EASTBAY BULLDOGS BASKETBALL

It seems there are a lot of new clubs popping up out there and I wanted to make you all aware of what's happening. If you are looking to join a club, there are plenty of good, reputable groups you can join, including this one. That said, you really need to educate yourself. With that in mind, it seems there are a couple of categories to these new groups you may want to be ware of:

1) Out of Towner's - These are the guys that see the Eastbay and mainly the Tri Valley as a place they can swoop in and either find some great local athletes or make a few easy bucks. They are probably guys that don't live here. Just come into the valley to coach. That's not us. We are local and are involved in our community. We coach CYO, we coach local HS and JC teams, we help out with all youth sports in the area. We support the tri valley and the local HS teams and they support us. We are you and you are us.

2) Ex Bulldogs - More than a few copy cat clubs have popped up of late. These are guys that used to have kids in our club, see what we do and think this is some sort of "plug and play" system we have developed that they can just go copy. It isn't. I coach 300+ games per year. I go to College Clinics. I meet with local HS and College coaches to make sure we teach what they value. I have had 27 Bulldogs play at the college level and hundreds in HS. This is what I do. Just because someone has watched what I/we do and tried to copy it, doesn't mean they can. Talk about copy cats, there is actually one new club out there that took my Introductory letter and basically read it verbatim on the front page of their website just inserting their name where it said Bulldogs. If they can't even write a letter on their own, how are they going to teach your kids anything???

3) The Disgruntled Dad - This is the guy that had a son that maybe didn't make our top team, so he got mad and left. And he didn't make the top team at the next team he went to, so he left again. And again and again and again. And finally, in an effort to put his son on the top team, he formed his own team and is trying to surround his son with talent. But when the team is formed, he will make sure his son is the PG, controls the ball and takes the majority of the shots. Truthfully, I have stood in huddles with my teams and said "Number "X" isn't their best player but his Dad is the coach so he is going to take the shot. Make sure we guard him." Anyway, this isn't us. In fact, my son doesn't play any more, he coaches with us. I don't have a son on a team so when I put kids on teams at skill levels it is simply based on our staff's assessment of that players current skill set.

In the end, I keep hearing about fights and refunds being demanded and head guys stepping down or being run out and new guys taking over and off shoot clubs stealing players and starting their own things and all sorts of drama surrounding these organizations. Honestly, you don't get that with the Bulldogs. Here, there is no drama, no in-fighting, no attempted "Coup D'eta's". Just success in teaching, learning, growing and getting better as players & young people. We've been doing this for 15 years with great success and will do it for another 15. Remember, if you pay for an old Ford Pinto, you get an old Ford Pinto, and if you pay for a new Red, White and Blue Ferrari... Well, you get the idea.

Anyway, as I said, there are a lot of reputable clubs out there but some not so reputable. Do your homework and find the right place for your kids. And if you choose us, I am sure you will like the results. New clubs will come and go, we aren't going anywhere. Hope to see you on the hardwood soon,

Coach LeClaire