SELECT VS. SCHOOL
The debate between select basketball and school basketball as seen from my point of view. I chose to tackle this because I see first hand the difference in the attitude and the skill level that some kids have before and after they go play select ball. I have done research from almost every point of view. Once again, this is just my opinion and my point of view. I am factoring in that some high school teams and coaches are passionate about the sport itself, and take time in their craft. I also factored in that some select organizations don’t preach the fundamentals of the game and that they are no better than some of the schools who treat kids and the sport as a hobby or a job instead of a life tool.
Select Basketball School Basketball
Spend more time on fundamentals -do not have the time to worry about fundamentals.
Spend more time building confidence -expect kids to have it already
Talk to kids about life more -same
Usually have a background in the sport -some teachers fill the roll but never played
Teaches the game more and less about x and o’s -it’s about x’s and o’s if u don’t know sport
Wins or loss don’t affect kids -your job is to win not lose
Have to break old or new bad habits -habits what habits.
Now this is my research on basketball from the level of junior high to high school. As a former player who played at both levels, my coaches didn’t really have time to teach us how to shoot the correct way or even how to do a correct left hand lay up. For most boys, sports came easy. We learn by mocking what the older kids did, what we saw on television. Some of us were even lucky enough to play for a select (AAU or boys and girls club) organization. With that being said we were almost expected to know how to do certain things in sports before we got to school, they were almost suppose to be a given. With girls its different, I have a sister and a couple of relatives who played since they were younger. We had to teach them the right way to play the sport. Their coaches had the same expectations that they had for the boys at the younger level.
From my experience, I’ve watched some of the girls I coached over the past summers grow into confident individuals. Before we start our sessions with the ladies we sit and talk. They tell us their expectations of themselves before they go back to play school ball and its amazing. Most of the young ladies talk about how the coaches tell them to pass up shots and to give the ball to a certain player. Some were even told that since they were tall that they could only play post (under the basket). I heard with my own ears a coach tell a player that she couldn’t shoot threes and that she needed to move in closer to the basket to shoot, and this player shot and made more threes over the summer than most kids on her school team. It’s amazing how we (certain select organization) have to spend the first couple of weeks reprogramming the minds of the kids and telling them that they can do whatever their minds are set to do. Some kids don’t even see playing time on their school teams yet play well against top competition during select season. It baffles me to see a kid who works so hard on their craft and not even get a chance, since the coach goes off how they played last year or that they have favorites. Now, I understand that life isn’t going to play fair but at what point do you at least give every kid a chance? Not saying all coaches and schools do this but most parents notice the difference between the two.
I now understand part of my purpose. It’s sad to say this but thanks to some of the coaches and teams they allow me to do what God has called me to do. What’s that you asked? Well, God is using me to share with you and your kids the gift of him through a sport called basketball. This allows me to assist your child in building confidence, maintaining consistency and gaining the basic fundamentals of the game.
Now for the last time I will reiterate, (LOL) NOT ALL organizations have these philosophies, nor do all schools and coaches allow these things to occur. DO YOUR RESEARCH.
“This is only a taste of what is to come. Stay tuned in…”
