There is 6 weeks before the high school season starts and I hope everyone is getting ready. For many this will be their last time playing organized basketball. For some it will be the end of a journey that started 10-12 years ago. For some it’s the start of what I hope is a wonderful experience. I hope those with dreams of playing at the next level, hang on to these dreams. Either way I hope everyone’s memories are great. I would like to past along a little advice to parents, coaches and players.
First to the parents, I hope you understand that coaches have a hard job. It’s a balancing act to keep so many kids with so many different needs happy. Let your child develop a relationship with their high school coach. Try and trust your child’s coach and support him or her. It will make for a pleasant experience in most cases, even if they only get limited time. I have never in all my years met a coach who did not like kids. Most of all; parents please understand, everyone wants to play and that truth of the matter is everyone can’t. My advice is to stay away from the negative…it will not help your child. It may make you feel good but it won’t help your child. I hope you can be honest with yourself and child. Did they put the work your in during the off season and did they do all they can do to get ready. If they did this, there is nothing more left to do. But understand, High School sports come with no promises. You must accept this and not let things become personal.
To the players, I hope you will do a few things in the next 6 weeks. Please shut down the AAU games. Please move your efforts and thougths to your high school season and focus on your training. It’s not too late to work on your shooting, dribbling, passing and other skill sets. Six weeks is a lot of time to get ready if you use the time wisely. I will tell you a little secret, the only ones who benefit from AAU this time of year are those who are already established players. Please stop worrying about where you will play AAU NEXT JULY, forget the spring because that period is basically dead now. Your parents will give you a steady dose of this conversation you will need to try not to let it consume you. Focus on getting ready for your high school season. The AAU stuff will take care of itself in due time. Lift weights, play pickup with teammates, run on the track or in your town. Try and have a strong, healthy fully healed body. Join a program like NBS and play lots of one on one and controlled 5/5. Try and watch film from last season and think about what you can do better this year. Six weeks is a long time, get ready be focused and LIVE IN THE GYM AGAINST REAL COMPETITION. But above all look in the mirror and ask, Im I getting better and if so, do the people who matter see this. If the answer is yes, great for you. But if the answer is no, then please change your work habits and training.. Finally please stop worrying about college. Please make college visits and traveling to schools, secondary to your training. That window will open again in the spring…FOCUS ON GETTING BETTER NOW.
If you are freshman, please be humble. Please understand many kids have given their sweat and tears to the program. They deserve first shot at showing what they can do. They have earned the right to expect every opportunity to show they belong on the court. Freshman please know if you are good enough, your time will come. But first be a good teammate and you will be doing more for the team that you ever dreamed. You’ll also win the respect of everyone…including your coaches.
To the AAU coaches, I say please stop. Please allow these kids to transition to their high school seasons. Please stop calling and bugging them about AAU basketball. Please stop calling about AAU workouts and training sessions. Please allow them to train and get ready for their high school season outside of AAU. Please don’t ask them to choose between a high school event or AAU event. Please allow them spend time with their high school teammates. You have coached and trained them since March in many cases, that’s 8 months. College and NBA teams don’t coach and train kids that long. Yes I know you are worried that somebody will steal your kids….but shouldn’t you worry more about the player?
I hope everyone starts preparing now for their season. I hope two sport players find time to get in the gym once a week. I hope kids who did not play much last year, know each season is different, but you must believe this. I hope every high school coach will treat each kid fairly but not the same. While awards are great, I can assure you nobody remembers who wins awards…but they do remember who wins CHAMPIONSHIPS. I hope everyone who dreams of college understands, that first you must be good enough…that starts with hard work. Lets hope everyone in the next 6 weeks….makes the real steps of DOING ALL THE WORK IT TAKES, TO MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE…..I know this… am 100% in your corner!
NBS UPDATE
POINT GUARD SCHOOL..MON/WED..4.30@HOOPGROUP
CORE SKILLS TRAINING…TUES/THURS HOOPGROUP. COM…732 897-3196 or coop@hoopgroop
NBS PRE-SEASON PREP STARTS ON SATURDAY…AS OF NOW THERE ARE 9 SPOTS LEFT IN THE GIRLS SESSION