Beauty of the league: Coach Joe Giddens' summer basketball league at Mainland High gives boys, girls an opportunity to prepare and get competitive

In June, Mainland becomes the hub of basketball activity for area high school and middle school players.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 3:00 p.m. June 19, 2025
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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Joe Giddens’ summer basketball league is back in action at Mainland High School's Vince Carter Athletic Center. In his seventh year organizing the event, the Mainland boys basketball coach has brought back girls teams and, for the first time, has added a middle school league.

Giddens also coaches the Hinson Middle School Hurricanes basketball team. This year they won the Volusia County championship for the first time in school history. He said after seeing all the talent at that age level, he wanted to start a league for them and discussed it with Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry.

“With me coaching middle school, we won the championship and I saw a lot of good sixth and seventh graders — even guys going from fifth to sixth grade,” he said. “I really wished I could do a middle school league. I had a vision and talked with Mayor Henry. We just said, ‘let’s do it.’”

He set up the league to include girls and boys going into sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Giddens held a draft and followed up with team rosters.

Girls’ teams were part of the summer league when Brandon Stewart coached Mainland's girls basketball team prior to accepting a similar position at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in 2024. Zykia McNair was his assistant coach and took over as head coach last season. She said she and Giddens mutually decided to add the girls back to the summer league schedule even before she got the job.

“If I got the job, we were going to get connected even more with the community and start hosting events,” she said. “And, of course, on the business side we need to do what we have to do to make money for our program.”

She said that during her interviews for the coaching position she expressed concern that the team had become disconnected from the community and thought bringing back the summer league for girls would nurture that connection.

“I want to keep it pumping,” she said about game attendance. “I remember when we had games at Mainland — the bleachers were filled. I want to get back to that. It’s important for us to be connected with everybody and be connected to the community.”

McNair said summer basketball is for the community but, for her, it is also personal and about making a statement. She said this is the year of redemption and her team is definitely going to be a challenge for teams this upcoming season.

Returning players for the Mainland girls team next season include rising sophomores Brooklin Cooper and Tanaijah Martin and rising senior Natalie Williams. McNair said all have shown leadership qualities this summer.

Giddens said his league is a good place for coaches to see the talent before the season starts and for players to face a variety of competitive teams. This year, girls teams travel from Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Flagler County, Port Orange, Sanford for the summer league.

Boys teams play on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Calvary Christian, Deltona, Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Matanzas, Pedro Menendez, Pine Ridge and Seabreeze play games on Thursday, June 12. 

Seabreeze defeated Calvary Christian 39-27, then immediately played again, winning against Deltona. Seabreeze head coach Ray Gaines said the players who won today were the first-year varsity players who were ‘thrown into the fire’ last year after four seniors transferred.

“What we talk about all the time is just playing hard and competing,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is simulate a regular season. We're trying to get them to compete at a high level and that’s why they won today. They’re competing.”

Gaines said their goal was to win 16 of 23 games. They are currently 10-3 for the summer and the games they lost have been close.

“I’m just super proud of how hard they play,” he said. “I told them we have a special team; we just have to learn how to compete. No matter who their opponent is out here, we have to play at a certain level so we treat every game like it’s a state championship game.”

Gaines said Jeremiah Outler does everything for the Sandcrabs, filling out the stat sheet in rebounds, points, blocked shots and steals. Outler is a rising junior. He said he did not start playing basketball until eighth grade.

“Seeing the court comes naturally to me — even my dad is surprised by this,” he said. “I think this league is really good. You can show what you got and compete until the regular season comes when you really show what you have. The benefit (of the league) is you get better every day.”

Mainland alley-ooped its way to a 86-45 win over Pine Ridge without its top five guys. The young team, comprised of rising freshmen, sophomores and juniors, were led by assistant coach, Jalen Reuss, 23, who began coaching with the Buccaneers last season.

“Half the team was middle schoolers and the other half were transfers,” he said of the summer league team. “I think we pose a lot of threats. I think as long as we stay composed and continue to be ourselves and have fun, it’s going to be hard for a lot of teams to match what we have.”

Reuss, a math teacher at DeLand High School, said he brings a lot of energy, youth and collegiate-level playing experience to the team.

“Being able to share my experiences with guys who are truthfully more talented than I was at their age, I think it changes things a lot for them,” he said.

Combo guard Ethan Figueroa said the Bucs always practice hard and bring that intensity to the games.

“I love playing this game. I love playing it with my brothers on the court,” he said. “As long as I can keep playing this game after this league and stay healthy, it will mean the world to me.”

County rivals Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas were the final matchup of the night. In a flurry of flagrant fouls, steals, blocks and dunks, the Bulldogs reigned over the Pirates with a 51-49 win.

Matanzas assistant coach Travis Boone said prior to the game, he told his players not to focus on the rivalry factor but to work on getting better as a team and to understand the offense being implemented this year.

“Teaching them how to get out and run the lanes the right way and be able to find the open teammate is what we’re trying to do,” Boone said. “I’m preaching this summer and all year: pass up a good shot for a great shot.”

Boone said he is appreciative of the summer league because it is a good time to give all his players court experience. 

“Coach Eric (Guerrero) and I are trying to build a program where there’s no (letdown) in whoever we put on the floor,” he said. “So when we take one kid out and put another one in, we don’t skip a beat. They all know their roles and what they’re supposed to do per position.”

Giddens said the beauty of the league is that it keeps kids out of trouble.

“It’s a lot on me, but it’s worth it,” he said. “If I can change one or two kids’ lives and keep kids off the streets by playing sports, I’m going to do it. Someone did it for me, I’m just returning the favor.”

 

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