Assumption Future Lady Knights: Welcome

    Welcome. The Future Lady Knights is an organization formed to help female athletes (3rd grade -8th grade) who intend on attending Assumption High School, Davenport, Iowa , and who want a competitive and developmental basketball experience. The girls are on basketball teams with other girls who are going to Assumption. FLK teaches the girls as a team and individually the work ethic and the fundamentals to be better basketball players and life skills to become better persons. In 2012-13, the FLK is in its 15th year. FLK is inclusive and will give the opportunity to girls who are ready and willing to learn and develop their individual and team fundamental skills in a competitive setting. The degree of committment and competitiveness increases each year, especially in the upper grades.

 Mallory Youngblutt is in her second year as Varsity head coach, after coaching the Assumption varsity to another State Championship in 2012. Coach Youngblutt, a graduate of North Dakato State University, played for 4 years of basketball and was the captain of the team. She lead her college team to conference championships, and scored over 1000 points in her senior year and was all conference. Coach Youngblutt was a stand out basketball player and leader in college and at Assumption.   Coach is a former Future Lady Knights player when she was in 4th-8th grade.      

    The Assumption varsity Girls Team AGAIN WON State 2012 and 2011 and 2008. In 2012 the Lady Knights were again the undefeated MAC conference champs. What a remarable year in 2012 with new head Coach Mallory Youngblutt. Mallory is an Assumption grade (and former FLK player in grade school). She played 4 years at North Dakato State, scoring over 1000 points and was conference player of the year as a senior.  The 2012 seniors leaders were Grace Fennelly, Jasmine Binion, Kate Herrig and Kelsey Klien, and juniors Hailey Schneden, Danielle Moore, Mary Kate Fennelly,  Kate Fennelly, Morgan Pavlich, Megan Leabo, Kristin Ketellaar, and sophmores Danielle Cabel, Maddie Irmen, and freshman, Riley Behan. The state champ Assumption varsity players of 2011  were under senior  leadership of Melissa Youngblut, Emma Ambrose,  Sam Johannsen, Abbey Strajack and Hailey Fox, and juniors Kate Herrig, Grace Fennelly, Katherine Huisenkamp, Kelsey Klein,  Jasmine Binion and Katheryn Matson and sophmores Hailey Schneden, Danielle Moore, Kate Fennelly, Mary Kate Fennelly. All of the varsity players were part of the FLK program. 

       In  2009-10 the Assumption girls varsity basketball team  lead by seniors Sam Thrapp,  Allison Spinas Valinais , Morgan Steffen, Sam Hollunbeck, and Hannah Adams (all former FLK players) again were the MAC conference champions.  For the 7th straight year the Assumption varsity girls were district winners in the State tourney and were playing for the state tourney trophy in Des Moines. The team was fun to watch all year and made it to the elite eight in Des Moines, finishing with a 22-3 record. 

In 2007-08 the varsity AHS girls had a perfect undefeated season (27-0) and won the Iowa State Championship.  All of the girls on the 2007-08 varsity team  had all  gone through the FLK program.

Late Registration is September 9th, 2012 at Assumption High Gym 6:00pm - 8:00pm for all grades. The registration form, consent and other are on the web site. The fee should be payable to "FLK".

Uniform fitting will be at the same time and place.

Skills camps have started and are at AHS gym for 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade on Saturday AM. Coach Paul Venaglia will teach the girls the basics and will be looking for some assistants at the 3rd grade level.

Future Lady Knights has a Facebook.

