Youth Basketball of America has a big problem.

I have always maintained the highest professional regard for the time and efforts of youth coaches everywhere and in all situations. Several categories in the field of youth sports have developed over the years. The good 'ole recreation league play, street ball, school leagues, and travel basketball. Well, I have seen everything now. Actually, I am the one, or I should say my team is, involved in the situation. How would you like to spend 5 months developing a team, fundraising thousands of dollars, scheduling practice time, scheduling hotel accomodations, travel to qualifying tournaments for a travel team? Sound like fun? Well, I enjoy developing talent. So, it works for me. Enough of the chit-chat lets get to the matter at hand.

My team, the Treasure Coast WildCatz, is a mixture of 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade boys from the Stuart, FL area. We decided to play, what I felt would be, enough YBOA qualifiers to play in the state tournament in June. We have practiced since February of this year with that goal in mind. Our first tournament showed me these boys could play, losing in double overtime in a semi-final game and beating the Jupiter Jaguars #121 (the #1 team by points in the state). Our second tournament we lost in a quarter final game. A slight setback but we ran into some stiff competition in the Hollywood Eagles, most likely the #1 team in 12/U in the state. The next tournaments we struggled and never got out of pool play. I felt it was a definite setback on our part. However, we had accumulated enough points to qualify 16^th for the state tournament. We were in and the kids were excited.

Well, this is where all good things must come to an end. I was informed on Monday, June 3^rd that our team was being removed from the state tournament to make room for a different team. Steve Ripley, YBOA Florida director, indicated to me his level of disgust in the decision of Don Ruedlinger, president of YBOA, to make such a choice. The team that Mr. Ruedlinger selected had not even met the qualifications to play at the state tournament. However, Mr. Ruedlinger made the decision and now my team must suffer. I spoke to Don on Monday afternoon about the situation. His first reaction was that of surprise, like he thought my team did not want to go to state. Wrong assumption. He then proceeded to offer me an at-large bid to attend the International tournament in July to make up for my team's sake. As he put it, I am not going to take anything away from the kids. Guess what fella, you already have. Our phone conversation ended with the remark that he would get back with me. Well, it is now Thursday and no return phone calls as of yet. I have even sent a couple of emails to his son, Rick Ruedlinger, vice president of YBOA, over the past several days with no response.

It only gets worse. It appears Steve Ripley's involvement with the state tournament has become non-existent, likely to his disgust with this whole situation, and the YBOA "boys" have seen themselves fit to not only allow the Orlando Wizards to play, but move them up into the #6 spot. Wouldn't that just make your day as a coach? Glance at the latest bracket and be moved down to make room for a team that is inelgible for state tournament play. I can only say that things are getting ugly. I would think resolution of this predicament would be Don Ruedlinger's first order of business. Evidently, not! How many phone calls, etc. is going to take?

I would just like to congratulate Don Ruedlinger and YBOA for giving me the opportunity to experience what is a terrible display of ethics and rule violations. I have always heard about AAU complaints of people faking birth cetrificates, etc. But, the actual AAU organization has not to my knowledge ever blatantly violated a rule to benefit a certain team like this. I would say people are about to witness a mass mutiny from YBOA because of one man's decision. All thanks to Don Ruedlinger. I am sure YBOA's corporate sponsors would love to hear about this, unless one of them is behind the Orlando Wizards.