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Best of the 757 returns for biggest year yet

The Best of 757 Website 
LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE!
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With a storied history of producing some of the nation's top athletes in all
sports including Justin Upton, David Wright and Michael Cuddyer in baseball,
Percy Harvin, Jerod Mayo, and Dre Bly in football, and Allen Iverson, Joe Smith
and Alonzo Mourning in basketball along with countless others, there's little
doubt that the 757 area code (aka the Tidewater region) has earned its
reputation as one of the best recruiting hotbeds in the nation and
VirginiaPreps.com is proud to announce that they will join The Best of the 757,
Boo Williams Sports Complex and 7 Cities Sports to showcase high school athletes
in the area in a series of sport-specific combines and camps.
"It was a natural fit for us," says VirginiaPreps.com publisher Zirkle Blakey,
"because we are always on the lookout for the next great athlete, the rising
stars and the under-seen sleeper prospects and these events will give us an
opportunity to gather all three in one spot. We couldn't be more excited
about being involved in this project."
On Saturday, April 17th at Old Dominion University, the Baseball Showcase
will feature athletic testing including the 60-yard dash, agility shuttle,
vertical jump and bench press along with a baseball skills challenge.
Adding to the exposure of the camp, both pro and college scouts will be invited
and welcomed to attend.
"The is the first time that VirginiaPreps.com has gotten involved in a
baseball-related combine and we're very happy to help bring some added exposure
to a sport that is often overlooked at the high school level. There's not
a doubt in my mind that we will find some outstanding talent on the diamond,"
says Blakey.
The second showcase event will bring together football players from around
the region at Christopher Newport University to test the athletes in the 40-yard
dash, agility shuttle, vertical jump and bench press along with a football
skills session on May 22nd.
Football editor Rod Johnson believes that this could be the highlight combine
of the state. "Even with our rather extensive coverage of the Eastern
Region, it's still difficult to see all of the top notch players in the area so
when we saw an opportunity to bring them all together at one place for a low
cost to the kids, it was an event that we had to get involved with right away."
Finally, on September 18th at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, a
Basketball Showcase will be conducted consisting of athletic testing in the
40-yard dash, agility shuttle, vertical jump and bench press along with a
basketball skills challenge.
"Once again, this is the first time that we've been able to be a part of such
a unique event," says Blakey, "and the opportunity to see the region's best come
together in such an outstanding facility made the call a no-brainer for us."
To register for any of the three showcases, prospects should visit the
www.BESTOFTHE757.com website where all
showcase specific information can be found.
Best of 757 Coordinator John Cunningham expressed his
enthusiasm for the events as well. "Our goal since year one has been to
make the Best of the 757 a fun but competitive event for high school student
athletes in the 757. There is a very rich athletic tradition in the 757, and we
are excited to partner with VirginiaPreps.com, 7 Cities Sports and the Boo
Williams Sportsplex on the 2010 Best of the 757 Showcase Series. We are also
very appreciative of our local community partners, such as Tidewater Physical
Therapy, TowneBank, Cox Channel 11, ODU, CNU and the US Military Branches, who
help support the event and our local 757 athletes."
7 Cities Manager Tim Hummel, himself a former pro baseball
player, echoed the Cunningham's sentiments, "7 Cities Sports; Michael, BJ,
Justin, and myself, is excited to team up with the Best of the 757,
VirginiaPreps.com, and the Boo Williams Sportsplex for the 2010 Best of the 757
Showcase Series. This is a wonderful opportunity for high school athletes to
get coveted exposure for their skills. 7 Cities Sports strives to give young
athletes the best opportunities to reach the next level. In this case, the
opportunity to get in front of coaches and scouts will assist them in achieving
their goals of participating in collegiate or professional sports."
Who is truly the Best of the 757 athletes? Test yourself at one of
these three showcase events to see if it might be you.
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