Do You Have What It Takes? Pt.1

Think about this question carefully before attempting to answer it. Moving through the various levels of basketball competition requires more than just confidence, athleticism and skills. As an athlete, you will be expected to sacrifice a huge part of your social life in order to learn interpersonal skills, watch video footage, handle extreme criticism, and work extremely hard on fundamentals such as footwork, shooting, passing, rebounding, and dribbling for a minimum of 4 hours a day. The other 20 hours of the days should be filled in with academics, nutrition, socialization, and rest. Other than illness, there should never be a time when you will not go and perform your daily workouts. The mental stamina to perform even when you may not “feel” like it is what separates the average athletic competitor from a good one.

Advancing through the basketball ranks also requires extensive knowledge of the game, critical thinking skills, and a thorough understanding of the business side of basketball such as financial management, career planning, and contracts. Marketing, communication skills, and research are also needed to improve your chances of moving up to the next level. You should find the answers to questions such as (1) “What camps should I go to?” (2) “What approved tournaments should I participate in?” and (3) “What scouting organization should I be affiliated with?” Every level of athletic competition has its own rules and guidelines and it would be wise for you to become familiar with the requirements of competition at each level and what it truly entails. Standing out from the rest of the pack requires savvy, personality, and an advanced level of maturity.

Every year more than 500,000 athletes in the U.S.A. graduate from high school with the hopes of playing in the NBA but the reality is that less than one-tenth of one percent (48) will actually realize their dreams. These numbers were not presented to discourage you. They were presented to let you know that the road to stardom is only made for a few and the rest of you have to make a way by working that much harder on your game.

A New Day

In the past, many student-athletes have opted to correct their academic situation by enrolling in multiple prep schools as a post grad student or re-classifying themselves/repeating a grade when they transfer to another school. However, the NCAA has implemented a new rule that will change the landscape of college basketball and it affects the class of 2011 and beyond.

As of August 1st 2007, the “Timely Graduation Requirement” states that a prospective student-athlete must complete the core curriculum requirements no later than the graduation date of the prospective student-athletes class. This new rule will put an end to student-athletes that use extra years of high school in order to qualify for a Division I scholarship. This rule forces the student-athlete to work harder to graduate within the four year time period or they will be forced to enroll in a junior college. Junior college is not a bad option for a student-athlete that struggles academically and sometimes it is the best option.

We live in a time when more than half of our high school students do not graduate on time and sadly many don’t graduate at all. Every year in the U.S. there are more high school/college dropouts than those who make it to graduation. In high school, the dropout rate and/or students that cannot graduate in 4 years continues to rise at an alarming rate. The new NCAA rule will have the same affect on the college game that Proposition 48 had in 1986 and its current version, Proposition 16, that was introduced in 1995. The irony is that student-athletes graduate at a higher rate from college than their non-athlete counterparts. In spite of that fact, the initial eligibility rules continue to get more stringent.

The implementation of all of these new rules will lead to three things: 1) elite athletes that do not qualify for a Division I scholarships within the 4 year period or have GPA/SAT issues will opt to go overseas. 2) The average student-athlete that does not qualify will ultimately end up in junior college. If the student-athlete is talented enough, he/she will receive a scholarship from the two year school. 3) The NJCAA will be highly competitive. However, for those with Division I aspirations, an Associates Degree will have to be earned at the two year school.

Basketball Times

Today’s basketball landscape for talent is changing right before our eyes. The next basketball prodigy is currently in elementary school doing extraordinary things that will make you shake your head. Scouts, coaches, and street runners are searching from coast to coast for the next set of phenoms. On the AAU circuit every year hundreds of thousands of kids are competing to survive pool play and make a run that will capture the attention of a scout that can help them get a scholarship to an elite prep school, private school, or college.

Unbeknownst to many basketball players, your basketball dreams are kept alive by the sacrifice, perseverance, and dedication of your loyal supporters and mentors that try to make your life a little less difficult while you are battling other ball players for the very elusive basketball legend status. As you gain notoriety and an increased fan base, it is a must that you continue to work on your game and not fall victim to your own success. One too many mediocre showings will have you sliding down the totem pole to basketball oblivion where people will begin to doubt your skills and tell you to your face that it’s time to step up or be forgotten about forever. There are too many basketball players for people to be concerned about you if you’re content with your current skill level.

In many cities and states across America, basketball organizations have put together all-star caliber teams that are made up from kids from all over that particular city and sometimes the state. It is not an easy task. The bottom line is that week-long tryouts are held and some of the best players, famous and anonymous, battle for a spot on these elite teams. If you have ever been to the AAU National Tournament, then you can envision this familiar site. For those who have not, it’s like witnessing the best players in that particular state on one team. The talent level is high and the stakes are even higher. The play of one affects the other and an impressive showing will undoubtedly help these players land basketball scholarships.

New York City organizations do not follow this model of success. Ironically, in any given tournament, you will see as many as 50 teams from the New York City area and the talent is spread out which decreases the opportunities. Coming from a cost-effective perspective in regards to the AAU Nationals, it might be wiser to have a city wide tryout for 10 teams that will represent New York City. Instead of spending well over $50,000 for tournament fees and expenses, one parent organization could put together a talent laden 10 team squad that would spend roughly $10,000 and get the same effect. The money that is ultimately saved can be used to hire teachers to run an effective and efficient SAT Prep program where these student-athletes learn test taking strategies and, ultimately, increase their chances of receiving scholarships.

NYC basketball organizations, the self-proclaimed Mecca of basketball, have to come together and formulate a plan that will put its best players on fewer teams and find the right set of coaches for these teams. I am all for loyalty and wanting to play for a particular coach but in the end it’s all about the kids and the opportunities that they can receive. If we can somehow put aside our differences for the sake of the kids, NYC will once again become a place for college coaches and scouts to evaluate the talent of our millions of kids that are currently playing basketball.