EXECUTIVE BOARD

Bill Reinking - Executive Director

Bill, the Executive Director, and a native of the Pacific Northwest having graduated from Interlake High in Bellevue, WA, and the University of Oregon.  Bill founded Head2Head Sports in 1994 and oversaw the management of hundreds of football, baseball, basketball leagues and live events. He understands the necessary detail and hard work that goes into managing a league and maintaining the associated standings, rosters, and schedules. Bill and the Executive Board created State Basketball Championship to answer the many challenges faced by middle school leagues and their volunteers.

Several years ago, Bill also coached a middle school traveling team for the Summit High School (Bend, OR) feeder program. After experiencing success at a few weekend tournaments, Bill and coaches from competing teams discussed the idea of staging an annual State tournament for the top youth league and tournament finishers. The result was a sold-out 2013 Oregon Middle School Basketball Championship which serves as a model and now drives multiple State Championships across the U.S.

The State concept was initially born when Bill's son played in the 2011-12 year old Oregon State Little League All-Stars Tournament. Teams from every corner of the state converged to battle for the title. It was a true 'state' event, as coaches, parents and players shared many stories of their district play and their exciting journeys to State. The tournament will be a lifelong memory for all of the kids and Bill aims to provide a similar experience for youth hoopers.

Bradley Laubacher - Tournament Director

Bradley manages the many internal 'behind the scenes' SBC processes that guide the organization as well as serving as the Tournament Director for the Pennsylvania State Tournament. Bradley attended the University of Oregon where he was a high jumper and 4x400 runner for the highly rated Ducks Track and Field Team.  During his career, the team won three Indoor and two Outdoor National Championships in addition to four straight Pac-12 Conference Titles. Bradley was named first team All-Conference in the high jump twice and five times was named to the All-Pac 12 academic team. Upon graduation Bradley was awarded with the Pac-12 post graduate scholarship which he used to attend Northwest Christian University and pursue his Masters in Teaching. While in graduate school Bradley used his final year of college eligibility to play basketball for the NCU Beacons. Bradley finished the year as the team Defensive MVP while helping his team win its second straight conference title and advance to the NAIA Sweet Sixteen at the National Tournament. During his summers, Bradley volunteers as a local high school JV coach and serves as camp director at several youth  camps.

Andy Siverly - Tournament Director

Andy is Tournament Director of the Oregon and Washington State Basketball Championships.  Prior to joining SBC, Andy worked for the athletic department staff at Oregon Tech, where he was an Assistant Basketball Coach, game operations staff, and in charge of PE course scheduling.  As a former collegiate basketball player, Andy had the opportunity to compete for Oregon Tech and Danny Miles, the former legendary Men's Basketball Coach, who amassed over 1000 wins in his coaching career.  Andy was a member of the 2008 NAIA National Championship squad at Oregon Tech, in addition to teams that earned multiple Cascade Collegiate Conference Titles, and NAIA Sweet 16 appearances.  During his 2 seasons in uniform, Tech never lost a game at home.  He finished his degree in Management in 2011.

Upon completing his undergraduate degree and playing career, Andy obtained his Master’s Degree in Sport Management at the University of San Francisco, which was highlighted by a season serving as a Graduate Assistant for the NCAA DI University of San Francisco Men’s Basketball team in 2014.  During his time in the Bay Area, he also coached at the junior college level, in addition to working camps and clinics with the Golden State Warriors Youth Basketball Program.

During the summer months, Andy is typically traveling up and down the west coast with his  wife, son, and newborn daughter.  He is very grateful for the places and people the game has connected him with.    

Kaimen Slay - Tournament Director

Kaimen is the Tournament Director for State Basketball Championships in Michigan, Missouri, and Indiana.  A native of Tucson, Arizona, Kaimen graduated from Fairfax High School in Phoenix, where his team earned the school’s first-ever State Championship in 2011. He subsequently played college basketball for Arizona Christian University in Phoenix, and Waldorf University in Iowa. During his time at Waldorf, he was the starting Point Guard and he played alongside several All-Americans to help Waldorf earn their highest national ranking in school history.

Kaimen’s passion for basketball has continued on in his professional career. Prior to joining SBC, he served as Sports Director at the Valley of the Sun YMCA, where he launched several sports programs, camps, and events, and achieved a 100% increase in basketball program participation. He has also coached a variety of youth basketball teams, ranging from Pre-K to 8th graders.

Kaimen received a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Marketing from Waldorf University in 2017. He currently is a proud South Phoenix resident with his wife, Jackie, and their three children, Dante, Kaidence, and Jailen. 

