The Boo Williams Summer League (BWSL) is an environment where Black Widows gain experience and learn the importance of strong competition through basketball tournament play. This experience creates an environment where they can enhance their playing ability and prepare for higher levels of competition.
Competing against the best raises our players’ abilities to another level. AAU offers a level of competition at young ages that most junior high and high schools programs cannot rival. Additionally, when/if students become serious about their basketball futures (as a student athlete), AAU basketball and BWSL is an excellent step in the right direction to further hone their skills.
Guiding Principles/Philosophy
We take advantage of the opportunity the BWSL provides by teaching the fundamentals, techniques and skills to develop our Black Widows as individual basketball players while focusing on the importance of sportsmanship, team contribution, and character development. Our program concentrates on the principles of off-court commitment to on-court performance. We believe that fundamental execution will ultimately lead to success and teach our Black Widows the wisdom of learning the basics first.
Parents: Parents are expected to be fully integrated into the team’s activities and direction. A Black Widow Parent’s top priority is to be their daughter’s #1 fan and create an environment for positive development that will show on and off the court. We hold the parent responsible for the improvement of their Black Widow - the coach can only teach so much during a practice session. Any extra curricular activity such as basketball requires diligence at home no different than homework from school. In other words “the individual practice starts when the team practice is over”. In the Boo Williams Summer League the coach is ultimately responsible for the team but the parents are active partners in that responsibility.
Black Widows History
The Black Widows Program (subordinate to BWSL) is a “splinter” program of the BWSL Red Tide. The Black Widows were originally called the Blue Devils and later the Lady Hawks and started with only one team in the 10U age group. The program changed its name to the Black Widows around 1999.
Currently the Black Widows have grown to cover 6 age groups ranging in ages 9 – 14 (3rd – 9th grade) Division I and II and serves the Hampton Roads Middle Peninsula area. Additionally, the 15U and 16U Div II (10th & 11th grade) age groups carry the name Black Widows but are managed by BWSL. The playing age is determined by the players age as of the 1st of July. If the player turns 11 on July 25th she will be in the 10U age group because she was 10 on July 1st.
