* There will only be 2 or 3 stars on any team * Basketball is an individual sport first and team sport second * Players make the team ...team doesn't make the player. * Good players make other players around them better * Talent will only get you to a certain level production and knowledge takes you to the top A merica is blessed with the best athletes in the world, yet as anyone who watched the 2004 Olympics and 2006 world games can tell you, our basketball development system hardly creates the most successful team. Why? Because from ridiculously young ages like 10 and 11, they are overplayed and under taught by a system that values short term success over long-term development. In order for a player to improve, he/she must get out of his/her comfort zone and risk making a mistake; mistakes are a part of the natural learning process and growth and improvement cannot happen without a player first making some mistakes. Unfortunately, in todays system, most basketball is structured and organized and players fear trying something new in these environments. Once upon a time, young athletes played basketball for fun, to be with friends and to learn the game's basic fundamentals. Now, the shoe money reaches to the youngest levels, as grassroots coaches scour their areas to procure the up-and-coming talents and bathe them in clothes from their sponsor. Teams battle for the U-9 AAU National Championship, on and off the floor. Teams locate and lure talented players, recruiting players and parents with promises of free gear, travel and exposure to college scholarships. In many instances, coaching ceases to be important, as the top teams simply find ways to secure the best talents, even if it means forming a team with players spread over a hundred-mile area. Grassroots coaches (and I use the term in the loosest sense possible) destroy young talent. These player agents do little to develop and nurture the talents of the young players and do not hesitate to replace an underperforming player with another recently discovered top talent. These players and parents naturally develop the "Entitlement Affliction", as they wear free gear and travel out of state to tournaments. Other children, parents and coaches see the free clothes and travel and want their piece of the exposure pie and form their own super all-star teams to travel the country. Other coaches-those who actually want to teach and develop-are frustrated by a basketball culture enamored with immediate gratification, and parents more excited by free shoes than actual teaching and coaching. Playing in a local recreation league is no longer good enough for the superstars of the future, and every mom and dad envisions his son as a Division I prospect. Through it all, parents, players and coaches ignore one basic fact: the players who make it-the ones who get the scholarships and play professionally-possess the basketball skills and athleticism to play at that level; it is not a matter of exposure or specialization, but development and natural gifts, but these facts get lost in the great basketball bamboozlement. Without these informal environments, players lack an opportunity to develop. Every practice and game takes place in front of someone important, whether their coach, a college coach, a scout, an AAU coach, etc. and players fear trying new skills or moves, so players largely remain the same once they reach high school. When I was growing up in the late 70's and early 80's, I never heard about personal trainers, AAU Basketball, exposure camps or any of the other programs which dominate youth basketball today. Everything is out of control with everyone trying to get a piece of the action. Players need to focus on development not exposure. Players are over exposing themselves where they leave nothing to the imagination. Remember basketball is a stage and you must prepare yourself to perform. Coaches might tell you weight training, agility and other sports will prepare you for basketball; false, these sports might keep you fit but will hurt your game. Without practice, you will not get better. Without opportunity, you will not improve. The key to basketball is playing where you can learn from your mistakes. Repetitious practices will help you master certain moves and develop muscle memory. Muscle memory will improve your reaction time on the court therefore making you appear highly skilled and knowledgeable about the game. Basketball is a reaction sport; you must be able to react immediately based on the defensive reactions. Basketball is 65% mental when it comes to playing and players must put themselves in a learning environment to develop the mental part of the game. The other 35% consist of strength, coordination, desire and determination. The 35% usually come naturally between ages 15 and 20. Weight training and agility will speed this process up. AAU allows you to compete in weekly competitive situations. Camps allow coaches to see your talents. Players need figure out how to get everything their looking for out of a program and not allow games and weight training replace skills and drills.
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