Connor Brannon - Tournament Director

Connor is our dedicated Hiring and Events Manager and Tournament Director for Kansas. Growing up in the northwest city of Portland, Oregon, Connor's passion for sport and community runs deep. In 2018, he graduated from Washington State University, majoring in Sport Management with a minor in digital communications. 

Connor served on the athletic marketing staff for both football and baseball at WSU where he helped contribute to the success of the programs.  Upon graduating, he embarked on a rewarding internship at Portland Community College, where he took on numerous responsibilities. From orchestrating in-game promotions to organizing student-athlete fundraisers and securing sponsorships, he proved to be a versatile asset to the college's athletic department. 

In 2019, Connor joined SBC as a State Representative, bringing his enthusiasm and knowledge  to the table. For three seasons, he showcased his commitment to the growth and development of our organization, making a positive impact on young athletes' lives. 

Driven by a desire for new adventures, Connor made the leap to Arizona in 2022 to become a full-time member of our organization. Not only does he bring his expertise to the table, but he also embraces the Valley of the Sun's vibrant community and all it has to offer.  

With his warm demeanor and education, Connor is an invaluable member of our team, committed to making a positive impact on the lives of young athletes. 

Chase Gardiner - Tournament Director

Chase is the Tournament Director for Heartland States, Great Lakes States and Arizona. Chase grew up in Prescott Valley where he attended Bradshaw Mountain High School. He continued his studies at Grand Canyon University, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Sports Business, followed by a Master’s in Business Administration. While in college, he served as head coach of the men’s club basketball team at Arizona Christian University for their inaugural season. He was also honored with an invitation to coach at the Phoenix Suns Youth Summer Camp in 2017. Chase’s hobbies include basketball, video games and playing board/card games with his wife. 

Pauline Kibathi - Tournament Director

Pauline is the Tournament Director for Illinois. Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Pauline was raised  in Mesa, Arizona where she graduated from Dobson High School in 2013. During her three years at Dobson, Pauline was a member of the varsity basketball team for three years and the varsity track and field team for one year. She then decided to transition to a one sport athlete after her sophomore year to focus on high school and travel AAU basketball. Pauline was offered a basketball scholarship to Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, KS where she competed in five collegiate basketball games before tearing ligaments in her right ankle which would subsequently end her basketball career. She finished her first year in Kansas graduating with her certificate in Crime Scene Investigation before moving back to Arizona. When she returned, she attended Scottsdale Community College and graduated with her AA and teaching certificate in 2015. 

Upon graduating from SCC, Pauline started her career in customer service working for three major corporations such as Southwest Airlines, Marriott International and Drivetime. She has over eight years of experience in customer service, three of them including management and training new hires. After stepping away from the corporate world in 2019, she started her own business as a makeup artist in 2018 and then became an esthetician in 2020 and is the owner of PNK Esthetics in Tempe, AZ.
Although injuries caused Pauline to give up playing, she still has a great passion for the game and enjoys being around it as much as possible. She coached at San Tan Charter in 2018-2019 and is currently on the coaching staff for the Arizona Athletics Club Team here in the valley! Pauline has experience as a player, coach and now a parent of a young basketball player. Her goal is to help the kids of the future by sharing the knowledge and wisdom she learned over the years of playing and coaching. 

Pauline now resides in Chandler, AZ and has a 5-year old son, Armelo, who loves the game just like her and his name comes from her favorite basketball player, Carmelo Anthony! Pauline is extremely excited to join the State Basketball Championship team and is looking forward to a great year!

Devre Newby - Marketing Manager

Devre is the Marketing Manager for State Basketball Championship. Devre recently graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Strategic Communication. While at OSU, Devre was a member of the Oklahoma State Track and Field team her freshman year and competed in the pentathlon. She then went on to try out for the Oklahoma State Pom Squad, where she was a member for three years and served as the OSU Pom Social Media Coordinator her last year on the team.  

Before college, Devre grew up in Woodward, OK where she attended Woodward High School. During her years as a Woodward Boomer she played five different sports including: basketball, fastpitch softball, track and field, dance team and cross country. In 2016 Devre and her team won the Oklahoma Class 5A Girls Basketball State Championship and Devre was selected as a member of the State Tournament All-Tournament Team. Devre also won two individual State Championships in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles and she holds the Woodward High School school record in both events. She was also All-State in Track and Field and the first All-State Fastpitch Softball player in Woodward High School history. As a senior, Devre served as the Boomer Dance Team Captain and was also selected as the “Vype Magazine” Area Female Athlete of the Year. 

