User:Sbagnell/wikidraft
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| League | ABA |
| Team history | Florida Thundercats (2009-present) |
| Based in | Leesburg, Florida |
| Arena | Everett A. Kelly Convocation Center, Lake-Sumter State College |
| Colors | Pale blue, black, white |
| Owner | Kevin Simmons |
| Head coach | Kevin Simmons |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division titles | 0 |
| Dancers | Lady Thundercats |
The Florida Thundercats were a basketball team based in Leesburg, Florida. They played in the new American Basketball Association from 2009 to 2011. They played their home games at Everett A. Kelly Convocation Center on the campus of Lake-Sumter Community College.
The Thundercats were founded in 2009 by Kevin Simmons, and originally intended to join the ABA for the 2010–2011 season. However, the league was so impressed with Simmon's progress that they approved his request to play some games in the 2009–2010 season, beginning in December 2009.[1] The 2010–2011 season was shaky for the Thundercats, who missed many of their games and eventually suspended operations. They were subsequently removed from the league's team list.[2]
Being a semi pro athlete in the ABA (American Basketball Association)
Being an athlete in the ABA (American Basketball Association has its dilemmas. First there is a fee of $75 to try out for an ABA team and if you make the team the salary isn't as good either. The average salary of an ABA athlete ranges from $75-200 per game. Living life on a low salary can take a toll on a semi pro athlete and can effect athletes mentally and physically.[3]
Reason for that dilemma is because semi-pro athletes have to sometimes work regular jobs during the week and still have to commute to games, training camps, and practices. In most cases since travel is such a problem ABA teams would have to cancel a game or sometimes a whole season because they don't have enough money to pay for expenses of travel, which is precisely what happened to the Florida Thundercats.
Public Opinion on ABA
Some people appreciate the ABA coming back while others criticize it. The ABA now is not what it used to be and seems more of a gimmick compared to its predecessor from the 60's & 70's. For instance there shots from half court or beyond are worth 4 points and if the ABA 3-D light is on the shots are worth 5 points. The light only comes on when the team with the ball gets a turnover or violation.[4]
Everything sounds crazy, unorthodox and unnecessary much like when the three-point shot was introduced. According to the ABA CEO Chief Executive Joe Newman he thinks that it brings flexibility to the ABA which gives off its charm to spectators.
Joe Newman introduces the new ABA (American Basketball Association)
Joe Newman met with the Dick Tinkham and worked together to bring back the ABA. Both men wanted to make the league to be diverse in ownership and management, make it fast and up beat with different rules and attract the public's attention. The league would start with eight teams: Detroit Dogs, Hampton Roads, Chicago Skyliners, Kansas City Knights, Los Angeles Stars, Memphis Houn’ Dawgs, Jacksonville Jackels, Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs. Teams could join the league by paying a franchise fee of $1. Franchises still have to keep in mind the responsibility of paying players and manage the operating budget. When asked what he'd hoped to achieve from the ABA, he said, “Our goal is to provide fan friendly, affordable, exciting professional basketball. We think we are doing that.”[5]
Newman in the years prior to reestablished ABA (American Basketball Association) more teams would join the league to take their chances in the ABA much like the Florida Thundercats that were introduced in 2009.
Thundercats storming in
The Thundercats were introduced in 2009 which was a very late entry but the really the target date of their first season was supposed to be 2010. Since Kevin Simmons (founder) made an effort to get the team together in nearly a year he asked to play games during the current season. Try-outs for the Florida Thundercats were on October 3rd, 2009 and by December 4th or 5th of 2009 the Thundercats would start their 30-game inaugural season in the southwest division of the ABA with Orlando, FL., Atlanta, Ga., Charlotte, N.C., College Park, Calif., Columbus, Ga., Knoxville, Tenn., Nashville, and Savannah, Ga.[6]
When the Thundercats made their home debut of the season it was at Lake-Sumter Community College's Everett Kelly Convocation Center which was made their home floor. Simmons and LSCC Athletic Director Mike Matulia emailed constantly prior to making the gym the Thundercats home gym. Simmons was ecstatic about the new home for the Thundercats and expressed gratitude towards Matulia, “Mike Matulia has been very gracious in helping us get this team off the ground…He has been a friend to the sporting public in Lake and Sumter County for many years and we're so grateful that he has stepped up to provide the Thundercats with a home court…Many years from now, when people talk about the history of the Thundercats, both he and LSCC will deserve to hold a prominent place in those discussions”.[7]
Owner Kevin Simmons
Kevin Simmons is an alumnus of the University of North Alabama who he used to play basketball for and won a championship in the 1991 NCAA Division II national championship. Simmons wanted to bring that championship mindset to semi- pro basketball in Lake County with the Florida Thundercats. Reasons behind forming the Thundercats Simmons stated, “I have always been a basketball guy and have decided to pursue a lifelong dream of mine… I thought this would be a good opportunity to get this thing started.”[8]
Simmons interviewed coaching candidates for the head coaching position on the team. He would eventually become acting coach of the team. In High Hopes for the Florida Thundercats Simmons declares, “Our goal is to compete for a Southeast Division championship this season”.[9]
Simmons expressed negative thoughts towards the cost of travel in the ABA which would eventually be the team's demise because in the 2010–2011 season the Thundercats missed too many games and had to suspend all operations, eventually they were removed from the ABA's team list.
References
- ^ http://www.dailycommercial.com/819aba
- ^ http://abalive.com/southeast/
- ^ McLinn, A.J. “Semi-Professional Basketball: The Stories of Players Just Looking For a Shot.” Bleacher Report. Accessed January 26, 2015. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/451501-semi-professional-basketball-the-stories-of-players-just-looking-for-a-shot.
- ^ Pilon, Mary. “The New A.B.A. Is a Quirky, Chaotic League.” The New York Times, April 13, 2013, sec. Sports / Pro Basketball. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/sports/basketball/the-new-aba-is-a-quirky-chaotic-league.html.
- ^ Corey, Clint. “An Interview with Joe Newman - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News,” January 14, 2002. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2708734.
- ^ Jolley, Frank. “Thundercats Ready to Go to Work.” The Daily Commercial, March 18, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318054624/http://www.dailycommercial.com/819aba.
- ^ Jolley, Frank. “Thundercats Ready to Go to Work.” The Daily Commercial, March 18, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318054624/http://www.dailycommercial.com/819aba.
- ^ Williams, Joe. “Former Collegiate Player Simmons to Lead Semi-pro Hoops Team.” Orlando Sentinel, March 18, 2009. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-03-18/news/lhoops18_1_thundercats-simmons-semi-pro-basketball.
- ^ Jolley, Frank. “Thundercats Ready to Go to Work.” The Daily Commercial, March 18, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318054624/http://www.dailycommercial.com/819aba.
Category:American Basketball Association (2000–present) teams Category:Basketball teams in Florida Category:Leesburg, Florida
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