2011 Summer League

The Augusta Eagles boys varsity team plays the first games of the 2011 Summer League tonight at Grovetown High School.  The Eagles will face Grovetown High School at 5 PM and Evans High School at 7 PM.

The Summer League begins tonight and ends June 25th.  During the next twenty-three days, the Eagles boys teams are scheduled to play 27 varsity games and 7 junior varsity games.  Opponents mostly include public schools of various sizes from Georgia and South Carolina.  Games will be played on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Wednesday Nights
Games on June 8th, June 15th, and June 22nd will be played at Aiken High School.  Opponents include Fox Creek, Hunter Kinard Tyler, Strom Thurmond, and Aiken High School's A and B teams.

Thursday Nights
Games on June 2nd, June 9th, June 16th, and June 23rd will be played at various Columbia County schools including Grovetown High School, Evans High School, and possibly Greenbrier High School and Harlem High School.  This forum will provide the opportunity for the Eagles to test themselves against the best teams in Columbia County, teams that the Eagles are not able to play during the regular season.

Eagles Day Team Camps (Specific Saturdays)
On June 4th, June 18th, and June 25th, the Eagles will host "Day Team Camps."  Various teams, including public school teams, private school teams, and homeschool teams, will attend and play 2-3 games.  Participating teams will vary each Saturday.  These days will give not only varsity teams, but junior varsity teams and possibly girls teams, the opportunity to play games and improve.  The first of these "Day Team Camps" will be hosted at Episcopal Day School this Saturday, June 4th.  The Eagles will play 2 varstiy and 3 junior varsity games against Cross Creek High School, Grovetown High School, and Glenn Hills High School.

Other Team Camps
The Eagles will also participate in the Lander University Team Camp (June 17) and the Riverview Park Team Camp (June 10-11).  Opponents are not yet determined but it is likely that in the eight games played during these three days, the Eagles will play teams that aren't otherwise scheduled.

Benefits of Summer League
The summer is the first time for the next season's team to come together as a unit.  For decades, high school teams have been using the summer league as a way for players to get familiar playing together, for players to get familiar with the coaches, and for everyone to have fun and improve.

This summer will mark the third summer season for the Augusta Eagles.  Our summer schedule has evolved as our team has improved, and our team has improved as we have challenged ourselves against better competition and with more games during the summer season.

2009 Summer League Results and Benefits
During the 2009 summer season, the Eagles won two games and lost five competing in the Richmond County High School Junior Varsity League.  The tough competition we faced that June prepared the Eagles, at that time a new team with few players with basketball experience, to eventually win the South Carolina State Homeschool Championships in the 2009-2010 regular season.

2010 Summer League Results and Benefits
During the 2010 summer season, versus various public school and private schools from Georgia and South Carolina, the Eagles varsity team won seven games and lost twelve and the junior varsity team won two games and lost three.  That summer, the Eagles learned a lot about playing against bigger and more athletic teams, playing as a team, and not giving up, and they used that experience and knowledge to eventually have a great 2010-2011 regular season, including a championship in the East Coast Homeschool Basketball Championships.

The 2011 Summer League schedule is the most ambitious schedule the Eagles have confronted.  The plan is to have fun, learn a lot about ourselves and each other, and use the experience to eventually have a successful and enjoyable 2011-2012 regular season.  I hope to update the blog with the results of the games in June.