IS THAT EXCITEMENT THAT I FEEL IN THE AIR?

For over 20 years, the Knights have made Spring Break in Palm Springs their own personal playground.

The Knights colors are known throughout the valley from Indio to Coachella to Palm Desert to Palm Springs.

As we prepare to embark on this year's journey, let it be known that our "little" Knights club will rival the famed legions of ARC with the teams that we will be bringing.

This year, we travel to the DUEL IN THE DESERT fully loaded.

Now confirmed to go and ready to rock and roll in the desert to represent us are the Junkyard Dogs of the Boys 3rd, the Oh-Zones of the Boys 4th, the JOJ's of the Boys 6th Gold, the MIAPlayerz of the Boys 6th Black, the PBC's of the Boys 7th, Kool and the Gang of the Girls 8th, and the infamous KnightClumperz of the Boys 8th.

Also going will be a high school varsity level team from San Pedro High and a frosh-soph team mix from both Torrance High and Peninsula High and maybe one more.

That would make 10 teams roaming the Palm Springs Valley with current and former Knights playing for them.

I hope that everyone has plenty of their Black and Gold packed and ready to go. Those colors are sure to be seen everywhere that weekend.

With everyone staying at the Marriott Courtyard this year, it will be quite an experience.
 

Knights here, Knights there,

KNIGHTS, KNIGHTS;

EVERYWHERE!

See you there!

GOLF, GOLF, GOLF.

The Knights are golfing... and who cares if you can golf?!

Friday, March 14, at 1:00 pm at Cimarron Golf Course in Palm Springs.

Remember, I will take no excuses from anyone for not being there and suffering with both Dan and myself. I am personally asking that you all make this event a huge success so I can get the BAD DOG calmed down.

This is an EXECUTIVE CLUMP of the HIGHEST ORDER and any Knight who is truly a Knight will not be allowed to miss such a MEMORY MAKING adventure.

This will be sure to be talked about around the hotel, at the games, in the restaurants, and will certainly deserve a page or two or three in that fabled Knights Book of Lore for generations to come.

How many times do you have an opportunity to make HISTORY?

We'll all be talking this weekend at the SGV tourney.

Everyone get your FOURSOMES ready!

Coach Jason.

Jason DeBenedictis really doesn't get the credit he deserves around here.

For starters, it is amazing that a young man even shows up at these games and practices. Surely, there is so much more that he could be doing.

How many XBoxes or Playstations would be idle if all young men his age took the time out of their "busy" days to make these tournaments?

It is about time that Jason was given his due and shown some real appreciation for all the time he does give to help make your boys and girls better.

The famous story of Jason once coming home from a game, going into his room, and PIECE BY PIECE throwing his Knights gear into the hallway for trash pickup is true. Dan and Annie sat in their living room watching Knights item after Knights item fly pass their doorway to it's final resting place.

They didn't move. Jason didn't move.

An uneasy silence followed.

Then, there came Jason. First picking up one piece of gear, and then another and slowly transporting it all back into his room so he would be ready to fight another day in the name of the Knight.

I guess I must have really inspired him that day. Probably with one of my many motivational speeches that appealed to his intellect with my now famous thoughtful and caring delivery. You know, one of those talks that shows the more gentle side of my soft-spoken demeanor?

From that day on, Jason has been a Knight through and through.

I am proud to say that he has now become quite a good coach as he, more than anyone, understands that this game is not X's and O's, but more of understanding his players.

More than that, being brought up in the Knights philosophy, Jason indeed can keep perspective on what is real and what is needed.

We are very fortunate to have two coaches who have gone through the years with us and bring their special touch to our teams.

Coach J.R. is one. COACH Jason is the other.

I love Coach J.R. for all that he has done and is doing for the Knights; but COACH Jason gets some extra love because he is so, so, so, so, so, so, so, much YOUNGER than Coach J.R. and continues to be more mature than either Coach J.R. or myself.

I thank Jason and appreciate all of his sacrifices for the Knights.

Next time you see him, l wish all of you would let him know the same.

Now that the LOVEFEST is over....

This is the time of year when the coaching assignments for next year are finalized by Dan and myself.

As you all may be a little interested, here they are, but they are subject to change to the whims of my personality and to the coaches approval.

At the urging of my personal guru, Philip de Souza; we will begin a branding process in the South Bay of the Knights name.
To do so, we must ensure that all Knights teams operate under the same philosophy.

Towards that end, we will begin to have regular Knights coaches meetings and Knights coaches clinics in which we all will come up with a Knights style of play. Offenses and defenses will be taught or learned and we will prepare all of our teams in the same manner.

The Knights have now become the dominant travel club in the South Bay. We have teams in every division and will now turn our attention to becoming a power in the Girls divisions.

All Knights coaches are now afforded the greatest respect by other members of the travel community in California and we will now only allow coaches who share our well known and successful philosophy to coach here and who are proud to be a Knights coach and will put in the time to be one.

In our quest to enlarge our player base, the Knights will begin to hold open tryouts for all players, boys and girls, in the South Bay. Our first tryout will be: February 23 at Dana Middle from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

Please let anyone interested in a basketball career know of these new, planned tryouts. We have an emphasis on tall 3rd grade boys and 5th grade boys.

Now for next year's coaching assignments:
 

 
The new Knights High School Division will be headed by Coach J.R. Watanabe

Thanks to you all and see you at the ASC for SGV.