Devre is passionate about sports and is so excited to join the team at State Basketball Championship.

 

GOVERNING MEMBERS

Eric Stern
Eric is a proud graduate of Arizona State University and has lived in Phoenix since 1993.  As an All-District guard in high school while growing up in Dallas, Eric participated in dozens of statewide tournaments and leagues throughout Texas, and also participated in the national Five-Star Basketball Camps multiple times. Being a point guard, the major lesson learned was to find ways to set up his teammates for success and this has translated well to State tourney employees.

After his playing days, Eric has worked in various positions that have required sharp attention to detail, successful organization of large groups and a strong focus on “why are we doing this?” As Tournament Director, Eric’s focus is all about the players, their enjoyment and their experience.  As an experienced middle school coach, he understands the desire of the player to compete and the life changing impact basketball can have.

Eric’s goal for all State Basketball Championships is to offer a well communicated and smoothly run event with the prime focus being a memorable experience for the youth players.

Ike Durham
Ike is a key piece of the State Championship committee as he wears several hats during the hoops season. You may see Ike at Qualifier tournaments awarding the popular Golden Tickets to teams immediately after they qualify for State. Or you may see Ike hustling down the court as an official at the State tournament each March. Ike is also Assignor for the dozens of officials that travel to work a State tournament.

Ike has an incredible resume with over thirty years in the officiating world at the following levels: NBA/CBA, International Basketball League (IBL National Assignment Coordinator), American Basketball Association (West Regional Assignment Coordinator), NCAA (D1, DII, DIII), NAIA, Junior College and High School. He is past President of the California Basketball Officials Association/Los Angeles (CBOA-LA Unit) which has had 500+ members. The CBOA provides officiating services for the LA Unified School District.

Raised in Los Angeles, Ike has lived in the Pacific Northwest since May of 2004. Ike currently resides in Kent, Washington and away from the court he is the owner of Broussard's Creole Foods and works in several local community youth programs.

Tameka Stewart
A Seattle, WA native, Tameka provides valuable input to the Board through her past experiences as a college hooper, middle school coach, and referee.  She started her coaching career in 1997 and soon discovered that coaching kids basketball made her the happiest.  Since then, she has had the pleasure of touching over 100 lives of young women, some of whom have continued to play at some of the top colleges around the country.  For her, coaching, influencing and shaping lives is the most rewarding and fulfilling part of her life.  Although she has coached nearly every age group, she currently enjoys coaching middle school girls the most. When Tameka's not coaching basketball, she is playing; and when she's not playing, she's refereeing the game.  So, it is safe to say, basketball is a huge part of her life.  Tameka's initial introduction to SBC was as a coach of a team that was fortunate enough to earn the right to participate two years in a row.  And when her team wasn't playing, she was in her "stripes" officiating some of the games throughout the tournament.  Tameka works closely with another Executive Board member, Ike Durham, to coordinate and schedule officials to ensure coverage of the hundreds of games over the State Tournament weekend. Her head may be spinning throughout the weekend, but she enjoys every moment of it. Everything is worth it as long as the kids have a good time and a fun experience. When she's not coaching, playing or refereeing; she spends her days as a Human Resources and Payroll Manager for the University of Washington, and in the small bit of spare time that's left, she is an independent HR consultant for small business owners - focusing on providing consultation on employment law, and employee relations issues and experiences unique to small business owners.  In the few hours left in the day/week, she enjoys spending time at her favorite spot, Seahurst Park, and plays with her young Boxer, Vixen. 

Todd Fazio
Todd has 19 years of high school and college coaching experience. Coach Fazio spent his last four years as Red Mountain High School’s head boys basketball. During his time leading the Mountain Lions, they averaged 17 wins per season and qualified for the Arizona High School state tournament in all four seasons. Coach Fazio was named 2016-17 East Valley Region Coach of the Year.

Prior to Red Mountain, Coach Fazio was the head coach at Desert Mountain High School for eight seasons. During the eight-year stretch, Coach Fazio’s teams amassed a record of 144-88 with a 2007 AZ High School state championship and two additional final four appearances in 2011 & 2013. Coach Fazio was the 2007 5A Coach of the Year and the Desert Valley Region Coach of the Year in 2009 & 2011. 

Coach Fazio is a founding member of the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) and is currently the Executive Director. He is also the founder and Program Director of Roots Hoops, a skill development academy. 

Coach Fazio resides in Phoenix with his wife, Charlene, and their daughter, Isabella.