Team bound for national tournament

Childs Park Eagles players learn more than the rules and techniques of winning at basketball, their coach says.

By MATT DEES

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 23, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Tommy Lampley Jr., 14, gazed at the basket in the Childs Park Community Center gym and then at the horde of teammates lying in wait for the rebound.

The shot went up, then swished through the net. Lampley tossed the ball back to the shooter, and the players began jockeying to grab the next board.

Just then, Lampley, who is 6 feet tall, felt long hands grab his waist and lift him up in the air. Legs flailing, he yelled, "Quit playin'!" His teammate and friend Martez Parks set Lampley down and trotted away, laughing. Lampley composed himself, a slight smirk on his face, and cast a determined stare back at the rim.

The fraternal camaraderie on the Childs Park Eagles 14 and under basketball team, evident as they warmed up before a scrimmage with high school players, is matched only by their love of the game.

Many of the players on the team, which will head to Orlando on Monday to compete in the national AAU tournament, have been playing organized basketball together since they were 8 years old.

The team was formed six years ago by Lampley's father, Tommy Lampley Sr., and has enjoyed success recently, placing fourth in this year's state tournament and qualifying for the national competition.

But the elder Lampley and other coaches will tell you that the team offers more than just an opportunity to hone the perfect jump shot or crossover dribble.

"We stress citizenship, not just basketball," said Lampley, all the while keeping an eye on the team as they ran a series of drills.

He says that more than half the team has made the honor roll at their schools. He proudly tells of many team members participating in a community discussion on violence prevention. "They were the leaders of the group," Lampley said.

Greg Patterson, an assistant coach on the team, said the program keeps the young men from becoming crime statistics.

"A lot of times in the inner city, you hear lots of depressing stories," he said, barely audible over squeaking sneakers and the electric fans vainly trying to keep the stuffy gym cool. "But we've got a bunch of great guys."

Patterson holds to the philosophy that "idleness is the devil's workshop."

"The structure of it is important. This keeps them out of trouble," he said. "If they didn't play, they could be one of the depressing stories."

Many players say the mentoring is valuable. "I have a real strong bond with all the coaches," said the younger Lampley.

But while the social benefit of the team is perhaps its most important aspect, Lampley and his staff have managed to produce some good ballplayers, too.

The younger Lampley is a graceful scorer and will play for Boca Ciega High School's varsity team next season as a freshman. Parks, a 14-year-old Dixie Hollins High School student who looks remarkably comfortable in his 6-4 frame, is an imposing inside player. Arrand Towe, who turns 15 Monday and will attend Gibbs High School this year, is hailed as the team's best rebounder and an aggressive presence in the paint. Younger players, like Lampley's younger son, Lewis, and Marquis Ford, represent the future of the team.

Other players fill their roles well and are bound by a common desire to win.

This drive keeps these young men in the gym or the weight room most months out of the year and gives them the strength to play a grueling schedule of up to 60 games a year.

Many players harbor desires of playing on the college or even professional levels.

But the senior Lampley makes it clear that this goal cannot be achieved just on the basketball court. "If they don't stay involved in academics and also play high-caliber players, it's just a dream. It's a two-pronged process."

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