Maine McDonald’s All-Star Weekend continues to be the focal point of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches. This showcase event has grown steadily throughout the years and now includes all-star team practices, a formal awards banquet, and all-star games. Students athletes are recognized for their prowess on the court and in the classroom. Coaches of the year are recognized as well. In recent years, the MABC has established a new award entitled The Spirit of the Game. The award recognized players who have overcome substantial obstacles in their pursuit of their basketball dream. In 2009, CBS Sports feature this award presentation as part of their pre-game show for the men’s final four in Michigan. Jason McElwain, of ESPN fame, was on hand to make the presentations. The award has gone on to become a truly inspirational moment of each year’s banquet.
In 2017, the MABC instituted two new showcase events in addition to Maine McDonald’s AllStar Weekend. The events are held at a small college in Portland, Maine. The top 40 boys and top 40 girls are invited to attend as well as college coaches from the region. Some of Maine’s top high school coaches run the invited players through some basketball drills and then scrimmage games are played. The weekend includes special classroom sessions with former college players who share their own personal college basketball experience. College admissions officers are also on hand to provide feedback for players and their parents. The initial events have received rave reviews. These showcase events are a continued effort by the MABC to place the high school basketball coach back in the center of the players basketball lives.
The Maine Association of Basketball Coaches continues to be active in the Coaches vs. Cancer program. Many schools throughout the state hold games and other events in an effort to help raise money for local families who are struggling with the financial burdens associated with having a family member fighting cancer. Thousands of dollars are raised each year in support of this cause. Many different groups join in the effort. School administrators, teachers and support staff, game officials, and community members all join coaches in making these events successful. Maine basketball coaches and their teams have a long standing tradition of helping those in need within their respective communities. The Coaches vs. Cancer program provides yet another opportunity for Maine high school basketball coaches to showcase their empathy for other and to show that they are about more than simply winning games.
The purpose of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches is to help promote the development of basketball and to make necessary recommendations towards this end to the Maine Principals Association. The MABC also looks to encourage and recognize professional accomplishments through the sponsorship of achievement programs and awards. Awards in the form of certificates and plaques shall be symbolic in nature. Such awards shall be purchased from funds accumulated through the collection of annual membership dues. Most importantly, the MABC continues to work for the betterment of youth by the sponsorship of games and activities where the abilities and talents of youths will be recognized