The summer 2010 season for FLK 

The Summer 2010 8th grade team are 23-8 (74.1%) after 5 tourneys. The 7th grade girls took 2nd place at Carol Stream (5-1) and at Pekin (4-1) and won all of their games (5-0) in Monmouth and played fantastic. The team of Shannon, Riley, Aly, Erin, Madison, Savanah, Ellie, Christine, Katherine and Rachael outplayed each of their opponents in every aspect of the game.  At Monmouth the girls out scored their opponents 213 to 130, out rebounded, had more deflections and steals, and assists, and kept the turnovers low.  The girls played in Pekin twice and won (4-1 and 3-2) out scoring the opponents 166-141 and 211-144. At   Carol Stream Il the team too 2nd place with  5-1 and out scored the other teams 189-110. At the nationals the girls played very well in Bolingbrook Il (nationals for NAYS) going 6-4 and out scored the opponents 326-265. In 5 tourneys the FLK summer team out scored their opposition 1105 to 790 (average per game of 35.6 to 25.5). At Nationals the girls beat all other feeder school teams  and most of the aau type teams (Angels, Rockford, Lady Blues, Bulls elite) and lost only to Bolingbrook Panthers (the 1st place winner) , Pink Ballers (2nd place) and Scorpions (3rd place). These last 3 teams are true aau type teams whose players will not go to the same school and whose players must make their team after try outs. 

At the 8th grade level we looking for great man defense, good up-tempo offense, a lot of points in the transition, motion offense with great eam players and be  " fun to watch"  basketball, just as if they were girls playing at as an Assumption high school player. For example at this level we want good ball rotation, great jam the cutter and help side defense, good shot selection, good shooting at all spots with high percentage of free throw makes, high number of assists,  aggressive pressing defense, high number of steals and deflections, ablity  to read the defense as an  offense player (with the ball or without the ball) and make a play based on what the defense gives, dribble penetration with the ability to score or to pass to the open girl (who then can hit the open shot, including 3 point shots). The girls will play man to man defense, 3 or 4 zone defenses in the half court, 3 or 4 full court defenses, motion offenses, a type of "read & react offense" and 3 or 5 zone offenses. Based on this criteria the girls played at a very good high school level.

The 6th grade FLK team also played in their first tourney at Monmouth College They did well with a 2-3 record. The team played with nearly all of the 20 girls on the team at Monmouth. In the tourneys thereafter the girls played in two equal teams. The FLK 6th grade girls are learning a new system that includes new ways of running a fast break,  new press breakers, a new press, 3 new zone offenses, a motion offense, and man to man defense. For the last 4 tourneys the girls played in two equal groups and combined for 6-4 at pekin, and 3-7 at pekin, and 5-5 at Carol stream, and 10-9 at Bolingbrook Nationals.  At this level we look for improvements that show that a girl will box out, finishing a fast break lay-up, play weakside defense, get a deflection or  steal, jamming cutters, make hard passes and make decisions that evidence what they are taught in practice. The girls are doing very well. 

The FLK skills camp begins in August 2012 at AHS at 8:00AM for the 3rd grade 9:15AM for the 4th grade and 10:35AM for the 5th grade.  

Mallory Youngblut is Assumption girls varsity new head coach. Coach Youngblut was a 2006 AHS graduateand the MAC player of the year and a first-team all-state. She led AHS to three straight state qualifications, earning all-tournament honors her junior year. Mallory went through the FLK program and a three year starter on varsity at Assumption. She's a legend in our baskrtball program. Youngblut completed a successful playing college career at Univ. North Dakota, and is the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Yea. In her last year at U of N. D. she  scored 1,000 points.

The FLK 6th Grade team won Second Place at the summer Nationals (AYBtour) in July 2011. This team is the third FLK team in 11 years to make it to the championship game at nationals.  The girls really came together during the 4 day national event in Bloomington Ill. The roster seemed to change day by day  with 4 girls gone for all or part of the week for family vacation or injury. Therefore the entire team was never really able to play as a unit.  The girls who did play made the needed adjustments on the court game by game. Many of the girls played in many different positions this week.  As players and as a team, the girls evolved and grew. Each girl showed something new and improved in her ability. No girl ever quit. Each girl believed she could win and played like the team should win. As a team and as individuals, the girls proved their heart and ability. All week the girls played smart and hard, so that by the Saturday night when they were seated by the other coaches for single elimination play on Sunday, they had earned their second ranking for the play-off tournament. The team then stepped it up another level on Sunday. The girls silver medal finish and their championship effort over-came numerous obsticles,  such as having only 7 girls available to play in the final series of games and the championship game,  several injuries, illness and being "bone tired". 

