IT'S PRYME TYME
Fuzionz: Tell us a little about Pryme Tyme and when you started it, just to give our readers some insight.
PT: Pryme Tyme is a youth organization that I started in 1992. Its original name was The Southside Boys. I started with one team and we have grown to as many as 11 teams. We have helped over 100 kids to get into college, as well as having a 100% success rate from youth graduating high school and a 77% rate of kids from college.
Fuzionz: Since our last interview, can you give us an update on the current status of Pryme Tyme?
PT: We are now at 6 teams 10u, 11u, 12u, 14u, 16u, 17u, all boy’s teams and one brother team (Rockford 5-0), run by my cousin, Joe Danforth. We are still playing in leagues and tournaments. Our 17u team finished the summer 32-5, and winning 3 Championships. We also were invited to play in the Prestigious PrimeTime Nationals in Dallas Tx, but did not have enough funds to go, so we went to a tournament nearby in Merrillville, IN
Fuzionz: When do you anticipate on having the annual Pryme Tyme reunion?
PT: We aimed for this August because of the schedule of former players Fred VanVleet (Wichita State) and Marcus Posley (St. Bonaventure). They are both busy with work outs and camps as their careers are growing more and more, but we will have a big one next May.
Fuzionz: Tell us about the reunion and when and why you started it.
PT: The reunion was started 4 years ago because of the debate which was the best Pryme Tyme team that I had coached, was the better team between the class of 2000, our first ever team to win a national title, or was it the 2012 class national champions which 2012 beat them 2x in a row. Plus, it was good to get everyone back together at least one weekend out the year, for old times and for all the younger kids to sit and hear the stories of old about games and fun times. It makes me feel good to see all of them come back and laugh and joke about old times. That was the reason I started this. I wanted to have youth have a second home, a second family, travel, learn life lessons and be able to look back years later and smile.
Fuzionz: Have you made any recent changes to Pryme Tyme?
PT: As of now we don’t have any girl’s teams and Gerry Ford, Lynn Zachery, Nick Zackery, Chey Gaines, Ryan Raddle, Will Embery, Jason Davenport, Ameer Watts and Lucio Flores are all coaching now. Rick Cobb is website manager, Joe Danforth is in charge of training and Antoine Pittman Sr. is Parent lead. They all do a great job since I know live in Detroit, MI because I needed time to come and be with my immediate family, but I still go back to Rockford, IL at least once a month.
Fuzionz: Can you give us the status of what some of your past players are doing now or where they are?
PT: Ameer Watts - coaching PT, graduated from Missouri Southern and working with youth with the YMCA.
Shelton McClure - graduated from Central Arkansas, coaching youth, works at Chase Bank.
Dustin Eklund - graduated from Trinity International, works with a radio station and coaches.
Tony Evans - graduated from Southern University, ran a successful girls program and now works as an insurance agent.
Frank Richards- graduated from Kansas State, works as a youth probation officer.
Jalesa Watkins - graduated from Howard University Spring 2014
Fuzionz Magazine and TV revisited Pryme Tyme to take another sneak preview to find out the latest update on the teams since we last spoke to Coach "Doc" Cornell.
Fuzionz Magazine and TV 36