Colorado Corner: Time To Say Kudos

Just like that, quicker than a Tim Hardaway killer-crossover dribble, we’ve made it through Week 1 here at Prep Hoops Colorado. And we’re going to end this week like we will most weeks, with our column Colorado Corner. In this space, which will be published every Sunday afternoon or evening, I’ll take a deeper look at a basketball story or issue in the Colorado high school and grassroots community. Today’s topic is centered on one word: Kudos. Since signing on to help launch Prep Hoops Colorado a few months back, I have been blown away by the passion folks in Colorado have for youth basketball. Ours is a state that is continuing to elevate itself on the map as one that produces top-flight talent for college programs at every level. One only had to see the strong showings from our teams during the first live NCAA evaluation period this week to know that Centennial State hoopers can go toe-to-toe with anyone. From The Force 17U squad winning the gold division of the Adidas Invitational to Colorado kids making big splashes at the Elite 100 camp in California, there were no shortage of noteworthy performances. That doesn’t happen without people who are dedicated to the mission of helping kids bring out the best in themselves, both on the court and off. The reason the Prep Hoops Network has been so successful, launching sites all across the country, is that we are all pulling on the same rope as the communities we cover. That mission: Helping kids who have aspirations of playing basketball at ANY level -- from the junior-college level to the high-major Division I ranks -- reach those goals by providing them the exposure they need. It hasn’t taken long for us to realize just how passionate the leaders in the state’s basketball communities are about helping players do the exact same thing. We might have our disagreements about certain things -- about styles of play, skill-development practices, rankings, etc. -- but when you have a foundation centered on providing young players opportunities while helping them grow as people, the sky is the limit as to what can be achieved. In just a few weeks since we’ve revved up this engine, we have been humbled by the reactions by people who want to make youth basketball in Colorado the best it can be. We plan to answer that support by working around the clock to bring Rocky Mountain players all the attention they are working so hard to earn. We plan to be an institution you can count on, like a teammate in crunch time who you know you can turn to with the game on the line. Like any good teammate, we are here to listen and to communicate. Please feel free to contact us and let us know what we can be doing to help grow a shared mission. Next week, this space will be reserved to dig into some part of the game, but for now we just want to say, to players, coaches, parents and fans of basketball in this state, let’s keep the good working going.