A few good men

Brett Kratzer is looking for a few good men – 16 and under.
Kratzer, one of the most respected and successful amateur basketball coaches in the metro area, has been contacted to put together a team of 16-under boys basketball players to compete in the 2009 United World Games in Klagenfurt, Austria.
“Initially, I thought this was beyond the scope of my life, but I have decided to at least explore the options,” the Truman High School grad said.
“As you can imagine, many pieces would have to fall into place for this to become a reality. My motivation is the incredible experience this would provide a group of young players - wearing USA across their chests!”
Kratzer, who quips, “I was cut from the freshman team at Truman,” is already exploring the options of putting together a team.
“I have twin sons – Cade and Cory – who are eighth graders at Moreland Ridge in Blue Springs, and it’s all they talk about,” he said.
“But the cost is going to be formidable. We’re going to face a real fund-raising challenge, and I want to make everyone aware of that.”
Kratzer said the team would travel as part of USA Athletes International, which is located in Olathe, Kan.
“The boys would not just be playing basketball,” Kratzer said. “They would have the opportunity to take part in the cultural activities in and around Klagenfurt, like a ride in a gondola and watching a performance of ‘The Sound of Music.’”
Many of the players for the travel team could come from The Legends, a 14-year-old team Kratzer coaches.
“It’s basically made up of  Truman and Blue Springs kids, who would be 15 when we would travel to Austria,” he said. “So we would need some 16 year olds, too. But what we’ll be looking for is the right blend of players, a team with real chemistry.”
All travel details will be coordinated by USA Athletes International.
“I want to get the word out to everyone – especially eighth and ninth grade coaches – that this opportunity is available,” Kratzer said. “I want to be totally honest with everyone – we want this to happen, but we are not at this time that it will. There are a lot of factors, and we are going to explore all of them.”
If anyone is interested in contacting Kratzer about a player or possible sponsorship, send him an e-mail at kratzer5@yahoo.com.