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By CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@tri-parishtimes.com
An International Champion was crowned on the floor of the Harang Auditorium this past week, as New Orleans Biddy Basketball won the 7-8-year-old boys’ title of the 2014 Biddy International Tournament.
Three more champions will be crowned today – just 40 miles down the bayou at South Lafourche High School.
The 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12 Biddy Basketball International Tournaments will finish today in Tarpon country – the selected host city for the prestigious youth basketball event.
The tournaments’ completion will mark the end of a basketball-rich two-week span in the Tri-parish area, a place that Biddy Basketball National Director Firmin Simms called a hotbed for youth hoops.
“We love this area,” Simms said. “That’s why we keep on coming back. The people are all so friendly and willing to help out. Everyone here does the best job that they can to make sure that everyone has a great tournament experience.
“The Thibodaux tournament was a success again. It always is. And we’re only in Day 1 here, and I’m already comfortable saying that this tournament will be a success, as well. That’s a credit and a testament to this community, because they make it all happen.”
For Thibodaux, the 7-8-year-old boys’ tournament is an annual occurrence. The 2014 tournament marked the 18th-straight season that the event was held at Harang Auditorium. Simms said the city of Thibodaux is “absolutely perfect” for the multi-team event, because of the hotels and restaurants that surround the gym.
“The arena is a perfect fit, because it’s just big enough to give the youngsters that big, wide-eyed look, but it’s just small enough to be reasonable for this kind of tournament,” Simms said. “And with the location, it’s just next door and just down the road from all the restaurants and hotels and everything. It’s a perfect location and a great fit.”
The coaches at the tournament agreed whole-heartedly. They said that the hospitality of the people in Thibodaux make the event a “home run.”
“They take care of us here. Everyone treats us right and makes sure that we’re at home,” New Orleans coach Anthony Rowan said. “They did a great job all week, and the kids will remembered these days forever, and that’s what it’s all about.”
“Thibodaux is a fabulous host,” Slidell coach John Paul Fugate said. “We had a great experience and everything was great.”
Several local teams played in the Thibodaux-based tournament, including South Lafourche, Larose, Raceland, Lockport, Thibodaux and Terrebonne Parish Recreation.
When it was all said and done, TPR was the last local standing, placing third.
New Orleans rolled to the tournament’s title with an undefeated week, topping Slidell 36-29 in the Championship Game.
The champions trailed by five points going into the fourth quarter, but broke the game open in the final six minutes with a full-court pressure defense. In 7-8-year-old Biddy rules, the fourth quarter is the only quarter in which a team can press an opponent.
New Orleans standout Chris Lockett was named Mr. Biddy – the tournament’s MVP. He had 19 points in the championship game.
“Our chemistry and defense sparked us and put us over the top,” Rowan said. “Our kids really came together and focused on this goal. They deserved to take home the title. They did an excellent job.”
Just down the road in South Lafourche, the girls’ brackets are still far from completion with several teams in all of the age groups still having hopes of winning the three-separate championships.
But just like in Thibodaux, the same warm feeling has been on display, according to coaches and Simms.
“They are doing just a great job here with this event,” Simms said. “They have three gyms going and all of the gyms have great games going on. Everyone I’ve heard from has said that they are having a great time and are enjoying their stay.”
South Lafourche Biddy Basketball board member Damien St. Pierre said he and his team of volunteers worked tireless hours to create a successful event for the area’s visitors.
In the boys’ tournament, most of the teams are Louisiana-based with just a handful from outside the area. But for the girls’, the competition is more spread out. Teams from Pensacola, Dallas and even Finland descended onto South Lafourche soil to test their luck against some of the best female basketball players the Southeast has to offer.
“These are some of the best young female basketball players that you’re going to see around here,” St. Pierre said. “We have talented kids from a lot of different places. And with Finland here, we have more than one country represented, as well.”
But at the end of the day, everyone agrees it’s all about the kids. Simms said Biddy Basketball continues to go strong, despite surges from AAU Basketball and other youth organizations.
The national director said the organization’s goal remains the same today as it has from its earliest days – properly team children the game of basketball, while giving them a chance to advance to higher levels of play.
“We want to give these youngsters an avenue to keep playing,” Simms said. “The best feeling in the world is when one of our players goes through high school and gets a college scholarship. We want our youngsters to use that round, orange ball to get someone to pay for their college education.
“The kids are more talented than they’ve ever been. They know so much more now. There’s so much more exposure. So when you can gather them all together and have so many great people working hard to make it all happen, what can be better? We love this area. We always come back for a reason. Because Biddy Basketball would be worse if we didn’t. There’s no question that these people care, and there’s no question that our organization is better by being affiliated with all of the people here.”
Biddy Basketball thrives in south Louisiana because of the support our area’s players get from their parents and coaches. Those things are why Biddy chose to give Thibodaux and South Lafourche their own International Tournaments this season.
