By Simon Albaugh \u2013 Yemeni American News<\/p>\n
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. \u2013 We all know about the Hamtramck Cosmos and their stellar seasons on the basketball court. Always making their way to some of the top titles for their team, the Cosmos have become a hometown staple for high school sports in the area. But for the past four years, Hamtramck has been working to develop their team even further. And it starts at a young age.<\/p>\n
Craig Daniels is Director of Recreation for Hamtramck Public Schools. For the past four years, Hamtramck has hosted a city-wide league for students as they\u2019re about to enter middle school. As of this year it\u2019s known as the Pistons Junior League, because of a partnership from Detroit\u2019s pro basketball team.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, this is the first year we partnered up with the Detroit Pistons to have a junior league,\u201d Daniels said. \u201cThey provided the jerseys, a basketball for each kid, And then they even got a ticket to the basketball game as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
For this year\u2019s league, the team coached by Michael Young outscored the others in order to take the citywide championship. Called Game Time, the team was able to learn a lot over their time with Coach Mike.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey learned how to be goal-oriented, not just on time, not just brotherhood, they learned how to be goal-oriented,\u201d Young said. \u201cIf you didn\u2019t have respect for yourself or the game, you left this six weeks more goal oriented than before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coach Mike says he can be a tough coach, telling his players that in practice, he\u2019s going to be their worst enemy. But when it\u2019s game time, he\u2019s going to be their best friend.<\/p>\n
Since he\u2019s been coaching with this league from the very beginning, he says he\u2019s seen a lot of kids grow up to become some of the best basketball players in the area. He talked about one student, who now goes to Cass Tech, and the skills he\u2019s been able to pick up along his years of basketball.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey sent him to Cass tech, but he\u2019s been in the Hamtramck basketball system, since he was seven\u2026 He knows the whole defensive system, offensive system. But he plays at Cass. So that’s the difference, as opposed to a kid who doesn’t go [through Hamtramck\u2019s basketball system].\u201d<\/p>\n
Since Coach Mike works for both the Pistons Junior League and the Hamtramck High School team, he says he\u2019s building a basketball city in Hamtramck.<\/p>\n
\u201cI literally have one of my kids from our first year,\u201d Young said. \u201cHe\u2019s playing basketball as a 14 year old. We have one, if I\u2019m not mistaken, who\u2019s looking to make varsity as a freshman this year. So I\u2019ve helped develop a lot of these kids.”<\/p>\n
With Hamtramck finishing its season as the 11th<\/sup> best team in the state of Michigan, the basketball machine keeps making some of the best players the state has to offer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe slowly turned that city into a basketball city,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n