FBC Defenders

So proud of my SOLDIERS!, Defenders(STONE) finished the exposure period (battle baltimore 4-0, metro classic 4-0, Rose Summer Showcase 1-1) strong, 9-1. Congratulations! You’ve had a tremendous season! So Proud! Just So Darn Proud Of Every Player In Program. Defenders(Frederick) finished strong as well, improving with each game down the stretch. When most would have given up, these ladies beat the odds and fought through for victory or near victory, or even defeat, and grew with each game. I love you and am proud of you in ways you just can’t image. You inspire me to fight my way back to 100%. I will accept NOTHING less for myself because you have accepted nothing less. True inspiration!

Coach Frederick and Nicole you have done a tremendous job for the program. The way you guys stepped up when I went down is admirable. Best coaching staff in the world, any level, any pay grade! I will put you up against anyone!

Parents, without your unwavering commitment to me and this program there is no way I could have gone through these past weeks. NO WAY! I thank you one and all for holding together and allowing your girls the opportunity to see how good they could really become. For that I thank you all. I would also like to thank you for working so hard at the fund raisers. Because of that I am able to send those players who have been in the program from the beginning to Ohio at NO registration cost to them! Yes the club picked up the tab for registering 16 players @ $90 each. Also the club paid for the summer league games @ W 4th Street and CAS Douglas combined costed $1,650.

Finally there is Q James. The entire program owes you it’s very life for the 2010 season. You alone save our season because you stepped into the Administrator role and seamlessly guided the program through to this point and made it look effortlessly. I know for certain that is took tremendous effort on your part to manage the defenders commitments and your own. God Bless You! Thank You hardly seems adequate. Much LOVE!

John Stone
FBC Defenders AAU Club

It is a hot & steamy summer saturday morning here in NYC as people begin to gather for what would ultimately become HISTORY for a team (and small program with only 2 teams) that seems to somehow show up 10 out 10 times wherever they go. In today’s me, me, me, take what I can world of aau basketball this would seem EXTREMELY odd but yet very refreshing if true. Well believe me it is absolutely, positively, TRUE. The FBC Defenders all arrive in new york this day ready to play there late morning game like they have so many times in the past. Parents and players gathering as if they are in their backyard preparing for a family function. Exchanging hugs and pleasantries like siblings all ultimately making there was to the matriarch of the program. Is this real? Some might think it’s not but for this program it is because of one primary founding principle. The FBC Defenders are a family through and through. Know that and NEVER doubt it, cause for EVERY family that it touches, they do KNOW it is ABSOLUTELY true.

here at the Cage, a world famous venue sitting in village next door to the Blue Note. The bustle picking up now the Defenders are finally up, gametime. Now at the cage fans all know when the Defenders play it will be an exciting game. Especially since they have this extremely dynamic coach who always seems to come with kid never seen before who just erupts at some point in a game. Win or Lose! It is amazing to watch and so the fence outside starts to pack.  The refs call for captains, little minute check, jump ball and the game is on. As the Positive direction team come out they jump on the Defenders from the start. A little startle the defenders take a quick blow but survive it. Remember now that’s nothing for them. Why? Because that who they are and they know it is NOT over yet game just started. Staring into the eyes of one of the Pd players is a kid that really looks like she should be at the short somewhere hanging. But what THEY don’t know is she is smoldering. Up the floor, down the floor they go. And them all of a suddden that same young lady does a quick body check. AM I FEELING, YES, IS IT TIME, HECK YEAH, you see had been asked that at key times in games before by her coach. BUT TODAY SHE IS NOT WAITING FOR HIM. Today it would be her who decides. At that moment she demanded the ball and BANG! Rain a 3333333333! On her way back she thought, that felt good. O crap you guy are in trouble and you don’t even know. Then all of a sudden she smiled. Now running the point for the Defenders is Ashanti Bess. Serving at point due to the abscence of the talented Shari Jones who normally starts. Now Ashanti has been working with Coach Stone to get her mentally to a place where she can KNOW she is a beast. Today she is there so looking this teammate of hers she sees it and thinks OMG. So next few position she is pass her the ball EVERYTIME she can. Who is she? Only the FBC Defenders Rose Classic famous Janissa “let id rain” Delzo!!!!!!! And for a short while at west fourth the sun was out but Janissa began to just make it RAIN 3s. Before the other team could realize the Defenders were right back in it and the team called time. Yelling at her team not to relax the coach made a critical mistake. She told her team not to let up until up by twenty. Bad move as the Defenders heard that and it was OVER!

Final Score FBC Defenders 59    Positive Direction 41    GAME OVER!

High Scorers Jasmine “ol skool” Phelps with 14 pts, Shalette “The Beastie” with 10pts and of course Janissa “Rain” Delzo 10 pts, Tia “Paryana” Kelly 9 brds 4 blks, and final Ashanti “you don’t know” Bess 7 dimes.

Now I know the coach so thought why not say hello. To my surprise the team was coach by Jamine “big pretty smile” Lytle currently the single most hearlded Defenders player of ALL time and sitting quietly on the bench with her making her coaching debut was MRS BRENDA STONE, the coaches wife. OMG!

The FBC Defenders is proud to announce the creation of its first ever “Select” Team! Congratulations to all selected players.

FBC Select Team (W 4th Street)
Ashanti Bess, Shalette Brown, Janissa Delzo, Cheyenne Grant, Alyssa Johnson, Tia Kelly, Jasmine Lytle, Jasmine Phelps, Jasmine Walker

Stay tuned as the roster for this team may change depending on the progress of other players in the program.