The McDonald’s All-American Game is an annual all-star game for the top high school basketball players in the country. On April 1st, 24 of the best hoopers in the nation will descend upon Houston’s Toyota Center for a nationally televised game that in the past has featured stars such as LeBron James, James Harden, Zion Williamson, and many others. Helping coach these all-stars will be Langham Creek’s very own Head Basketball Coach; Charles Ament. 

“A friend of mine is the Head Coach at St. Thomas,” Ament said. “He was the one that was selected as the head coach (of the All-American Game)… he called and said I get to pick 2 people to be on the staff, and I would love to pick you. Of course I said yes.”

However Ament had a delayed reaction to the news as he was just minutes out from his team facing off against the Bridgeland Bears.

“You’re  focused on the task at hand and are involved in your own season in trying to get Langham to the play-offs, you don’t really have time to sit back and think about it,” Ament said. “But once it came out and everybody’s talking about what a great thing that it is, has made me realize how special it is.” 

For Ament, the selection as a coach in the All-American Game is part of the recognition of 23 years of coaching.

“When I was in high school there was a couple of kids that played in it, and those guys were revered,” Ament said. “As I’ve grown older, the coaches that have coached in it have accomplished so much, and I don’t really look at myself in that way… so it’s almost as if its not real. It’s pretty humbling and a tremendous honor.”

Ament will also be making history as a member of only the 3rd Texas coached All-American game ever.

“Rick Shirley is the executive director of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches who did it in 2000. One of the all-time winningest coaches in the country, Robert Hughes was at Fort Worth Dunbar, and now Gary Hall,” Ament said. “So to be on that staff is unbelievable.”

An added bonus of coaching the game comes in the future in following the career’s of the players who make it to the next level.

“One of the things that is really neat that Coach Shirley said is that 15 years after he coached the game, he would still watch NBA games, and guys that he coached were still playing in the NBA,” Ament said

As for the event itself, Ament looks forward most to developing a relationship with the players and making it an enjoyable week. 

“I’m just there along for the ride,” Ament said. “The biggest thing for me is that when they (the players) look back on it, that I will have added some type of value so that they will feel it was a positive experience. That they will be able to say: that was a great environment because of the coaching staff.

You can watch Coach Ament coach the stars of tomorrow at 6:00, April 1st on ESPN.