Team Interhigh set to help and teach

Ron Bailey, Publisher

Travel team squad is about more than on-court winning.

April 5, 2011 – Travel team basketball is a staple of youth hoops, now becoming an equal partner to high schools in securing college scholarships for student-athletes. Unfortunately such organizations, commonly known as AAU outfits, can’t/don’t reach all possible beneficiaries, as space, budget and sometimes political concerns preclude it. With that in mind, Team Interhigh has been born.

“We want to help kids get scholarships” said TIH’s founder, Malcolm Battle, also the head coach at Chavez Charter School (DC). “People say there is not any talent in the inner high (schools within Washington, DC proper), but that’s just not true. We have to do a better job of identifying it, cultivating it, preparing it, and promoting it”.

A coach leading a significant number of young men from challenging backgrounds, Battle is loath to blame a young person’s history for not getting a scholarship; he focuses on the responsibility to help of adults in their lives. And first and foremost in that is preparing kids for college, including being academically eligible to receive a scholarship.

Devin 'Lil' Scrappy' off the bounce.

“Too many of our kids have talent, and are not prepared to go to school” is how he put the need shepherd a young person through high school, insuring they matriculate to both a degree and collegiate eligibility status. “Too often they struggle early, and then it’s too late to become eligible”. To that end, Team Interhigh offers transcript management consulting.

From a basketball administration perspective, this fledging organization will not be shoe-company sponsorship based, thereby allowing for a wider net of young people to assist; Battle was quick to say “I’m not knocking what other people do”, but when a travel team outfit is tied into shoe company sponsorship, there may be pressures that limit participation of kids are works-in-progress. It also may preclude the opportunity to play in certain events.

Additionally many of Team Interhigh’s target group must take summer jobs to make ends meet, precluding constant travel. As a result, Battle indicated the group’s on-court “purpose is to play four to five travel team tournaments on the East Coast, especially during the college coaches open period which is during July 6th-15th and July 22nd-31st”. Events such as the Southern Invitational and West Virginia Hoop Fest are also prime possibilities.

Designed to encompass the 16-under and 17-under age classifications, Team Interhigh practices frequently – concentrating on skill development – and counsels kids academically, while also acting as a life sounding board. Despite its name, participation will not be open to all young men, not just those that live in D.C.

Those practices have been witnessed by this writer, and true to form, fundamentals are concentrated upon: Constructed along the basis of college practice sessions, they are well planned and executed, with players being held accountable.
“Our goal is to teach and reaffirm the fundamentals of the game” said Chris Flegler, an assistant coach at St. Mary’s College who coaches the organization’s 16 and under squad. “The game is not ESPN highlights, it’s all about fundamentals.

Flegler coaching them up at halftime.

“As coaches we always take time to drill” he continued. “We also get our stuff (schemes) in”.

To do that, Flegler and the staff ready their practice plan before hand. It’s a schematic where drills are segmented by minutes, with a game clock keeping everyone on pace. Dribble, shooting, footwork and defensive fundamentals are taught/refined, in a competitive environment. After that, offensive and defensive schemes are installed/perfected, with the players playing full court to conclude the session.

“Color Mike Stewart, father of a player, Jalen, impressed. “What I like about it, is they spend over half the time doing fundamentals” he said.

All this on court work and its off-the-hardwood component – including establishing relationships with college coaches, maintaining existing ones, and of course helping guide kids through the qualification process – is designed to get kids in college, the ultimate goal of Team Interhigh.

Battle, the founder, indicated with the talent many players possess and the scholarships available Washington students, “No DC kid should have to struggle to get money” for college. He should know, having ensured all five seniors at Chavez last season engaged in post-high school studies this year, with two going to four year schools, a pair hitting the JUCO scene to hoop, and one attending prep school before arriving at a SEC school to play football in 2011.

Rockwell Vaughn pulling up for two.

Interhigh’s players seem appreciative of the effort.

“It’s getting us out there for D1 coaches; showing the city has talent” opined Spingarn HS’s Rockwell Vaughn of the organization’s impact. “It’s up and coming” added Ty Elliott, a Chavez player. “It’s something to help those who can’t get to the Takeovers and Assaults of the world”.

Battle was quick to laud his “host of coaches and grassroots guys who have been supportive in this endeavor and understand fully what we’re trying to do”. This includes head coaches Flegler and Charles Harrison (17u), along with assistants Kwa Harvey (16u), Tony Cooks (17u), Will Liggings (17u) and Anthony Duckett who coaches both teams. Mel George is assisting the process from a financial perspective.

All make this an opportunity not to be missed.

Following, a few of Interhigh’s players are spotlighted. College recruiters would do well to plug-in:

Rockwell Vaughn, 16u, 6’0”, 170lb G, Spingarn HS (DC) – Athletic scorer puts up numbers in bunches.
Ty Elliott, 16u, 6’3”, 175lb G/F, Chavez HS (DC) – Multipurpose player does a little bit of everything.
Charles ‘Mase’ McDaniel, 17u, 6’0”, 165lb, G, Coolidge (DC) – Athletic guard can play above the rim.
Devin ‘Lil’Scrappy’ Shuler, 16u, 5’10”, 150lb, G, Chavez (DC) – Playmaker can score and dish.
Devon Wilson, 16u, 6’1”, 190lb, G, Ideal (DC) – Athletic, strong penetrator that will mix it up.
Ali Condeh, 17u, 6’4”, 175lb, SG, Ideal, (DC) – Athletic, left hand slasher.
Paul Lynn, 16u, 6’6”, 240lb, F, Bell (DC) – Power player with promise.