Five final thoughts from the Stellar basketball tournament

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I need a day away from the Beach. After being out at Cedar Beach for parts of the last five days -- actually six if you count some interviews I did out there last Tuesday -- I need a break from that beautiful park. I will be back out for SportsFest starting either Weds. or Thursday.

I will start thinking about SportsFest tomorrow, but I did hear from somebody I trust that they're going to charge $5 to park this year!? It was evidently said on a radio interview on B104. I haven't had that confirmed, but I do believe that could be a major mistake that would only chase folks away at a time when SportsFest should be looking for any and every way possible to bring people to the venue.

I can only hope that what I heard was wrong. But SportsFest can wait for a day or so.

The Stellar Construction tournament was another success and after having to rush up to Parkland and other venues for Friday night's schedule, the weather couldn't have been better.

Here are five thoughts I will take away from the weekend:

1. I was disappointed, as were many others, that Harrisburg chose to come in and play one game (an easy win over Pen Argyl) and then left the tournament with two forfeit losses. Harrisburg is one of the marquee names in PIAA basketball and people look forward to seeing the Cougars play. If they commit to the tournament, they should commit all the way and not have people flock to Cedar Beach to see an Allen-Harrisburg game, for example, only to be told that the game will not take place because one team decided not to show. It doesn't reflect well on Harrisburg or the tournament when stuff like that happens.

2. Lots of hard work is in store for most of the new boys coaches. Northwestern, Palmerton, Lehighton and Pen Argyl didn't last very long in the tournament and the new staffs at each school will have major rebuilding projects ahead. But the good news for those new guys is that there's only way to go -- and that's up.

3. The Lehigh Valley Conference is going to have a lot of balance. We've said this before, but it's worth repeating -- the LVC is going to be wide-open next year. Emmaus, Freedom, Easton, Liberty, Allen, Central, Dieruff and Northampton all had good Stellar tournaments. The league will feature lots of good teams, but I am not sure there's a great one out there and that will keep things tightly-packed and interesting. If I had to pick a team to beat today, it would be Emmaus, but the Green Hornets (featuring Greg Bobal below) are not head and shoulders better than Freedom and about four other teams.Greg Bobal

4. What will help the LVC is the improvement of the teams that were in the league's lower half last season. Looks like Parkland, Whitehall, Northampton, Dieruff and Bethlehem Catholic are all going to be improved this season. Obviously, Freedom will be much better. I believe most of these teams are in the SportsFest tournament so we will learn more about them in the coming weekend.

5. The Stellar tournament (which includes outstanding girls players like Olivia Hassler below) remains a great event.

Olivia Hassler I know there will be critics out there and people always looking to run things down and rip. But having worked closely with the people at Stellar for many years, I can tell you that they love what they do and they are committed to putting on the best event possible. It starts at the top with Tony Stellar, who really has not forgotten about where he grew up and what made him the success that he is.

It is not easy to coordinate an event of this magnitude, and there's always going to be a glitch or two. Yet, Glen Klein and staff pull it off every year and the Stellar becomes a great mix of kids, community and local businesses.

I will be honest and offer no apologies in telling Groller's Corner readers that I enjoy working with those people and the whole event does have a family reunion feel to it each and every July. There's always a sense of sadness when it's over, and yet, the next year and the next tournament will be here before you know it.

I am also looking forward to the SportsFest tournament because there are also some terrific people involved with that as well, and I love the basketball.

But I just need a day or two away from the Beach and the bouncing balls.


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