Check the AAU website tomorrow for results, you can go to our home page and click on the AAU Shield, go to tournaments, nationals, girls basketball and 10U Division I Championship to see results.

Please let your parents and player know what is happening here in Orlando, this is a first for the Maryland Flames.

Thanks and Go FLAMES, Bill McDermott

Update Thursday AM 7/19

The 96 Flames National Team has clinched 3^rd Place this afternoon when they beat Indiana Future Stars, they will play a third game at 7:00 PM this evening in an effort clinch 2^nd Place. If they win they will play again at 10:00 AM on Friday in National Championship game. Of course a loss would eliminate them, but this has truly been an awesome effort put forth by these young ladies. As an organization we can all be very proud of how they have handled themselves both on and off the court. Tonight will be their 13th game and in two days. They have played 5 games in two days, which is a real test of fitness, and a team’s will to win. I can’t say this enough, but you cannot measure the HEART of this team, they just don’t quit. Both Mike and Alan have done an outstanding job of coaching and each game has produced another change up which has been very effective in their success here at the Nationals. The players are very focused and implement the change ups for each game with ease. This is a well-coached team and they understand how to execute which for 10U’s isn’t an easy task. The game tonight is against a very good California team, the Corona Diamonds, both teams have one loss and the winner advances to the Championship round and will also clinch 2^nd Place. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game this team has certainly raised the bar and has further established the Flames organization as a National Contender in the world of AAU Basketball.

As you probably know I am very proud of our organization, our coaches, our players and our parents, everyone has helped in some way to help us build this program and for that both Mike and I are very grateful.

Go Flames, Bill McDermott

Update Wednesday 7/18 PM

Just a quick update, the 96 Flames National Team has already achieved the National Ranking of 5^th at this year’s AAU National Championship being held at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando Florida. Tomorrow morning they will play for a shot at the Final Four. The team has played exceptionally well and only has one lose so far in the Medal Rounds to a great team from California which wasn’t challenged until it meet our Flames team. Both Coach Mike Baker and Coach Alan Wang have done a tremendous job with this team both in their coaching ability and in keeping the girls focused on their objective of going as far as possible. Today they had to win two games to advance after their first loss yesterday and they rose to the occasion!! I have been at a number of Nationals myself and I must tell you this is probably the most exciting team I have seen in recent years. Our Flames 96 National Team doesn’t know the word quit and in two of their games they had to come from behind to win in the closing minutes of a very tight situation. There is no substitute for HEART and this Team has HEART. At this moment in time our organization has two team currently ranked in top ten, for that matter two teams ranked in the top five Nationally, both the 94 and 96 teams have achieved that level and with a break here or there tomorrow morning against a good Tennessee team our 96 National Team my go even further. I hope everyone can appreciate just how huge the accomplishment of having two teams in the Top Five Nationally is when you consider we are a local Montgomery County Maryland based AAU program that is making a huge impact in the world of AAU Basketball. Can our 92’s better last years 3^rd place finish…? wow, that would put us in rare company in AAU circles…!!

Bill McDermott