St. Joe's Phil Martelli Among Global Cast of Basketball Coaches to Join iBall Pro Combine

    PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 13, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- iBall United announced today that St. Joseph's University head men's basketball coach Phil Martelli will be the featured speaker for the iBall Coaches Clinic at Pottstown Senior High School June 24. iBall United and A3 Hoops Shoot the Lights Out on Cancer have teamed up to produce the event. Valley Forge Sports will serve as the event's title partner. Event proceeds will benefit Philadelphia Coaches vs. Cancer.

The iBall Coaches Clinic takes place from 12PM to 4PM on the first day of iBall Pro Combine, a two-day exposure camp for men and women professional basketball hopefuls that features five-on-five games as well as skills evaluations and speed and agility drills. All event activities will be held at Pottstown High School's Strom Gymnasium in Pottstown, PA.

Joining Martelli to speak will be St. Joseph's University head women's basketball coach Cindy Griffin. International pro coaches expected to attend are Casimiro Laguna and Ricardo Iglesias, who coach for Correcaminos de Colón en Panamá, Julio Morillo of the Venezuelan pro league, and Santiago Belza, assistant coach for Argentina's Peñarol. More coaches are expected to be announced soon.

"My hope is that by attending and participating in the iBall Coaches Clinic each participant will be willing to teach and learn. Clinics are an extraordinary opportunity to make a great game better," said Martelli. "Cancer does not discriminate!! It is mean! So anything and everything that we can do as a community to raise awareness and, most especially, funds is vitally important."

In April, Martelli teamed up with the Philly NCAA Division I men's basketball coaches to host the 13th annual Coaches vs. Cancer Gala in Philadelphia. The event scored $700,000 for the Coaches vs. Cancer team, adding to the $11 million raised since 1996. As Martelli explains, "Each of us is responsible to reach out and help. This clinic is the essence of 'giving back'."

iBall United is a sports agency founded by Pottstown High School alum and former Villanova basketball and overseas pro standout, Howard Brown. The iBall Coaches Clinic is the latest addition to iBall's United Community Initiatives, an annual effort to inspire and enrich the support of not-for-profits and families of the Pottstown area.

Pottstown High School's basketball program is no stranger to cancer. In 1989, Trojan standout player London Leisure died shortly after his high school graduation. Earl "Yogi" Strom, one of the most respected referees in NBA history, also had his life cut short to cancer in 1994. A year later, Strom was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The gymnasium at Pottstown High School was rededicated to Earl Strom in 2003.

"I still remember when all the NBA greats came to Pottstown to honor Mr. Strom," said Brown. "There was Magic Johnson, Doctor J, Red Auerbach, and the list goes on. They all spoke so highly about Mr. Strom's character. He was a showman on the court with the whistle, and for decades, he was the most respected ref in the league. He left his mark on the game of basketball. That lives on. Cancer cannot touch that."

iBall's United Community Initiatives have played a critical role to provide support for families and non-for-profit agencies in Pottstown. In 2016, more than $3500 in cash and prizes was awarded through Unity Day and the Healthy Families Basketball Clinic. The Strive Initiative, a Pottstown area nonprofit, was the recipient of a $1000 cash award.

"We're blessed to be partnering with A3 Hoops Shoot the Lights Out on Cancer," said Brown. "Coach Greg and his team have done an amazing job raising funds and awareness for Philly Coaches vs. Cancer." A3 Hoops founder, Greg Alessandroni, is a women's basketball coach at Gwynedd Mercy University. A3 Hoops in conjunction with American Cancer Society and Philadelphia Coaches vs. Cancer, hosts an annual free-throw shooting competition entitled "Shoot the Lights out on Cancer." Since 2014, A3 Hoops has raised more than $30,000 in support in the fight against cancer.

The iBall Coaches Clinic is one of four events being produced this summer by iBall United. The company is also collaborating with some of the area's most recognized youth development agencies to host Sports Carnival 2017 at Pottstown's Memorial Park from 2PM to 6PM on July 2. The Sports Carnival will feature three youth sports clinics, a youth basketball tournament, a village of games and activities, food vendors, and prizes. Admission to Sports Carnival 2017 is free.

To round out this year's events, iBall is partnering with the Pottstown GoFourth! Festival to provide a community adult basketball tournament on July 4 from 11AM to 3:30PM at Pottstown's Memorial Park. The Pottstown GoFourth! Festival has been created by a grassroots group of community partners committed to reimagining Pottstown's historic Fourth of July festivities.

The suggested donation to attend the iBall Coaches Clinic is $75. The fee includes a welcome package, two-day pass to iBall Pro Combine, and other amenities. General admission to iBall Pro Combine is $10 for adults and $5 for children each day. It does not include entry to the iBall Coaches Clinic.

More Information about the iBall Coaches Clinic is available at http://iballunited.net/iball-coaches-clinic. There you can also view the complete schedule and full lineup of coaches for the event. For more information about iBall's United Community initiatives, contact Howard Brown at 470-238-9876 or e-mail [email protected].

iBall United is a licensed sports marketing, management, and consulting agency specializing in theeducation, exposure, and placement of men's and women's pro basketball players. Through iBall Pro Basketball Combine and iBall Career Advancement Network, the company has successfully connected hundreds of players to resources and professional opportunities across the globe.

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