Sophie gets the Team (no "I" in Team) Award for persauding her mom and dad to delay the family vacation for one day, so she could play all of the games on Sunday the final day of the competition, and in the championship game.

The 2011 summer FLK 6th grade team of Emma V., Jasmine H., Gabriella O., Sophie VS, Julia H., Nicole T, Steph B., Jamie H., Allison T. Elizabeth F., Abbey H.  are establishing themselves as force.  We , as coaches, have high expectations of the team for this winter season and are excited to get to coach each girl again.

Future Lady Knights Basketball - Summer basketball 2011.

 8th grade (FLK 2010-11) team of

Shannon, Riley, Aly, Madi, Rahael, Ellie, Christine, Katherine and

 Erin did a great  job. We are proud of who these young ladies are,

how they are a team, and how they play basketball. The girls are truely

fun to watch.

The 8th played like the champions these last two weeks. They won the

UNI tourney on Sunday June 26, 2011 against 3 true "aau" type teams.

The Sunday games were excellent basketball games, uptempo, tough defense,

inside out side game and fun to watch. The final game was the best.

Great basketball by 2 excellent teams.

FLK 8th played swarming defense, great rebounding, shot better

 inside & out and won the championship game 35-32 in overtime beating 

 the Des Moines Dragons .

The 8th grade also won the tourney at Monmouth College on June 18-19, 2011,

going 5-0 beating a varisty team, a Jr varsity team, a sophmore/frosh team and 8th grade team.

The team is 10-2 for June 2011.

The FLK 8th grade is 28-7 (as of Feb 1, 2010) (80%)

Champions at Keokuk tourney (3-0)

Champions at North Liberty tourney (3-0)

Champions at Mid-Prairie (2-0)

Champions at Bettendorf Tourney (3-0)

Champions at Baseline Thanksgiving tourney (3-0)

Baseline tourney (2nd place 2-1)

Dubuque tourney (2nd place 3-1)

The FLK 7th grade are 17-15 (as of 2/1/10)

Champions at Mid-Prairie (2-0)

Bettendort Tourney (2nd place 2-1)

Baseline Tourney (2nd place 2-1)

Keokuk tourney (3rd place)

The 8th & 7th grade FLK are featured as the Team of the Month for Janaury 2009 in the Iowa Sports Connection magazine and on its web site.  

The last tourney of the season was the AAU 8th grade tourney at Des Moines. FLK was the only school team in the Final Four and took 4th place. All of the other teams in the final four were the recruited true "aau" type teams, not school teams. The FLK 8th grade girls beat the Dowling Mac 8th grade (43-35) and Xavier (29-21) and Ankeny (50-44) and one of the All Iowa Attack teams (43-29), in one of their best agames all year. In the quarter finals we meet the eventual tourney winner (All Iowa Attack -red) and played them closer than anyone else in the tourney, holding them to only 46 points (most of their other games were in 60-70 pts) and losing by only 23 (the closest of any one in the tourney). The All Iowa Atack, CR Panthers teams and the other similar "aau" teams have recruited players who try out for the travel team and live over 100+ miles from the gym which is the coach's home location. The girls on such teams do not go to the same high school. These type of teams have hand selected players who are selected after try-outs. The girls on those type of teams, travel a long way2+ each week to practice. They pay a thousands of dollars per season to be on teams with their paid coaches.  Nevertheless the FLK teams have been able to compete with such teams year end and year out.  

 In February the 8th grade won the Cedar Rapids Washington tourney 3-0 and the MAYB Oskaloosa tourney 3-0, and the Keokuk toureny 5-0. At Keokuk they played good competition from that area of Iowa and from Missiouri. At Keokuk it five games in one day. Few teams can play that many games and win so beautifully. Each game was a remarkable thing to watch. The girls are understanding the game, improving as players and a s at eam. The seem to be having more and more fun each week.

If the girls continue to improve in high school as they have the past 2 years, they could win another state championship at Assumption. The team is now 52-10 (83.3%) for the 2008-09 winter season and having won 12 of 16 tourneys (& were 2nd in one tourney).

