NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- When Sean Oliver began the New Rochelle Basketball Amateur Athletic Union program last fall, his plan was to infuse the city's youth basketball players with development of skills and some added experience playing in the competitive New York Metropolitan area.
"When I decided to start this years' AAU program I knew it would be a lot of work to get it off the ground," Oliver said. "I am pleasantly surprised at the success that we had in the first year. The program started with six teams, third through seventh grade, and an 11th-grade team. We played all over the Tri-State area, Fairfield, Conn., Long Island, Westchester, Staten Island, Toms River and Montclair, N.J. as well as a bunch of other places I believe that the kids should see how basketball is played in different areas and it will help their development."
The New Rochelle Basketball Association's third graders played in five tournaments, reaching two championship games and winning their first tournament by defeating a fourth-grade team by 16 points. The fourth-grade team also played in five tournaments, made it to two title games and won the season-ending tournament, qualifying for the national tournaments.
New Rochelle's fifth graders reached one tournament final in five tries and the sixth graders earned four tournament final berths, winning twice. In one of the championship games, the sixth graders used a third grader as a replacement player in the victory. The New Rochelle seventh-grade squad had two tournament victories.
Oliver's 11th grade team was very successful, going 4-2 in championship tournament games and qualifying for the nationals, where it will compete in Disney World in late July. The team's core group has been playing together since fourth grade.
"As a program we entered 30 tournaments, went to 17 championship games and won 10 of them," Oliver said. "I think this is an astounding stat, especially for a program just starting out.
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