"QUALITY OVER QUANTITY".

That was the message Boo Williams preached to me back in the summer of 2008, when I was a young coach helping to put together one of the best 16U teams (which was considered 17U back then) to ever come through the storied Boo Williams Summer League Program.

It was the inaugural year of the Sportsplex. Boo pulled me aside for one of our many quick, direct, but extremely meaningful conversations:

"Over here, we don't need a lot of people — we need the right people."

That lesson has stuck with me for 17+ years.

Fast forward to this past weekend...
To see what’s happening to an event that served the Hampton community — and meant so much to all of us in grassroots basketball — is heartbreaking.

This weekend wasn't about Quality. It was about Quantity.
And that’s no shot at the EYCL teams — some of them can beat EYBL teams. This was about killing the essence of what made opening weekend in Hampton so special.

It didn't feel like Boo.
Not in Hampton.
Not in Phoenix.

Most of the coaches I talked to felt like it was a waste of time.
Parents felt the same way.
The energy was off.

Other leagues across the country didn’t separate their divisions — they allowed coaches, media, and fans to evaluate the entire league and build excitement for what’s to come. That’s what made it different. That's what made it great.

This past weekend? It felt like just another regional event... hyped up, but hollow.
And when there's no complaints about the fish being sold out in Hampton? You know something’s off.

The community had resources. Before the Sportsplex, the community hosted the Boo Williams Invitational — where elder statesmen still tell stories about when you had to show and prove — not chase clout on an IG clip.

Yes, making money is important.
But not at the expense of the soul of what made this league legendary.

This was supposed to be different.
This was supposed to be Boo.