The name Ultimate Preps Sports is well-known in Memphis gymnasiums.
Over the past year the platform to showcase area basketball standouts, teams and programs has been building a brand across Shelby County and the Mid-South. Ultimate Preps Founder Catrell Maclin has been growing his product through hours of driving to games, conducting interviews, editing videos for YouTube and handling behind-the-scenes activities along with his staff.
As the 2017-18 basketball season concludes in Murfreesboro this week, Maclin and team will be broadcasting from Middle Tennessee State University. Meanwhile he will be in touch with businesses back home in creating the first Ultimate Preps scholarships.
“We want to offer two main scholarships,” Maclin said. “Our annual full scholarship and the All-Star Weekend Scholarship. The annual scholarship will go to an athlete who we notice is making strides to make themselves great even when they have a packed schedule of sports.
“We have noticed that some athletes are starting to set trends and find ways to make others great,” he added, “but they might not be able to attend a college on a sports scholarship. We feel they will make an impact if they are already set out to change and improve at an early age.”
The Second Annual Ultimate Preps All-Star Weekend is set for March 24-25 at St. Benedict, showcasing some of the best talent among girls’ and boys’ basketball in the area. Maclin is hoping a business will come through in time to sponsor the first scholarship to be awarded at the event.
The Ultimate Preps brand has been a trendsetter in the Memphis area as one of the first broadcasting avenues for high school athletics.
“Ultimate Preps has been fully functioning for three basketball seasons, equaling 11 or 12 months of actual broadcasted basketball on the platform,” Maclin said. “When I set out to start this brand a few years ago, the task was to always help those in the community gain recognition and opportunities to excel to levels that I was never able to accomplish.
“I don’t have many friends and family that were given opportunity because of the lack of digital content given to the recruiting coaches,” he added. “My mission now stays the same, but more of being a help to those in need that very well have the talent to make it to the next level.”
The next level for Ultimate Preps is expanding coverage across the Mid-South.
“Ultimate Preps has spread successfully throughout Shelby County, most of Tennessee, some of Mississippi and Arkansas,” Maclin said. “We also have made a strong presence in 11 other states. We have started working on branches in San Diego, Chicago and Atlanta. We have gained 3,500-plus subscribers and 1,700,000-plus views on the platform.”
The platform has focused mainly on basketball and some football. Ultimate Preps is starting to venture into more sports in the near future.
“We have created the Ultimate60 Camp which is built to provide highlight tapes to allow those athletes to get recruited easier with digital content,” Maclin said. “Also the Ultimate Preps All-Star Weekend and we are working on the Ultimate Showcase Game of the season and Ultimate8 Showcase, which are built to be a platform for schools to showcase on our network to collegiate coaches.
“The All-Star Weekend Scholarship will be a split scholarship amongst MVPs and winners of events,” he continued. “Doing this will make the players compete harder and in turn entices the college scouts present at the event to offer them scholarships due to their effort and capabilities.”
Maclin said he hopes a local business will be capable of helping Ultimate Preps recognize and honor student-athletes starting this year by sponsoring the scholarships.
“Sponsoring the scholarship program we have created will give the business exposure on our digital platform through ads and proud supporter announcements/email blasts and all events we host,” he said. “But, even better, be of great assistance to the next generation who will lead us in decision making in due time.
“Next for Ultimate Preps is offering more events for athletes to actually be showcased on a digital platform accessible to college coaches and search for a sponsor to take our unique style of offering high school sports to the country,” Maclin said.
For more information or to contact Maclin, visit UltimatePreps.net or e-mail UltimateMemphis@yahoo.com. To view videos, visit UltimateHighlights on YouTube.com.
THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star. Contact him at (901) 433-9138 or thomas.sellers@journalinc.com.
