FLORIDA FLIGHT SQUEAK BY WINTER PARK STORM IN AN OVERTIME THRILLER

(LONGWOOD, FL, May 18, 2022) – The Florida Flight grabbed their first win of the 2022 FBA season Sunday, defeating the Winter Park Storm in a thrilling overtime match 134 – 127.

The Flight led for most of the game, but saw a 24 point lead evaporate late in the fourth quarter after a barrage of 3-pointers by the Storm by Aaron Taylor and Ulrick Paul.

Paul tied the game after a key 3 pointer with just over 2 minutes to go in the game. The Storm’s Chris Williams hit another three with less than a minute remaining to give the Storm their first lead since the first quarter.

The score was tied at 113 with just under 6 seconds remaining when Taylor hit a one-legged three pointer to put the Storm up 116 – 113. With just .4 seconds left on the clock, Gullet responded with a three pointer of his own, sending the game into overtime.

“Coach asked me where I wanted it, and we executed what he drew up perfectly,” said Gullett after the game. “I’ve practice that shot hundreds of times. I knew if I got the ball in that spot I had a great chance of hitting it and sending it to overtime.”

The Flight controlled the game for most of the overtime, pulling off the 7 point win.

“This was easily one of the most incredible games I’ve ever experienced as a coach, and I think it says a lot about FBA basketball,” said Flight Head Coach Mark King. “The Storm are an exceptional team coached by a man that I have an incredible amount of respect for in Barry Mestel. I always enjoy playing chess against him. He brings out the best in me as a coach, and you can never count them out before the final buzzer sounds.”

The Flight are now 1-1 on the season. They lost another close one to the Palm Beach Titans 109 – 117 the night prior. Their next game is Sunday, May 29^th at Lyman High School. Tip-off is slated for 4:00pm.

About the Flight: The Florida Flight is a member team of the Florida Basketball Association. The mission of the Florida Flight is to utilize the platform of professional basketball to invest in the lives of others.

www.flighthoops.com

About the FBA: The FBA is a Florida-based professional basketball league providing a development, branding and exposure platform for athletes, referees and other individuals seeking to enhance their professional basketball careers.

www.thefba.com

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Winter Park Storm Foresees Smooth Sailing Heading into Year Two

WEIS WORDS

_{John Weis}

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The Winter Park Storm of the Florida Basketball Association (FBA) spent their inaugural 2019 season gaining a foothold in their home city and going through the typical growing pains you might expect from a first-year franchise. But that didn’t stop them from putting first-class products both on and off the court – and winning over the hearts of a large number of fans in the process.

The Storm’s Braylen Pickens lays one up in traffic.

Storm Coach Barry Mestel believes the winning culture starts at the top and is confident his team is fortunate in that regard. “Our owner, Ernest Jones, sets the tone by creating as much of a professional environment as possible. We have created an exciting brand of entertainment for our fans, and we are very appreciative of them for the support they’ve given us.”

The Storm is one of eight teams in the FBA, which considers itself a developmental league. “Our goal is to help our guys get opportunities to play and be seen,” said Jones, a former FBA player. “Even if they aren’t able to get to the NBA, there are many opportunities overseas for players who still want to play professionally. This is the type of player we look for; someone who is willing to work hard to do what it takes to further their careers and win games in Winter Park with the Storm.”

Jones says his players are fortunate to be coached by someone with Mestel’s resume. “I know firsthand what a fantastic teacher he is. I met him several years back while playing for a team called the Orlando Aces. After that, we crossed paths again when he was training a group of players that included a good friend of mine, Alex Hill. That gave me the opportunity to get to know Coach Mestel even better. So when the opportunity came up with the Storm and I needed a coach, he was the obvious choice. Coach has more than 40 years of experience in the game – many of which were spent at the highest level.”

Mestel began his coaching career at his alma mater in Connecticut, where he compiled a 137-17 record. He then advanced to the college ranks, coaching under the legendary Fred Barakat at Fairfield University. After stints as a head coach at the JUCO level for both men’s and women’s teams in Connecticut, Mestel moved to Florida. Soon after, he met former Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks coach Richie Adubato, then the coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty – and the two became fast friends. Adubato invited him to the Liberty’s training camp to serve as a shooting coach. He later landed a scouting position with the Orlando Magic, working with then-General Manager John Gabriel and Director of Scouting Gary Brokaw.

