Press & News
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Coach Rashid Appointed Head Varsity Basketball Coach
Posted: 8/25/2010
Hi everyone,
I hope you are either enjoying your last few days of summer or your first few days back in school. RMG is getting ready for a great fall season and looks forward to seeing all of you back in the gym, as well as some new faces!
As another testament to the caliber of coaching offered at RMG, Coach Rashid Smith has recently been appointed the Head Varsity Coach of the boys basketball team at North Shore Country Day. Coach Rashid will be taking over a great program at NSCD with a group of strong players who starred on our RMG Travel teams this past season.
Coach Rashid will still be fully involved with RMG so you will continue to see him a lot this fall and winter. We look forward to great things from NSCD this year and in the future and will keep you posted on the team's progress.
Don't forget to sign up for our RMG Fall Pre-Season Workouts. Sessions will be offered for players in 4th grade through High School and will be a great way to shake out any rust and get ready for the upcoming basketball season!
We'll see you soon. Take care!
-RMG -
Coach "O" to West Point
Posted: 6/14/2010
As many of you may know, Coach "O", Omar Mance, will be joining the coaching staff of the United States Military Academy at West Point next season. Omar will be returning to the college ranks after coaching at the RMG coaches' alma mater, Rice University in Houston, from 2007-2009.
At West Point, Coach "O" will be joining a program where such legends as "Coach K" and Bobby Knight began their careers. It is a terrific opportunity for Omar and his family, and we looking forward to following along as he coaches for and against some of the nation's elite basketball players.
Though he will be moving out East, Coach "O" will still be seen around the gym before and after he leaves. We look forward to hearing about his experiences coaching at the D1 level and seeing him back in the Chicago area from time to time.
Good luck to Omar!
-RMG -
RMG Gun Club Summer 2010
Posted: 6/11/2010
This summer RMG will be offering a program specifically designed to enhance a player's shooting ability and technique. The "Gun Club" (we've chosen that name because it incorporates "The Gun", a tool used to improve your shot through practice and repitition) will be more specialized than our normal individual and small group workouts as it will be all shooting all the time. RMG's coaches participated in a similar program while playing at Rice University in Houston. Some of the more accomplished shooters there were able to make 400+ shots in an hour. We will utilize some of that experience and tailor it to fit our individual players here in an effort to achieve the most improvement possible.
James Clarke has played with RMG since he was in 3rd grade competing on our 4th grade travel AAU team. Next year he will begin his freshman year of high school and has been playing and training intensely in preparation . As one of our most accomplished current players, James has been participating in the Gun Club this summer and recently set a new record with 375 made shots in a one hour session. In other work on The Gun he has made 18 17 foot jump shots in a row, and his overall shooting form and technique has improved tremendously. His work this off season will certainly improve his chances of success as a 9th grader at Loyola University next year.
Gun Club workouts will be an intense but fun way for players to improve this summer. They will get the opportunity to participate in shooting drills that RMG's coaches also experienced while playing division I basketball. We hope to see a lot of you in the "Gun Club" this summer shooting to break the new record set for made shots in an hour!
Take care!
-RMG -
RMG Spring Conclusion and Look Ahead to Summer
RMG 4th Grade Tournament Champs!
Posted: 5/24/2010
This past weekend marked the conclusion of the spring AAU season for several of our travel teams including 4th grade, 7th grade Black, 7th grade Blue, 9th grade Black, and our 7th grade girls team. In the 4th grade "A" division, RMG was able to go undefeated, winning all four games and taking the tournament title. It was a terrific way for 4th Grade to end the season, and a great send off for Harrison West, one of the hardest working and most dedicated players in the program. Harrison was a real joy to coach, and we hope to see him again in the future.
As in years past, we will be offering Competitive Edge Summer School starting in June. Each week will be considered a session and camp will be held Monday through Thursday. A coaches award will be given out to a camper every Thursday, and they will receive a new Wilson Evolution Basketball. Summer School will be a great way to keep your game sharp and ready for the fall season.
This summer, RMG will be offering an increased number of small group training with specific focus on shooting and other skills. Inquire via email if you're interested.
Thanks again to everyone for a great spring season! Enjoy this weather and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Take care!
-RMG -
RMG 7th Grade Black to play King James Tournament
Posted: 4/23/2010
This weekend, our RMG 7th grade black team is headed to Akron, OH to play in the King James Shooting Stars Classic, one of the preeminent basketball tournaments in the country. With over 90 teams from all over the country in the 13u division alone, the competition should be as good as any we've seen in AAU.
