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Young and In Charge: AAU Basketball in Toledo, Ohio
By Silas Tsang
Special to The Truth
The sixth grade team for the Toledo Wildcats is a glimpse of
perfection for northwest Ohio sports, with a gaudy 42 win
and four loss record to date.
Affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), these 12
year olds play across the nation, and are ranked number one
in the state by Buckeye Prep Report and ranked 11th
nationally by Coast to Coast for their grade level.
Players hail from as far out as Grand Rapids, Michigan to
the Old West End in Toledo, with eight African-Americans and
a player of mixed race. A universal goal among the players
is to eventually compete on the court in high school.
Ranked number one among sixth graders nationally is Emoni
Bates, a 6'4'' phenom, who happens to play for the Wildcats.
Coast to Coast calls Bates the nation’s “best kept secret.”
Said Head Coach Tony Kynard: “We started to make a splash
when we played in Chicago with Emoni.”
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View Emoni’s YouTube highlight reel online for the scoop. He
can “dribble, shoot and play all five positions,” remarked
Kynard. In Bates, the Wildcats have what ESPN college
basketball analyst Dick Vitale would refer to as a budding
"diaper dandy.” Nonetheless, a supporting cast must be in
place for a team to rank in the top 15 nationally.
The sixth grade Wildcats fit the bill and are therefore both
dominant and fun to watch. At Arbor Hills Junior High for
the Sylvania Classic, the Wildcats went toe to toe with a
Great Lakes team whose players were a grade higher.
Wildcats took an early 19 to 1 lead. After half time, rather
than trying to win by 50 points, Kynard was cognizant of
teaching moments, and instructed his players to run a set
plays. They didn't score as much in the second half, but
scoring is not the point. Execution and discipline rule the
day. "Right now it's about reinforcing plays to prepare for
nationals," said Kynard.
Currently, Coach Kynard is seeking a major brand endorsement
so as the sixth grade athletes become seventh and eighth
graders, basketball shoes and travel expenses can be
financed through a sponsor. Until then, either parents, or
Kynard himself, pay each player's way.
One can recognize the essence of family within the Toledo
Wildcats. Players, coaches, and family are all-in for the
Wildcats AAU teams (they also field third, fifth and seventh
grade squads).
Perhaps, in the near future, they can collectively call
themselves national champions. In Coco Beach, Florida, July
11-16, these youngsters will shoot for that goal.
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