Mestel and Adubato also co-host a weekly basketball-themed radio show called Full-Court Coverage, Monday evenings at 7pm EST on 96.9 FM in Orlando. The show is currently in its sixth year.

“We have an acronym we abide by with the Storm: ACE. It stands for Attitude, Commitment and Effort. We play for each other and because of that, it doesn’t matter who does the scoring as long as we put the ball through the hoop,” said Mestel, describing his coaching style. “Ernest and I expect complete buy-in from the players. If they cannot commit to the team 100% they will not play. Also, we make practices more demanding that any game could ever be. No team will outwork us and no team will be in better shape.”

Meanwhile, it’s up to Mestel to put his players in the best position to win. “To get positive on-court results from a team, a coach has to look at the players he has and determine what each one does best,” Mestel said. “Then, he exploits those abilities and makes sure what the players do well becomes part of the offensive and defensive game plans.”

The Storm, who play their games at the Winter Park Community Center, plan to continue being active participants in helping the city’s kids become better players – and better young people – once the COVID period is officially over. “We will be re-starting our Youth Basketball Academy, which helps not only improve their athletic skills, but also their life skills,” Mestel explained. “Once a game is over the scoreboard always goes back to 0-0 … but what you learn from the game of basketball – both on and off the court – these are lessons that add up for a lifetime. Whatever we can do off the court to positively influence young lives is just as important as what we do on the court.”

Winter Park Community Center, Home of the Winter Park Storm.

The Winter Park Storm is a Minor League Basketball Team playing in the Florida Basketball Association (FBA). The Storm is committed to having a strong sense of community and service, while upholding a standard of excellence throughout our organization. For more information on the team, please visit www.thestormhoops.com.

FBA WITHDRAWS FROM PLANS FOR 2020 SEASON

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Orlando, FL) – Due to the elevation of Covid-19 cases within the state of Florida, the FBA Board of Governors have voted to withdraw plans to host a 2020 regular season.

The FBA adjusted to play the 2020 regular season in one location this year without fans, making the appropriate investments to offer commercial advertisements as a new, alternative revenue stream during games streamed to the public.

“Securing the venue dates for a full season has become too much of a challenge given the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in Florida,” said FBA Commissioner Greg Kite. “At this time, it’s more prudent to redirect our attention to 2021 while finding ways to do some sort of league smaller, more flexible league events this year.”

Although the regular season has been cancelled, FBA teams have been working hard to establish reasonable, executable plans to provide basketball opportunities that ensure players still get necessary, high quality game film. From exhibition games, youth camps and clinics and other alternative events, FBA fans can still expect a mix of diversified basketball activities in the state of Florida.

The FBA is a Florida-based professional basketball league providing a development, branding and exposure platform for athletes, referees and other individuals seeking to further their professional basketball career.

FLORIDA FLIGHT WIN JUMP 10 FBA TEAM USA QUALIFIER

(Orlando, FL) – The Florida Flight of the Florida Basketball Association (FBA) was crowned Team USA after winning the Jump 10 FBA Team USA Selection Qualifying tournament this past Sunday.

The FBA, securing the host rights from Jump 10 and TBGT, Inc., opened the tournament up to any team willing to pay the modest $800 team fee to compete. Teams from as far as South Florida competed in the event.

The Flight came out victorious, going undefeated throughout the tournament. winning a free trip to Shanghai, China. They will  represent the USA in the Jump 10 World Hoops Challenge and play for a grand prize of $100,000 USD.

“We really wanted to start this year off right and make a statement,” said Flight Owner and Head Coach Mark King. “This is our tenth anniversary season, and our entire staff, players and even fans are all working very hard to make this year something special. This is a great start for us!”

The tournament used a slightly modified version of the Jump 10 World Hoops Challenge rules, including the two 12-minute game set competition format, a tie breaker game if needed, and a man-to-man defense requirement during competition. While an adjustment to regular FBA rules, the pace and format of the game gave fans an exciting, intense experience that some want to see more of.

