Lehigh valley Sportsfest

New event to get summer hoops season started, Keith Groller, The Morning Call

2011-05-22T18:44:14+01:00

New event to get summer hoops season started

SportsFest tourney at Moravian to spotlight youth and adults

Keith Groller

8:55 a.m. EDT, May 21, 2011

SportsFest basketball is not just a July event anymore.

SportsFest will actually get the summer tournament season started in two weeks — June 3-5 — with an event at Moravian College.

It's called the "SportsFest and Achievers Millennium Showdown" and it's for youth teams (age groups run from third to ninth grade), high school varsity teams and semi-pro and men's adult teams.

Toomey Anderson, the former Parkland High and Muhlenberg College player who served as a Central Catholic boys assistant last year, is also a member of the SportsFest staff.

This new, additional event was his idea and readily accepted by Chris Lakatosh, director of the SportsFest basketball tournament.

"We want to add some things that will perpetuate our tournament throughout the entire year, and Toomey had the idea of getting this started primarily for the youth and adult teams," Lakatosh said.

"Toomey does an extraordinary amount of work for the kids with his AAU program, and basketball in general in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. This is an extension of his work in the community."

SportsFest got involved with Anderson's one-day Millennium Showcase event at Moravian last October. That was all about players showcasing their individual skills for college coaches.

Discussion has already begun about beginning a one-day special event for high school teams — similar to The Hoop Group event at Parkland — on Martin Luther King Day in January.

Lakatosh said those talks are in a preliminary phase and because schedules are already complete for the 2011-12 season, the earliest that event could take place is in January 2013.

"It would be nice to have a quarterly event that highlights Lehigh Valley basketball, which is so popular and widely supported around here," Lakatosh said. "Toomey's got 20 teams so far and he's looking to add more. This is a first-time event and it's only going to get bigger in the future. We're going to support him in any way we can and do anything to support local basketball."

Lakatosh said plans are proceeding for this year's SportsFest tournament which is set for July 14-17, one week after the Stellar Construction "Catch a Rising Star" Showcase tips off a big month of high school basketball.

He said he has 36 of the 48 teams he's looking for in the varsity boys bracket and has 16 JV squads and 12 "riser division" youth teams set to go.

"We're in great shape considering our tournament is still two months away," Lakatosh said.

The men's adult title game from the June event would be played on the Sunday night of the SportsFest tourney, following the conclusion of the high school tournament. It is expected to be televised by Service Electric.

For more information on the June tourney, call 484-201-6530 or e-mail to: toomeyanderson@gmail.com.

Millennium Showdown Rules & Schedule

2011-05-12T16:26:28+01:00

Click on link below to view Millennium Showdown Flyer

http://sportsfest.org/download.phtml/489/millennum_ad.jpg

Click on link below for Schedule

http://sportsfest.org/download.phtml/494/millenium_schedule_2011_1_.pdf

Click here to open Waiver

RULES & REGULATIONS-

General Admission Price: $5 Per Day

HIGH SCHOOL FEDERATIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS

Every team must register before your first game no exceptions to pick up coaches packet and coaches/players band for free admission. THESE BANDS MUST BE WORN TO GAIN FREE ADMISSION.

GAME MANAGEMENT

1. 20 Minute halves (clock will stop in final 4 minutes of last half and final minute of 1st half). Overtime is 3 minutes with stoppage.

2. Each team will be given 4 minutes to warm up and 3 minutes for halftime

3. Time-Outs: 3 Total Timeouts. All full timeouts

4. One and one bonus on the 10th foul of each half (no 2-shot bonus foul shots) unless you fouled in the act of shooting, is the only time you will shoot two foul shots. A player is fouled out when they commit their 5th foul.

5. Mercy Rule: As long as a team is up 25+pts, the clock will continue to run. If a team is up 25+pts with 3minutes remaining, GAME OVER

6. Each team is responsible for their warm - up. Each team is responsible for cleaning the bench area leaving it tidy for the next game. There will be no arguing or debating referee calls. His/Her call is the final call.

7. Absolutely NO FIGHTING. Anybody fighting will be asked to leave the gym and will not be permitted to return for the remainder of the tournament.

8. NO POSSESSION ARROW. The two players involved in any “tie-ups” will gain possession through a jump ball.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT (3 Games Guaranteed)

The pool winner in each age group will advance to a single elimination playoff. Other teams may still be eligible for playoffs if they do not win their group. The tie breakers to determine these eligible teams will be:

A) Head to Head

B) The average of pts given up. (defense)

C) Margin of victory within your pool

D) 15 points AAU (Any margin over 15 points will count for 15 points)

Newsletter May 2011

2011-05-03T00:12:52+01:00

Click on Link to open Newsletter May 2011

http://sportsfest.org/download.phtml/442/newsletter_may_2011.pdf