08/17/2026
The Future of Broncos Basketball Starts Here 🏀
A HUGE thank you to all the players, coaches and families who came out for the first round of tryouts! After the success of all our teams last season, we were excited to see that momentum continue — and yesterday we possibly set a NEW PROGRAM RECORD with 140 kids that signed up for tryouts! At this point, we’re not sure if we’re running tryouts or hosting a small basketball convention. 😂
More importantly, we saw what Junior Broncos Basketball is all about: kids working hard, competing, listening, encouraging one another and giving their best effort. Our coaches were extremely impressed with the energy and effort on the court.
🎤 COACH’S CORNER: Boys High School Coach Cody McClelland & Girls High School Coach Jason Vermeer
Bronco News first caught up with Union Grove High School Boys Coach Cody McClelland, who helped throughout tryouts on the boy’s side and got his thoughts on the first round.
“I thought it was really exciting and encouraging to see the number of kids who showed up. We had players with all different levels of experience and ability, but what stood out to me was how hard everyone worked. Kids were diving for loose balls, leaving the gym with sweaty T-shirts, and most importantly, there were a lot of smiles. Those are all great things to see from a high school coach’s perspective.
We want the Jr. Broncos program to be the foundation of the new winning culture we’re building for basketball in Union Grove. It starts with getting kids excited about basketball, teaching them how to compete and creating an environment they want to be a part of. Yesterday was really encouraging.”
Next, we caught Girls High School Coach Jason Vermeer in the parking lot as he was leaving the gym — because apparently that’s where the best basketball journalism happens.
“When I look at the 3rd and 4th graders out here today, I can’t help but think back to when our current 7th and 8th graders were just starting out. I had the opportunity to run tryouts for both groups, and it’s amazing to see how much those girls have grown — not just as basketball players, but as teammates and competitors.
That’s what makes this program so special. The success of our program has been built one age group at a time. Seeing the younger girls starting their journey while watching our older girls continue to develop is a pretty cool thing to be a part of. It shows what’s possible when you give kids the opportunity to grow within a program and keep building year after year.”
Round 2 is next week. Bring your basketball, your energy and maybe a spare T-shirt. 😂
