Dear aspiring basketball players,
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My name is Coach King, Owner and Head Coach of the Florida Flight. You've likely come to this page out of an interest in playing for the Florida Flight, Orlando's premier minor league professional basketball team. Allow me to offer you an honest word regarding your journey, while also welcoming you to the future of basketball career development.
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I know first-hand how hard it is to find an opportunity to grow as a basketball player. I fought and failed to find an opportunity to play in high school. I took a leap of faith to push my way onto the University of Pikeville (NAIA I) team in college as a walk-on. Despite playing only 1 varsity game, I still managed, yet again, to make my way into a paid professional basketball opportunity with the now defunct East Kentucky Miners of the old Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
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All of those experiences are the reasons why I started the Florida Flight in 2010. Poor league leadership led me to partner with a great group of like-minded individuals to launch the Florida Basketball Association (FBA) in 2012. Simply put, there just aren't enough honest, legitimate playing opportunities here in our country for the vastly growing pool of talent, and we wanted to do something about it.
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I've been in the minor league professional basketball industry since 2003, and the one thing that has frustrated me most is seeing all of the player camps, combines and tryouts that are held year after year. Unfortunately, despite the astronomical fees that are often charged, most of them offer very little in return for the players that attend. Short-term events of this nature do very little to provide valuable information, feedback, and critique that generate real building blocks for players to learn and to grow their game.
Playing professionally of course requires a certain level of athletic ability, but much of a player's game performance is reliant upon basketball IQ. I understand (and you should, too) that MOST OF THE PLAYERS PLAYING THIS LEVEL OF BASKETBALL WILL NOT FIND THEIR WAY TO THE NBA. Nevertheless, I also know that sports is a universal language, and a solid platform exists that can be used to make significant contributions to society. I also believe that God is the giver of gifts, talents, passion and abilities. Part of my calling in life is to provide a platform for players with exceptional basketball passion and talent where they can utilize the platform of professional basketball to invest in the lives of others. These players shouldn't be limited to playing the game they love in empty parks and recreation leagues after college because they didn't get to play in the NBA.
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I'm extremely proud of what we've created here in Orlando with the Florida Flight. There have been countless minor league professional basketball teams that have attempted to call Orlando home. We've been here for almost a decade, doing exactly what we've said we would do from day 1: Provide playing opportunities, exposure and development for players who share a special love and talent for the game of basketball. Several of our players have gone on to play internationally. Many of our players simply enjoy the opportunity to continue playing high quality basketball after college. All of our players become role models and change agents in our community, as we devote a significant amount of time giving back and inspiring those who follow us.
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​Now...to the point. We will no longer be holding 1-2 day tryouts for the Florida Flight. Instead, we will host a regular weekly opportunity appropriately titled Flight School! Flight School will provide a platform where players can honestly and effectively learn what it takes to be a professional basketball player. We'll spend time on both individual and team skill development, strength and conditioning drills, in-game concepts and strategy, and offensive and defensive play-making and execution. We will also host several short, competitive games where players will have an opportunity to put those things to the test in a live, game-action setting.
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The cost? You'll be hard-pressed to find a better opportunity with a quality, reputable team like ours in the entire country. We have multiple options to accommodate everyone. Pay $10 for each Flight School day, or save some money and pay $25 for a monthly pass. All you need is a membership at 24 Hour Fitness, our exclusive training facility partner, and we can even help you with that.
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It's my opinion, based on my own experiences, that the ability to work hard is one of the most overlooked and under-rated talents that a player can have. Real dreams shouldn't be a matter of if, but a matter of when. It is my sincerest hope that Flight School provides a real outlet for players with a strong desire to work hard and play at the highest competitive level. Stop paying outrageous fees for exposure camps and tryouts. Come get your money's worth and grow your career with one of the most reputable minor league basketball teams in the nation providing real growth and value for players.
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Thank you for your interest. I look forward to partnering with you as we work hard to make the most of what God has given you not only as a basketball player, but also as a person!
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Sincerely,
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Coach King