“This was a very exciting format, and I’d like to see more games like this,” said Faye Winfrey. “Each minute was so critical. Each game is important. It really leaves you on the edge of your seat as a fan. It was very exciting.”

The final game featured the Flight against Team Win, a team comprised mostly of players with overseas experience local to the Central Florida region. It was the second meeting between the two in the tournament. The Flight defeated Team Win in round two, causing Team Win to battle through the Loser’s Bracket to get to the finals.

After splitting the first two games in the final round, the teams entered a 2 minute overtime set. Remaining tied after overtime, the two headed to the unique, Jump 10 rule of a sudden death, next basket wins scenario.

Per the double elimination format, a Flight loss would’ve required Team Win to defeat the Flight in a final 12 minute game to secure the championship win. That turned out to be unnecessary. Flight guard Elliott Glegg made the winning basket for the Flight, knocking down a free throw after Team Win was called for an illegal defense violation for trying to use zone defense coverage.

“It felt good getting the winning basket for my team, but it was for sure a collective effort,” said Glegg. “We felt like this was an opportunity for us to make a name for ourselves before heading to China in May for our international tour, so we really wanted to get this Jump 10 championship win.”

The win gives the Flight a free trip to Shanghai, China for the Jump 10 World Hoops Challenge, which will features 16 teams from 12 different countries. This will be the second visit to China for the Flight, as they are also scheduled for a 20 day exposure tour in May.

The FBA is a Florida-based professional basketball league providing a development, branding and exposure platform for athletes, referees and other individuals seeking to further their professional basketball career.

 

WINTER PARK STORM NAME HEAD COACH

(Orlando, FL) – The Winter Park Storm has named Barry Mestel as Head Coach for their upcoming season in the Florida Basketball Association (FBA).

Mestel, who has spent time as an NBA and WNBA scout, brings a wealth of experience to the Storm. Through his Winning Ways Pro International organization, Mestel and his staff have helped hundreds of players advance their careers and secure professional playing opportunities internationally. Through the Storm and the FBA, he sees an opportunity to further build upon those numbers.

“The FBA has proven itself to be a top minor league system that does exactly what it’s supposed to do,” said Mestel. “Basketball has long needed a sustainable, consistent platform that gives players a place to play, the knowledge to improve as professionals, and the resources that teams abroad need to consider signing import players. The FBA builds teams that follow that plan, and I’m excited to build a team of players for the Storm that can believe in that.”

Mestel also co-hosts Full Court Coverage, an Orlando-based radio show featured on 96.9’s The Game, with former NBA head coach Richie Adubato.

“I’ve know Barry for a long time,” said Mark King, CEO of the FBA. “He’ll bring a huge network of resources and value to the FBA. The Storm has landed a fantastic coach to lead this team.”

Recruitment for the Storm has already begun. The team will host it’s first-ever tryout at the Winter Park Community Center on Sunday, March 3^rd. For information on tryouts, email info@thestormhoops.com.

The FBA is a Florida-based professional basketball league providing a development, branding and exposure platform for athletes, referees and other individuals seeking to further their professional basketball career.

FBA HEADING TO WINTER PARK

(Orlando, FL) – The Florida Basketball Association (FBA) will add the Winter Park Storm out of Winter Park, Florida for the upcoming 2019 season.

The Storm will be owned by Ernest Jones, a veteran professional basketball player who finished his playing career with the Florida Flight, also a member of the FBA. The Storm will play their home games at the Winter Park Community Center located in downtown Winter Park.

“We’re excited to have another FBA team in the central Florida region,” said FBA Commissioner Greg Kite. “There’s a lot of talent in central Florida, and there’s a real need for additional opportunities for players to continue playing after college.”

As with all FBA teams, the Storm will use a mix of scouting, recruiting and open tryouts to build their roster. The team will host their first ever tryout on Saturday, March 3^rd at their home venue.

“I’m excited to transition from player to owner, said Jones. “It’s been great seeing the FBA grow. I’m looking forward to building on to what’s already been established and bringing a team to the beautiful city of Winter Park.”

The Storm will begin play in April of 2019. For more information, email info@thestormhoops.com.

The FBA is a Florida-based professional basketball league providing a development, branding and exposure platform for athletes, referees and other individuals seeking to further their professional basketball career.