Strick Hoops

Whenever you have the right players on the bus, good things happen🎯

Our AAU season officially came to an end with our 2027 Girls Select Team tying our program record (2025) for most wins from a Select Team💥

And they ended it the same way they ended the last tournament…with EVERYONE scoring🔥 They are truly the definition of a TEAM.

Here’s what this TEAM accomplished…

🔥Tied program record for most wins from a Select Team while at . Actually, 3 of their overall losses were by 2 pts, which shows just how close they were to holding the wins record to themselves

🔥Won our 1st ever Championship

🔥Was 1 bucket away from being 4-0 at

The 2027 Select Team was SO much fun to coach, and they will be for college coaches too💯 A VERY special group that will continue to do special things in HS and College💯

On a related note, 6 years later, I wore the same shirt on last day as an ode to the OGs🫡 Without families and players taking a leap of faith with me, and being the 1st group to do , none of the rest of it happens💯 My way of saying “Thank you” to the OGs for what they helped build🫡

We have truly been blessed with some special players/families over the years🖤💛

We got here last night and found out they hooked us up with our 1st game (2:50pm) being on the ESPN court today🔥😍

2027 Select Team is in Louisville this week for THE LARGEST girls' grassroots basketball event in the world, 🏀🌹🐎

Even though over half the team is a year younger playing up, they have a chance to go down as the most winningest 17U group in our program’s history😤 Definitely a TEAM that deserves all the college offers they’ve received so far💯

Our Select Teams are always at their best when we have the right people on the bus💯 This group has that🙌

College coaches, come watch them compete😤

My one role playing champ, Tayton, helps us on the coaching front now🏀

Multiple coaches, refs, and event staff complimented her during the week on the energy she brings to our team🔋 The one event staff person told her he always knows what court Strick Hoops is on because he can hear her voice🗣️ Tayton has always understood her role, both as a player and as a coach, and strives to be the best she can be in those roles💯

Players, trust me when I tell you this…being a superstar in your role is a superpower💯 Tayton has that superpower💪

You already know that we went 6-1 this week in Myrtle Beach and took home a Chip🏆 That obviously gets done with REALLY good players, who play together as a TEAM🖤💛

But besides needing really good players, the most important thing a head coach needs to do is find a high quality assistant coach. Someone who is extremely loyal to the head coach, while putting the program’s interests ahead of their own.

Now, when I say loyal, that doesn’t mean a “yes person”. A yes person doesn’t help push a program forward. A great assistant needs to be able to have open and honest discussions with the head coach when they don’t agree with them. The loyalty comes from protecting the program against outside noise, instead of fueling it. The loyalty comes from doing what’s best for the program above all else.

Strick Hoops is blessed to have that in Coach Marisa🙏 This week her suggestions for X’s and O’s, and her relationship with the players, was a HUGE factor in why our team performed so well this week💯

She made a suggestion before Game 3 on Friday morning that was so good, it completely changed the way I approached the rest of the tournament. We went 5-0 after that suggestion🔥

Every time a player came off the court and needed either a mental health check or some help with understanding X’s + O’s, she was there. And every time that player responded when they went back in😤

She even had to go full Mama/Nurse mode when Maddi’s lip got split wide open so bad in the semifinals that it would require a visit to the ER for stitches🤕 After she handled that scary situation, she came right back to the bench and helped us win that Semifinal and the Championship🙌

We are truly blessed to have someone like Coach Marisa in our Strick Hoops program. She makes a BIG difference in the girls lives, both on and off the court. She’s so great that we’ll even forgive her for getting the administrative technical she got this week🤭

We wouldn’t be where we are without you, Coach Marisa! Thank you for helping the players, and myself, be better🫡

Marisa Longwell

Buckets and a Championship Dub!!

Our 2027 Select Team was in Myrtle Beach this past week for their 2nd of 3 tournaments together🏀🏖️😎

They finished off their 6-1 week by playing their best basketball in the Championship game and took home our 1st Chip from the beach🏆 It was a fitting way to end it for this TEAM, as everyone who played, scored😎

After the semifinal game, another coach was so hyped about our team that I let her do our postgame talk and tell them how appreciative she was of…

✅How hard they play

✅How they run the floor, especially our bigs

✅How they don’t let calls affect their body language

✅How great their team chemistry is

Special group and it’s a GREAT compliment when other coaches see it too🙌

We worked hard (6-1 week), got better (🏆) and had fun🏖️ Said it before, this is arguably the most tight knit group we’ve ever had🖤💛 So it’s no shock they are 9-2 and have a chance to be our most successful (W/L) Select Team in program history🙌

Next stop, Louisville🏀🐎🌹

2027 Select Team is in Myrtle Beach this week for Girls National Championship🏀🏖️😎

We like to work hard, get better, and have fun…we will do ALL that this week💯

Let’s do this😤

Happy Father’s Day to ALL the Dad’s (and Grandpap’s) that do whatever it takes to support us, and help us accomplish SO much, including getting buckets🖤💛