Coach Hal Wissel's BASKETBALL WORLD Shoot It Better Mini Camps are conducted worldwide and year round for players ranging from NBA to youth level. Enrollment is limited for personalized instruction. One day or two day mini camps are offered. A camp can be conducted at your site.For information, visit: www.basketballworld.com

It's Wednesday and Hallice has spent most of the week in the gym. Worked out with the Boys Club 14U team Monday and rested yesterday. Back in the gym tonight and almost had to be dragged out as usual at 9:30pm Two and a half hours of shooting.

I'm a reformed workaholic. Before Hallice was born all I did was work. I talk about Hallice so much people are shocked when they see the pictures on my desk and find out that I have 2 other children. They are both in college and were never really into sports. My daughter is studying Criminal Justice and is 22, my son Journalism and will soon be 20. They both played one year while in school - my daughter played Softball her freshman year in High School and my son played Basketball his last year of Grammar School because he was the biggest kid in school. They taught him the rules at the beginning of the first game he played in since he never played organized ball before. Both of my older kids' only sports experiences came through Hallice. Whenever they would misbehave (usually doing something to Hallice that would frustrate him) we would put them on shadow duty. Shadow duty is making them do whatever Hallice wanted to do - so if Hallice wanted to play Baseball they would have to go into the yard and play with him or take him to the park so he could play Basketball on the big basket as he would say.

Never in our wildest dreams did we think this kid would become the player he is today. He played Baseball first and since I love the game (Die Hard Yankee Fan!) but was always afraid of getting hit by the ball I made him play T-Ball until he was 8. Needless to say he hated it because they didn't play by the rules. If there were 3 outs made the inning is over as far as he was concerned, they never practiced and what is their problem wanting me to hit off of a tee? Well the next year I gave in and allowed him to play for real - he was the first pick of the draft! The bad news was that meant he would be playing for the worst team the previous year. I was afraid that he was so competitive that he'd be miserable being on a team that didn't win a game the year before,the future was not too bright.His coach was the father of one of the players that was on the team the previous year and is related to Mike Cuellar who pitched for the Orioles back in the 60's. The man knows Baseball, believes in hard work and basically shut down his business to work with this group of kids.

Needless to say he turned the team around by making them work hard to be the best they could be. In the beginning theywere worst than the Bad News Bears in practice but after three weeks of practice (Easter was the only day theyhad off) they began to look like a team.Since Hallice always watched the Yankees (Hallice wasbornin 1995 - the Yankees were in theplayoffs every year of his life - talk about luck) he would emulate different Yankees and change his stance on almost every pitch. This guy took him to the batting cage and worked on a swing and stance that he thought wouldbring Hallice success at the plate. He was a very good fielder and showed cat like reflexes so he became the first baseman.

To make a long story short - that team went 16-0! The first time out you win it all? How lucky can you get? I thought to myself. At least he wasn't a bench warmer - he outperformed my expectations because he never got hurt by that ball I feared so much. He made the All-Star team and they moved him to centerfield. I thought again (Idon't think about his abilities now) he has never played in the outfield and is an excellent first baseman why put him out there. My older two were like "Dad, you have to see him play." The first ball to reach the outfield was in the air about 15 feet behind 2nd base. He ran in caught the ball and stepped on second. Double Play! Inning over in a 1-1 game. I wasfloored!

The coach of that All-Star team happened to see him play Basketball during that All-Star tournament and told me how Hallice was a very good basketball player. Now on the very few occasions I took Hallice to the park and played one on one with him he displayed a wicked crossover dribble - but he had this penchant for shooting three pointers and I thought he would never learn how to make a layup so he better stick to Baseball - yeah, that's the game for him. He probably can't playdefense and is just a street player.

I let this coach take him toone of the local CYO programs since he was willing to take him back and forth to practices during the week - I figured why not. I trusted the guy- our kids went to the same school and graduated from the same grammar school together. He has one son, a year younger than Hallice and he would be playing on the team as well.

I was surprised to find out that Hallice would be the starting power forward since he wasone of the younger kids on the team and some played for his school's team which he could not even try out for because he was too young.In the first game Hallice catches a full court pass and I turn to my wife and say "I've never seen him practice a layup."Let alone catch a pass as I only saw him play by himself. In stride he goes to the basket and lays it in like he had been doing it allhis life. The 3rd game was amazing, he was not allowed to shoot, couldn't take more than three dribbles - the coach had him on a very short leash. Well, they pass the ball to him in the corner and Hallice goes for one of those threes he was always practicing, the coach is jumping up screaming "Don't Shoot!" the ball touches nothing but net. Now the coach is a little irritated but keeps him in the game and he gets the ball again in the same corner and again the coach is about to scream however this time after the ball goes in he screams "Keep Shooting! Keep Shooting!" Hallice goes 6-8 from beyond the arc and finishes the game with 28 points. When it's over he runs straight to me and jumps into myarms. Mom was not there, nor was his big sister or brother. When we get home and I'm telling them what transpired the kids look at me and say "Dad, now you are on shadow duty!" All that time I thought I was punishing them making them take him to the park, he was becoming a fantastic basketball player - they started telling me stories of how they would have to make sure the big kids didn't kick him off the court when he had next and how he held his own against them. They knew I'd be beside myself if I knew he was a true baller. So they figured if he played and I knew how well he played they would now have to take him to basketball practices just like they were taking him to baseball practice.

He then went back to Baseball only now they broke up his team and made everyone move up to the majors - 11-13 year olds. I protested as my kid only played one season and he just turned 10 - I thought it would be crazy to move him up. Not a chance - he became the center fielder and his team just missed the playoffs. I called my Mom to find out why I didn't have the athletic ability he possessed - he was touted as the best centerfielder in the league. He could throw out runners from deep center at home plate with throws that occasionally bounced once! He played on another All-Star team only this time he plays center, first base and catcher, his bat was smokin' finishing the tournament going 11-14 at the plate. As a local sportswriter wrote - Hallice Cooke continued his torrid hitting going 4-5 in the game and keeping Union City alive. To be 10 years old and everyone in the stands is chanting your name; your name isin the paper every other day- WOW!

How lucky can a kid be?

Well, that's more than enough for this night's entry. Maybe tomorrow I can get an earlier start. Hallice has practice and I'll be off shadow duty for a night - the coach will drop him off after practice.


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Hello everyone!

Today was our first practice. From grades 1-3 we had 19 athletes out. They were enthusiastic and hard working. The Wells Wildcats are on their way.

The team started a little slow in the first half on defense. In the second half the team stepped up the defense and held their opponent to only 1 basket! . . .

Great team win as each and every player made BIG plays and steals to go ahead and to hold the lead late in the game. . . .

Final score 15 to 14.

I ONLY HAD 4 POINTS DUE TO TARDINESS TO THE GAME

Our first regular season game will be Thursday, January 8th at Labadieville Middle School. The game will start at 5:30pm.

Coach Blissett