Noki Lam
Staff Writer
Seniors Joe Brewer, Jack Nammack, Cole Crotty, Gavin Zimmerman, Jonah Miller, Truman Polich, Kai Bridges, and Chris Layden make up the roster of VV Select, a basketball team that competes in the Manhattan Beach Youth Basketball league (MBYB). The team is coached by seniors Brayden Stoddard, Josh Canik, and Luke Schauwecker.
Most teams that partake in MBYB play casually, with many of the teams being assembled of players who don’t know each other prior to the league. VV Select, however, has approached MBYB differently than other teams, publishing records, stats, and team updates on social media to create the image of a more professional team.
“I came up with the idea of making an Instagram account for our team because I wanted our friends and families to be able to keep up with our team,” Schauwecker said, who manages the team’s social media. “It ended up being bigger than we expected and having a positive effect on the community, which we are glad to be a part of.”
According to Schauwecker, he was inspired by the social media presence of other professional and collegiate level sports teams when deciding how to portray the image of the team through videos, promotional team ads, and graphics displaying pictures of players and stats.
“I found inspiration from the USC men’s basketball team because their videos were very fun to watch, and the graphics looked like something I was capable of making,” Schauwecker said. “After seeing the initial support, I continued to be motivated to post and make content for our team.”
The players on VV Select all have roots in various sports other than basketball. The team includes football players, baseball players, a volleyball player, and more. According to Layden, the different backgrounds of athletics on their team is a big factor of the group’s success in MBYB.
“Our diverse athletic background only contributes to the freakish athleticism of our players,” Layden said. “It allows for different philosophies to come together in a beautiful medley of a playstyle.”
According to Nammack, the players have all been longtime friends since elementary school despite their different athletic upbringings.
“We are all out there to win but mainly just to have a good time,” Nammack said. “Since we are all friends it makes us all better players because we aren’t afraid to pass or take an open shot with someone getting mad at us.”
Nammack has lead the team in points, including a 28 point performance in VV Select’s opening game. VV Select has repeatedly beaten teams by 60 or more points, dominating the MBYB circuit.
“We know most of the other teams in the league,” Nammack said. “It gets competitive for us and gives us something to look forward to on Sundays.”
VV Select’s ultimate goal is to win the championship of the MBYB league. The friends look to improve upon their undefeated 4-0 record going into the playoffs as the heavy favorites to win the title.
“We want to have a good time, but we also want to be able to compete for a championship,” Crotty said. “We were able to put together a good squad and we’re having fun playing together and coming home with wins on Sundays.”
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