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Girls Travel Basketball Program Giving Players Much-Needed Exposure

Sharon BlockSFHSSports: Twitter | Facebook

Laney Fox and Alexis Gibbs enjoyed the attention they got from more than two dozen college basketball coaches during the recent U.S. Junior Nike National Championships at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Only keep in mind that the 5-foot-10 Fox will be a sophomore and 5-foot-9 Gibbs will be a freshman when Cardinal Gibbons' season begins this fall.

The G Nation Blue 9th/10th players, coached by Cardinal Gibbons head girls coach Kevin Gordon, found out it's not always about winning and losing when it comes to competing for a travel league team.

It's more about exposure, confidence-building, planning for the future, earning a college scholarship and building camaraderie with teammates, opposing players and coaches.

"It does give me a little bit more confidence having all these coaches watching me," said Fox, a point guard. "I have always struggled with my confidence. Once I got to high school and met Coach Kevin everything started to change for me.

"When I started playing in front of all these coaches it was such a big surprise that they were interested in me. I thought 'wow, the work is starting to pay off.'

"The travel league is starting to get me to places. You get seen through the travel league. I am starting to get letters and calls from Division I, Division 2 and Ivy League colleges."

Gibbs, a power forward, started playing in a summer league in fifth grade. Like Fox, she now hopes to earn a full ride to college.

"I didn't know anything about basketball when I started playing in a summer league in fifth grade," Gibbs said. "Now it's fun and I am getting a lot of experience. I am working hard for a scholarship."

G Nation Blue is Gibbs' first travel league team.

"It's a little pressure playing in front of all these college coaches but good experience," Gibbs said. "Travel basketball is helping me build more experience and get more playing time. It's building my skill level playing against all these different teams."

G Nation Blue features seven 15-and-under freshmen and sophomores from Cardinal Gibbons. Cooper City 5-foot-8 sophomore Lindsay Cejka is the only non-Gibbons players. In addition to Fox and Gibbs, remaining team members are sophomores Megan Rampersad; Mikaela Pierre, Shyanne Bitar, and Riley Berry and freshman Payton Zeschke. Pierre is a transfer from St. Thomas Aquinas and Rampersad, a Grandview Prep transfer.

During the Washington, D.C. road trip, G Nation Blue Under-15s had the opportunity to face some tough opponents including In The Zone Sports (Pa.), Hudson Valley (N.Y.) Knights and TLP Basketball of Delaware.

"We have some special talented players," Gordon said. "My main purpose No. 1 is I want the girls to be the best they can be. Travel basketball shows them what it takes to get better and improves their skills for high school and the next level.

"Not every girl in travel league might play college ball, they might just want to get better. But the ultimate goal is to get a college scholarship."

For the last eight seasons, the Hialeah-born Gordon has coached Cardinal Gibbons. This past year Gordon led his team to a 22-5 record, winning the district title for the first time in 11 years since 2005; region title and Final Four appearance in Lakeland for the first time in 16 years.

Gordon, 35, is one of the few coaches involved with both high school and travel basketball. Gordon is in his 11th year coaching girls travel basketball.

Gordon owns and operates G-Nation Basketball, Inc. He also coaches a girls' elite basketball program with D3 M.O.A.M Elite, which had an 11th-grade team competing in summer tournaments.

"It not only helps the girls but the coaches as well," Gordon said. "We are all learning. It helps me to be a better coach for high school and helps me with all kinds of situations.

"The best thing is with this trip, seven out of the eight girls go to Gibbons which will help our program get better."

A week after the high school state tournament, G Nation started practice for eight tournaments.

"There's no rest for me," Gordon said. "I am all about the kids and getting them better. It's good seeing the young girls interested in colleges and having coaches email and call me telling me they have interest in a certain player."

The team holds independent fundraisers to help defray the costs of travel, hotels, food, uniforms, shoes and equipment. The parents usually come up with most of the finances. Gordon is trying to attract sponsors for the team which would help get more girls out for the sport.

"I know all our girls can play college basketball somewhere, no matter what division. It pays for school and education and that's what is so very important."

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