A talented group of 4th grade, 9 and 10 year old girls
Do you remember the first time you learned about Disney World? The land beyond your wildest imagination and full of the excitement of which dreams are made of. For twelve local young ladies and their families they know all too well the excitement that we speak of and are working toward making a dream a reality while playing a sport they love.
In January of this year a talented group of 4th grade, 9 and 10 year old girls, some of who just met for the very first time, tried out for the Capital City Express (CCE) girls’ basketball team. The team is comprised of players from St. Johns, DeWitt, Mason and Holt. Representing St. Johns are Oakview South Elementary students, Abby Koneval, daughter of Shari and Keith, Madison “Monkey” Robbins, daughter of Michelle and Gaylord, and St. Joseph Catholic School students, Lauren and Megan Lasceski, daughters of Erin and Mark.
The coaches, Mary and Paul Mills, of DeWitt assisted by Mark Lasceski, come with a wealth of basketball experience. Mary coached the Eastern High School Varsity Girls from 1996-2000, Paul is the assistant Freshman Basketball Coach at Dewitt High, while Lasceski is the St. Johns High School Girl’s Varsity Basketball Coach. Even with their experience they didn’t know what to expect with a first year team.
According to Mary Mills, “Our first season consisted of many tournaments throughout the State of Michigan in which the team finished first or second during the regular season against 4th grade and in some cases, 5th grade teams”.
The group secured second place in the Spartan Classic held in East Lansing, MI in March, missing out on the first place finish by only one point. The team went on to celebrate their first championship win and first place finish in the AAU Friendship States tournament held in Hartland, MI at the end of March. The team then qualified for AAU regionals and secured a bid in the State tournament amidst a group of 5th grade Division 2 teams in Brooklyn, MI. The team ended the season with an impressive 20-8 record.
The Capital City Express, a non-profit charitable organization, is an affiliate of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) league. The AAU is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.
Because of an excellent season, regional action and qualification for States, the team was notified of their qualification to represent the State of Michigan in the 2011 AAU 4th grade girls Basketball National Championships. The event will take place August 1 – August 6, 2011 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex located at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. According to Shari Koneval, “This experience has exceeded our expectations, these girls have grown so much due to the phenomenal coaches they have. The friendships formed with players and parents alike are incredible, we hope to be able to take them to Nationals to represent our local communities, the State of Michigan, CCE, and St. Johns schools!””
The coaches, parents and players realize their participation hinges on affordability. The parents, who have become as close as the players, will be working on extensive fundraising to support the team’s mission to make “their dream a reality”. Currently the group is in the process of organizing various fundraising projects including, a Casino bus trip, collaboration with local restaurants, can drives and recently participated with Michigan International Speedway to earn money preparing giveaways for the upcoming race season. All proceeds will benefit the entire team. For more information about sponsorship opportunities please contact Shari Koneval at (989) 640-9893 or Michelle Robbins at (989) 620-0020.
The group is seeking individual and business sponsors to help support their mission, for those wishing to make a tax deductible contribution, make checks payable to: Capitol City 9 U Fundraiser c/o Pam McIntosh, 11902 Sara Ann Drive, DeWitt, MI 48820.