travel basketball team? Visit aresbasketball.com to sign up for tryout information.

Ares Basketball Swag Shop Launched!

September 24, 2019 by Coach Kosta Leave a Comment

It has been a longer road than expected when looking to find a vendor to fulfill our swag orders. For months we scoured the internet to find companies that can print our uniforms and another to print our swag but over that time we thought, “why not local?”

We quickly dropped our search for a basketball swag provider and start looking local. We ended up using two different vendors here in Tracy and were able to keep it ultra local! You can now order t-shirts, hoodies, and even towels. To see the store, use our top navigation and click on “Store” to browse and shop or click here to start browsing now.

This is just the start! We are working int he background to add more swag including socks, water bottles, hats, bands, and who knows…maybe even shoes?!?!?

Custom Ares Basketball T-Shirts and Hoodies

What is great about having a local vendor, we can customize swag! Currently we can customize the t-shirts and hoodies. Customization ranges from adding names to the chosen product to glitter…yes…glitter!

So don’t wait, go browser our Ares Basketball Shop and support Ares Basketball by showing your spirit!

AAU Basketball Open Tryouts

September 2, 2019 by Coach Kosta Leave a Comment

Exciting news! Ares Basketball is holding open tryouts during the month of September. We are looking to fill spots on our 5th grade and our 7/8th grade teams. We are also open in building out a girls team so if your girl athlete is interested in basketball bring them out!

Tryouts for High School will be announced next year. With high school basketball season ramping up, the student athletes are starting to condition with their future teams.

How can I sign up to tryout?

Follow this link to or visit our main website at www.aresbasketball.com in order to fill out our form. Ares Basketball Program Director will then reach out to you on an individual basis and interview you. From there, an invite to come and practice with the team will then be sent. This will allow the organization staff to take a closer look at your athlete.

Importance of Photography and Basketball

September 2, 2019 by Coach Kosta Leave a Comment

Ares Basketball at Peaceful Warriors tournament in Stockton CA.

Before becoming a basketball coach or the Director of Ares Basketball, sports photography took up most of my free time. Covering all types of sporting events, it became apparent to me that photography and sports go hand in hand.

Why is Photography so Important in Sports?

When covering sports on assignment or as a side gig, at first I did it because I love sports period. However, overtime I realized that without photography, people would not be able to see what the athlete is all about.

With social media becoming such a big platform to share your story, it can make or break an athlete’s career. What you say and what you show matters more than some may even imagine. Over and over again we will hear an athlete get in trouble on social media for sharing their thoughts or a non appropriate photo that leads them into trouble.

What Should I Post on Social Media as a Basketball Player?

Keep it Clean

Post Action Photos – the more action the better. Look for any action shot you can find of your athlete playing the game.
Post Creative Photos – find or take photos of the other things that happen at training and the game. Show how you can see the finer things that happen and that you appreciate those moments.
Post Training Photos – that is right, showoff that you train on the weekends and on your off-time. Showcase that you are a dedicated player and you will do anything to get better.

Do College Recruiters Really Check Social Media Accounts?

YES…

College recruiters, coaches, camps, athletic directors, parents, friends, EVERYONE checks your social media especially instagram. So the cleaner you keep it and focus on your goals, opportunities will open. Several of our Ares players have been using their instagram accounts to get their name out there and have seen success. The more content you post, the more eyes will see your athlete’s talents.

How can I get Photos of my Athlete Playing Basketball

Use what you have!

If you go to all games, bring your phone! Start somewhere and grow from there. Some parents will invest heavily by purchasing good photo and video equipment because some basketball gyms are known to be dark.

See if tournaments sell their images!

Some of the bigger tournaments and exposure camps we will attend sell their photos and video highlights of games. They can be costly but it saves you doing the extra work and investing heavily in equipment.

Ask if your Basketball Organization Offers Photos

If you are a member of Ares Basketball, we got you covered. We are lucky enough to have already invested in the equipment and an awesome parent to take photos at every event they can make. We have made an album called “Ares Basketball” where you can find all the photos we take on our photo website. You can find these photos by visiting our photo website here: https://kgoumenidis.zenfolio.com/f508596942

All proceeds from the images we sell go back into the Ares Basketball organization.

Conclusion

Every athlete who wants to take their sport serious should invest in building out their social media resume. With the ever growing audience and ease of use, adding videos and photos on what is available will help the athlete be followed and noticed by peers, coaches, and recruiters alike.