Black Club Newsletter 10/18/2023
Esface Finishes Strong In Golden Gate League
It was a great season wrapping up the Golden Gate League! There were plenty of exciting games throughout the playoffs with the 4th Grade Goers, 4th Grade Hitters, and 6th Grade Hitters all reaching the finals. The 4th Grade Goers ended up winning the 4th Grade Gold Division with three consecutive victories! We appreciate all the athletes and families for making the Fall a success as we shift towards weekend tournaments in the Winter.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Kiran Kruse
For this week’s Alumni Spotlight we wanted to highlight 2019 Bellarmine graduate Kiran Kruse!
Kiran played in the Team Esface Black Club from the fourth grade up until he entered high school at Bellarmine College Prep. During his high school career, Kiran competed in the competitive West Catholic Athletic League where he helped the Bells win two conference championships, one sectional championship, and qualify for two Open Division state tournament bids. As a senior, Kiran was named the CCS Player of the Year and was also chosen to the All-WCAL First Team, All-Metro Third Team, and All-State Fourth Team.
Off the court, Kiran was a standout in the classroom and selected as a National Merit Scholar. His strong academic standing allowed him to be recruited by a variety of Division III programs.
Following high school, Kiran chose to play at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in one of the most competitive Division III conferences in the country. After playing a limited role as a freshman and sophomore, Kiran became a key contributor off the bench as a junior contributing 7.6 points per game.
As a senior, Kiran exploded onto the scene. In the season opener against the #2 ranked team in the country, Kiran went for 25 points and 10 rebounds while drilling five three-pointers in a 81-70 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor. It was a sign of things to come, as Kiran went on to average 15.5 points per game for the Stags while shooting 46.8% from the field, 43.8% from three, and 88.0% from the free-throw line. He was named First Team All-SCIAC for his impressive senior year.
Kiran graduated Cum laude from Claremont McKenna with a degree in Environment, Economics, and Policy. He now works as a Junior Business Analyst at Tripped Smith back home in the Bay Area. Feel free to watch the video above to hear a snippet of his Team Esface experience!
BasketbalL 101: Increase Parent’s Hoop Understanding
For this week’s segment we wanted to shift our focus behind the scenes and discuss the logistics of weekend tournaments.
Now that the Golden Gate League has concluded, we’ll be entering weekend tournaments instead of competing in a “league” format. These are typically tougher from a scheduling standpoint and we wanted to break down why this happens.
During one or two-day tournaments, directors typically allow registrations until Thursday morning with the schedule being released Thursday afternoon/evening. These schedules are usually modified during the next 24 hours to accommodate last-minute drops or schedule requests. We understand that this isn’t ideal to coordinate weekend plans, but are necessary for directors reaching their capacity and operating a tournament.
Tournaments also typically require more travel as there are no other leagues for club teams and there’s a massive drop in gym availability. Programs led by high school coaches typically shut down during the Winter season and gym space is tough to find at local schools due to running two basketball programs with Freshman, JV, and Varsity teams as well as volleyball coming to a conclusion. As a result, most tournaments are held in Oakland or Walnut Creek at facilities that aren’t attached to a school. They’re also far more affordable to rent than facilities near our program.
While these are tougher from a logistics standpoint, we have found these tournaments to be far more valuable from a developmental perspective. Being exposed to top competition throughout the Bay Area helps our athletes prepare for the high school level instead of being the big fish in a small pond. Our goal is to prepare our athletes for competitive high school basketball and competing against top competition provides our athletes with a better understanding of where they’re at and where they need to improve. As Kiran Kruse mentions in the video above, sometimes being humbled can provide a valuable experience in identifying weak spots. We always appreciate our families for dedicating their time and weekends to their athlete’s development and hope to see worthwhile results because of the commitment!
Coming Up…
On the same note, we’ll be entering our first weekend tournament at the Bulldawgs Fall Classic. Tournament times are TBD but games will take place both Saturday and Sunday. Typically games are hosted at San Francisco City College but be on the lookout for more information Thursday evening. Be sure to check TeamSnap for your schedule and please mark your availability on TeamSnap so we know our roster for the weekend. Let’s start the tournament season strong!
For information on the rest of the Black Club tournaments click this link.
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