[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CENTRAL ILLINOIS XPRESS BASKETBALL TEAM

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the remarkable 
strength and spirit of the Central Illinois Xpress basketball team and 
its coach Tariq Toran.
  As the only team of girls in an all-boys fifth grade basketball 
league in Springfield, IL, the Central Illinois Xpress has defied the 
odds and emerged as a powerhouse in the Illinois AAU boys' league. With 
an impressive record of 8 wins and 2 losses in the first half of the 
season, Coach Toran and the Central Illinois Xpress girls have made a 
name for themselves not just back at home, but across the Nation.
  Strong, confident, and determined, the team comprised of nine girls 
ages 10 and 11 years old do not shy away from hard work and tough 
competition on the basketball court. With a series of two-on-one drills 
coupled with push-ups and sprints, these girls know how to practice 
hard and play hard. The Xpress girls use their summers to compete in a 
higher division comprised of older girls, which helps prepare them to 
play against tough teams during the season.
  This tireless preparation and fearless attitude brought Coach Toran 
to sign the girls up for the all-boys' league this year. So far, the 
team's success has been undeniable. With their dribble drives, crisp 
passes, and methodical game play, the Central Illinois Xpress players 
have racked up more than enough wins to show the boys, and the 
community, that they are a force to be reckoned with this season.
  These girls know what it means to push themselves for excellence, to 
fight for something against the odds, and to prove themselves to those, 
including some of the boys they are playing, who don't expect a girls 
team to be strong and play smart, aggressive ball.
  It is my pleasure to wish these fifth-grade girls in Springfield the 
best of luck in the second half of this season.

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