by classB4ever » Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:53 pm
Will not muddy up the water on main threads so will put this here. At this time of year, fans from teams that just get back from the state tournaments, generally teams that do well, start talking about "What it takes to compete." Following are some of the things which are being said.
1. "Start your kids early." It does have to start early. In my opinion you can spot talent in 3rd grade or even sooner. Generally this talent comes from genetics or parents working with kids. By the time kids are in 7th & 8th grade, all basic bb fundamentals should be like reading and writing.
2. "Any size school can start a program like we see at the state." No. This is not true. The schools that you can predict to go to state tournaments year in and year out have "plug and play programs". Yes, they have great programs, coaches, etc. But they also have enough players participating to simply plug them into their program year in and year out. I'm not saying they always have the same system. The really good coaches mold their system around the types of athletes they have and it's a fluid system. Changes year to year but still successful.
3. "These kids need to play AAU, ECI, etc. to get better." Yes and No. These programs are expensive. Not to mention kids out in the "sticks" have added travel expenses to and from practices. Also, most of the kids in the "sticks" are probably helping out their baseball programs, golf programs, softball programs, track programs or just working to pay for life essentials. But, if they get the chance, yes, it is a benefit. A benefit of getting exposed to better competition and learning different styles of basketball. I will add one thing extra. I believe basketball is getting away from good fundamentals and leaning towards "it's got to be me." The European players in college and pros show much better basic fundamentals at every level. But that is just a personal opinion with nothing to back it up.
4. "It doesn't matter what your school size is to be successful." This is a loaded statement. Many, many schools make it to state sooner or later. It is a run of genetics, coaching, leadership, etc. You cannot achieve this on a consistent basis in small schools any longer. It's not possible. Once again, these larger schools simply "plug and play." But this only matters if the state tournament is the ultimate goal. If your goal is about keeping a program alive then participation becomes the new agenda. Which is what I have been advocating.
5. "You only need 5 players to play the game." Honestly, it's pretty hard to practice and become better with only 5 players. And the chance of winning a 3 game tournament with even 6 or 7 players is a remarkable achievement. Not to mention, the best teams generally have 10 good players and it makes every practice that much better and competitive.
2 cents.