The 7th graders have performed well this year, playing with and beating some of the best teams in the state of Illinois. Their performance is all the more impressive being that the squad is comprised entirely of players from Winnetka and Kenilworth.
Robbie Abuls, Ben Connelly, Ryan Haak, Alex Kaplan, Matt Kaskey, Patrick Kelley, Mikey Mangan, Ben Muldoon, Charlie Schoder and coach Omar Mance are hoping to make some waves in Ohio this weekend. Hopefully they can secure a few wins, and then the Bulls can beat the Cavs on Sunday when they return.
We'll update you on their results soon!
Good luck 7th Graders!
-RMG -
Coach Rashid
Posted: 4/22/2010
For those that haven't heard, Coach Rashid Smith suffered a major injury this week in rupturing his patellar tendon on Monday evening. Unfortunately he will be out of the gym for a while after he undergoes surgery some time next week.
A big thanks to Glen Clarke who was present when the injury occurred and has helped immensely with the situation. Let's all hope for a full and rapid recovery for Rashid.
Take care!
-RMG -
RMG AAU Teams Participate in State Qualifier
Posted: 4/20/2010
This past weekend, several of our RMG AAU teams competed in the State Tournament held in Zion, IL. Many of the best teams and players in Illinois came out to participate and our guys got some great experience.
Our RMG 3rd Graders played great. In the first game of the tournament they lost a hard fought affiar to the eventual tournament winner. But they bounced back with two exciting wins, one in an overtime thriller and another in a hard fought game that our guys pulled out in the end with a 10 point victory. With two wins on Saturday, they made it to the second day of the tournament and were one of the last 5 teams standing. Great job to all!
The RMG 4th Graders also played great against some tough competition. Though they were short handed for most of the tournament, they gave the eventual tournament winner and one of the best teams in the state all they could handle in a game on Saturday afternoon. We couldn't have been more proud of the effort.
Our RMG 5th grade Black team played in an extremely tough pool on Saturday going 1-2. Having to overcome some obstacles (like a coach who almost didn't make the opening tip off in their second game) they played hard and displayed great heart.
The RMG 9th Grade Black team also played in the State Tournament in Algonquin. They played great on Saturday winning all their games and going
3-0. They lost a very close game in the single elimination tournament on Sunday.
Overall, it was an exciting weekend. We got to play some of the best teams and players in the state and experience one of the most competitive tournaments around!
Our 7th Grade Black team is attending the King James Tournament (hosted by Lebron) in Akron, OH. Look out for a blog about that soon!
Take care!
-RMG
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RMG 5th Grade Black Takes Tournament Title
Posted: 4/15/2010
This past weekend was an exciting one for our RMG Travel Teams. Our 9th, 10th and 11th Grade squads all played against some good competition in Chicago and Deerfield. 7th Grade Black also played in some great games against some of the best teams in the state in Deerfield and Barrington, finishing with a 2-1 record.
Making the trek to Pleasant Praire, WI were our 5th Black, 5th White, 6th, 7th White, 7th Blue and 8th Grade Teams. 5th Black had a great tournament going undefeated and taking first place in their division. The 8th Grade team also played very well, losing in the championship but earning second place. Great job and thanks to everyone who participated!
This weekend, April 17 and 18th, is the State Tournament for several of our teams. 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade Black and 9th Grade Black will all be playing in Zion, IL. Check back here next week to see how everyone did.
Take care!
RMG Hoops -
RMG Hoops Spring 2010 AAU Season
Posted: 3/30/2010
RMG's spring 2010 season is underway and off to a good start. Our 3rd, 4th, 5th White, 6th, 7th Black, 7th White and 7th Grade Blue teams have participated in tournaments against some great competition from around the area.
Our team of 3rd graders has already received some hardware for placing 1st in the March 13th and 14th tournament in Lisle. 4th grade followed suit the following weekend in the Walker Invitational, placing 2nd. They lost a hard fought battle in the championship, though they did defeat the same team earlier in the tournament.
Check back here for more updates on our RMG travel teams as they progress through this spring season. We will also put additional information about our Summer 2010 schedule and Competitive Night Leagues that will begin soon!
Take care!
RMG Hoops -
The RMG Blog Coming Soon!
Posted: 1/22/2010
The RMG Blog will be posted here in coming days. This will allow us to provide more information about our program, coaches and players - current and former. Please stay tuned. -
RMG will be offering some exclusive gear for sale
Posted: 1/19/2010
Coming February 1, 2010 RMG will be offering some exclusive gear for sale on our site. This will include embroidered hooded sweat shirts, hats, shorts and other items!