AAU Columbia Raven's finish nationally in top 10

by Amy Russell
arussell@digitalsports.com

An Amateur Athletic Union’s girls’ basketball team, the U13 Columbia Ravens, tied for ninth place in the nation in the division-two tournament in Bristol, Tennessee last season in the Ravens organization’s first year of girls AAU competition.

Despite a first half lead, the Ravens’ lost to the team that would go on to become overall champions in the double elimination tournament, getting bumped to the lower bracket where the team earned an overall ninth place finish.

The team is comprised of five eighth graders, two ninth graders and a seventh grader, who, as the youngest player on the team, hit a three-pointer with three seconds left in the game to tie the game and send it into overtime, where the Ravens won by eleven points in their last victory of the tournament.

Brittney Davis, Michaela Battle, Adrienne Flowers, Sydney Tommins, Mary Kittleman, Jodi Schneider, Alauna Jackson and Chizzie Ekedigwe or, the “elite eight,” as their coaching staff refers to them, traveled to Tennessee under head coach Denise McNiff and assistant coach Steve Flowers for the tournament where they defeated teams from  all over, including Virginia, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

“It was a terrific experience for these kids,” manager Mike Battle said. “It was exciting because it had a real festival atmosphere. The kids got a chance to see players from all over the country.”

The girls wore “Big Doug” patches on their uniforms at the tournament in memory of Doug Parker, who started the program five years ago before passing away from pancreatic cancer.

Parker started the team in 2003 as the Maryland Waves, but moved the team to the AAU to become the Columbia Ravens in 2008. He functioned as the manager and assistant coach until he fell ill and Battle stepped in to take over the position during the2007 season.

“Doug’s vision of these kids playing together really came to life,” Battle said.

In the teams’ four years of existence, it was invited to the tournament every year- the first year in division one and the remaining three in division two, but this is the first year the team has finished in the top ten.

The Ravens joined the AAU, which has a long history of football and travel basketball, when the organization started to expand to include girls basketball in 2008.

The AAU is a highly competitive athletic organization with the highest level of organized participation of its kind, designed to give the student athletes a first rate experience and the opportunity to play the best competition available.

“[The players] are usually the best ball players from their school,” Battle explained, “So the level of competition during practice and games is higher than they would see in their schools. It gives them a chance to really hone their skills.”

The team plays over 50 games in a three-month span, giving them the practice and experience that will help them when they go on to join high school teams.

“They come into high school with a much higher basketball IQ,” said Battle. “[The program at AAU] gives kids an edge going into high school. They are already used to the conditions of high pressure. This tests their skills and helps them to grow in a highly competition environment making them stronger, better players.”

But equal to, or maybe even more important, is the opportunity AAU is committed to providing the players, to develop socially and personally as teammates.

“This gave them the chance to learn how to be a teammate, as well as the chance to learn a lot about themselves,” said Battle.

“These girls have created a bond that has lasted four years. [The program] has started something different. It’s not all about being the best here,” said Battle, “It’s about developing skills, but also character that will make you a better individual going forward.”

“This is a remarkable group of young women,” said Battle.

As the girls go on to high school next year, they will take the memory and lessons of this experience with them.

The girls will be attending the following schools next year, for their next stage of competition.

Brittney Davis -Pallotti High School
Chizzie Ekedigwe- Pallotti High School
Adrienne Flowers- Pallotti High School
Michaela Battle- Good Counsel High School
Sydney Tommins- Notre Dame Prep
Mary Kittleman- Glenelg High School
 bJodi Schneider- Mount de Sales Academy
Alauna Jackson- Howard High School