The 7th grade FLK won the Cedar Rapids Washington tourney 3-0 on Feb 7th, and took second place at the Washington Iowa tourney on January 24, 2009, losing by only 1 point in the final seconds to Washington (that purportedly had several 8th graders on it).  This game of at Washington Iowa involved great play and great heart by the girls. The girls rallied from a 6 point deficit with about 4 minutes to play againts the home team that had a loud student cheering section. The 7th grade used its full court press to its advantage in the fourth quarter, and and were up by 5 points with a minute to play. Then two turn overs, a  few phantom fouls and a "camp-out" in the lane allowed this one to slip away in the final seconds. Yet the girls learned some important lessons. You want to be up by 10 points going into the 4th quarter when you are playing the home team in the championship game on their court. "Home court advantage" has a real meaning.  The 7th grade team has been in 9 championship games of the 15 tourneys that they have played, and have won 3, took silver in 5, and bronze in 2 tourneys . 

The team is 34-18 (65.3%) for the 2008-09 winter season and were in  9 championship games of the 15 tourneys.  

ALWAYS BE YOUR BEST!

When you think it doesn’t matter
if you fail or pass the test.
Keep in mind the reason why
you should always be your best.

While the whole world may not notice
if you tried to give your all,
there is a person in you
to whom it matters if you fall.

That little voice inside you -
which directs your thoughts each day -
will make the final judgement
if you won or lost each day.

Never can you fail yourself
if you give it all you’ve got.
The world extends a hand to you
when you give life your best shot.

For all that really matters
when you're finished with your test,
is not the final score at all -
but did you do your best?

- Tom Krause
2004

ALWAYS MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

"I CAN ACCEPT FAILURE, BUT I CAN'T ACCEPT NOT TRYING."....
.......Michael Jordan

The 8th grade girls playing 2009 summer basketball were:  Maddie Irmen, Grace Ambrose, Madeline Frommelt, Danielle Cabel, Sarah Matson, Jamie Miller, Kennedy King. On the injured reserve list was Rose Ripslinger and Elisa Castro.   The girls improved greatly and played in 27 games winning most of their games in the in 4 tourneys and league games played and played at Bloomington Ill. , Pekin Ill. and Davenport Ia.  We look for really good things from this group of 8-10 players in their final fall-winter season with FLK. (See the team photo above)

On the 7th grade summer team were: Madison Smith, Shannon Leon, Erin Jennings, Savannah Moeller, Alyson Coiner, Riley Behan, Catherine Crosby & Cara Mack.  This core group of girls will have a jump ahead of the other FLK players that are expected to return to the team in the fall. The girls played 28 games in 4 tourneys and league games in Bloomiington Il., Pekin Il., and Davenport, Ia.

The Lady Knights are the girls 2A state champions, finishing the year 27-0, and defeating a great opponent, MFL Mar Mac, who was ranked no. 2 by the State at the end of the regular season. In the finals it was the no.1 ranked Assumption Lady Knights against the no. 2 ranked, then undefeated, Mar Mac Bulldogs in the final game on Friday night Feb 29, 2008. In a thrilling defensive oriented game the Knights won 46-27, holding the Bulldogs to the lowest score they had all year. Having been to the state tourney in Des Moines for the past four consecutive years and ending those years at the final four or elete eight level, this year things were to be different. This year the Knights got to the final game, for the second time in school history. This time for the first time in school history, the girls win the championship game and take home the State 2A championship trophy. The girls program has joined the Assumption boys program in expecting to be at state each year and win it.

      This group of girls are a true team. Every girl sacrificed for the good of the whole team. Every girl tried to make her teammate better, and no one seemed to care about "stats". Each girl on the team may have been able to start at any other team in the conference. Indeed some say that the second best team in the MAC this year is the second team on the Knights.

    In the final three games at state, the team lead all schools shooting .458 from the field and scoring an average of 58 points/game

     Seniors Laureen Lybbert and Anne Smith were chosen to the all 2A tourney team. Senior Gabby Binion had a season high, and a school record, for assists. Laurren Lybbert was chosen 1st team All State team. Gabby Binion and Anne Smith were selected to the 2nd team All-State