Venom Sports Newsletter

Dear Parents, Players, and Coaches,

On behalf of Venom Sports and Acie Earl, I'd like to thank everyone involved in making Venom Sports' first year of personal training a major success. Due to the magnitude of kids trained by Venom Sports, Acie has started a newsletter by mail and e-mail to inform parents about different issues, costs, and information as situations arise. Please take the time to read it. Acie would like to personally thank several primary individuals for making Venom Sports a reality over the past year.

• The Wenstrom family's son, Brice, who was a 7th grader at a private Christian school for being Venom's 1st trainee last March '06.
• Venom would like to thank the Bahmer family and Mr.Bahmer for stopping Acie one day in the Field House and asking him to personally train his son TJ who was an 8th grader at South East last spring of '05.
• Michelle Gehrke who stopped Acie after she witnessed a training session at The University of Iowa's Field House of Acie and other kids and inquired about Acie training her daughter Jessica's traveling team--the Coralville/Iowa City 8th grade Comets in fall of '05. Also for emailing the Comet parents when I'm back in town.
• Coach George Hollander and Coach Rob of the Coralville Comets for welcoming Acie to train and coach the Comets as a team and individually throughout the year. Coach George also walked Acie to meet with Coach McDermott of Iowa City West High about conducting the open gym program during the summer. Also George's wife Susan for e-mailing parents when Acie is back home.
• The Rockford Ambassador AAU coach and The Patriot Gateway Center board member Reggie Biffle for allowing Acie to train kids at Patriot Gateway Center throughout the year in Rockford.
• Hilda Dawson for enrolling her son Andre and being Venom's first Cedar Rapids trainee and encouraging two other Cedar Rapids kids to be involved with Venom Sports.
• Robin Busekros for encouraging the Wildcats (Flodine Boys-Girls Club, 6-8pm, Fridays through August) and putting together multiple kid groups for Acie to train in Rockford in Rockford in the summer of 06.
• St. Booker for enrolling son Seth who was the 1st Rockford child in Oct. of 05.
• Rockford Wildcats director Chuck Lyndam who has allowed Acie to use Flodine boys and girls club in Rockford Illinois to train kids on Fridays from 6-8pm. All Rockford Belvidere kids are invited. Individual per session child fees are $25 for 2 hours. This will start after June 2nd, 2006 and go for 9 Fridays through August 4th.. Special thanks to Pat Rushing - daughter Laura for pushing this. 1 on 1sessions are available from 5-6 pm for $20.
• Coach Bill Zonzo and Carlos of the Belvidere YMCA for putting together numerous groups for Acie to train throughout the year. Coach Zonzo and Acie have confirmed four day 3 hour per day mini camps, held in Belvidere in the summer (July 17-21 2006). For kids who have trained with Coach Earl through the year, the cost for the camp is $60, and normal walk in cost is $125. Coach Zonzo also has secured gym time for Belvidere kids to work with Acie 3-4 pm every Friday at Belvidere Y for individual fundamental training. All Rockford kids are invited as well; cost is $20 per session though August 4th.
• Acie would also like to thank all Coralville, Iowa City, and Rockford parents for being patient and understanding while Acie was coaching the Rockford Lighting in Rockford, Illinois this past season. The Lightning were able to achieve the 3rd best regular season record in the league. The Rockford Lightning achieved many accomplishments this season, which included: producing the league's rookie of the year, Roger Powell Jr.; producing four all-stars to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team; and producing the league's defensive player of the year, 7-foot center Kenyon Gamble. Without your patience, Acie would not have been able to train Rockford and Iowa City/Coralville kids and complete all of his tasks with the Rockford Lightning.
• Acie's brother Dorian [Development] www.ball247.com for putting together groups in the Quad Cities for any kids who want to work out. Friday's 9am-11pm at Bettendorph, IA YMCA, Saturday's from 10am-3pm and Sunday's 12-4pm through August. Coach Earl also consults a 16 and under AAU team on Sunday's in Moline composed of Quad City kid's.

Acie was named head coach in the WBA for the Cleveland Tennessee Magic starting April 15, 2006. Currently Acie will resume basketball training after May 14, 2006 thru Fall (September) 2006 in the Iowa City, Quad City, and Rockford areas.

Due to Venom Sports new liability insurance policy and some local gyms putting pressure on Acie to pay for gym time to train kids, player fees have increased. Unfortunately, fees will be increased as follows:

*Some of you have already received the fee increase for Spring 2006 and if you already experienced the fee increase, your fees will stay the same until the Fall 2006. Again, Acie regrets having to increase fees but due to these unforeseen additional costs, Acie must increase his fees $2-$3 or more per hour. If you have questions about the new fees, please see Acie for clarification. Again any parent can pre pay 10 sessions at 1 time for about a per session price discount of $2-$4. See Coach Earl for details [the pre-paid sessions will never expire as you and Coach Earl will keep track of sessions used and not used.]

Acie and Venom Sports are contemplating on building their own 6 basket multiple court facility within the next year, in the Iowa City area. Acie's primary thought is for all Iowa City, Coralville and surrounding areas to have a separate training facility, free of any high school or Jr. high or traveling team alliances. This way each kid and team can shoot and practice free of any school, team discrimination and affiiliation.

If this plan sounds good to you as a parent please fill out Venom's Question Survey to give Venom a better understanding of what your child's needs, wants, and ideal costs are as a parent. Also, you can invest in the gym and your child will receive monthly club dues to the gym or your child can get a lifetime membership to the gym. Acie welcomes all suggestions and thoughts. Acie believes that every child from any school or traveling team deserves training and is against the motto of discriminating in any area/location, travel team, or who their coach was growing up. Having an independent gym that is available to all kids will also help to alleviate this ever growing problem.

I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this letter and for forwarding it to coaches and or parents. Feel free to e-mail Acie about any concerns that you may have, such as fees, misspelled names, addresses, e-mail address etc. Also, please feel free to provide additional e-mails of parents or coaches who might benefit from this letter. Again, our intention is to send letters every 2 or 3 months as basketball news occur. Feel free to e-mail any award accolades that your child may have received over the past year for recognition in one of our upcoming future newsletters. Please e-mail yor pictures with Coach Earl and your personal stories about how you and your child is progressing and/or progressed with Coach Earl's training tobe added to the photogallery page on the new website www.venomsportstraining.com.

*Special shout out and congratulations to Nikki Fleck who is currently a 12th grader who played for Regina High. She has signed a letter of intent to Winona State College in Minnesota/D11.
*Special shout out to Katie, Nikki's teammate from Regina who will play basketball for Loras College/D111 in the fall.

*Special Venom merchandise sale for the Summer\ any Acie Earl Iowa Hawkeye poster only 25 cents. Acie also through his younger brother's training company, Development, www.ball247.com, sells the Big Ball, Weighted Ball, Dribble Goggles and the Blocking Pad. See Acie if you want to order any of these training items for your child.

Acie would like as much information before he commences the building a permanent training facility. All information given is only used for that purpose. For better understanding on what parents can pay, are willing to pay, and what they won't pay for their child's improvement.