You have undoubtedly seen us. You definitely have heard us. We sit together in cliques and discuss our brilliance. Our wives paste and print the jersey numbers and names of our daughters on T-Shirts and wear them for all to see. Our daughters are the best players on the court; even if they are not the best players on the court. We are the ELITE DADS of girls basketball.
Girls basketball would not thrive without Elite Dads. When Simone Augustus's shot is struggling, she turns to her Elite Dad to fix it. Candance Parker's Elite Dad was her first coach. Even though it was not her personal dad, an Elite Dad made sure Lisa Leslie got to practice everyday. In fact, the majority of male AAU coaches started off by coaching their daughters and a lot of elite players were introduced to the game by Elite Dads.
Elite Dads come is all shapes, sizes and colors. The common denominator is the baby girls they cherish. Some Elite Dads have played the game at a high level while others have not played it at all. Some Elite Dads actively push their daughters while others take a more reserved but supportive role. Here are some ways to spot an Elite Dad:
1. He is in the crowd at the State Championship and he is still criticizing the coach. The coach does not know what he/she is doing. Only if the coach ran the entire offense through his daughter, the team would be undefeated.
2. He is constantly coaching from the sidelines. The girl is confused. The coach is giving a specific instruction but Dad has his own agenda. He obviously knows more than the coach. His baby needs his instruction.
3. He has held his daughter back in school on purpose to enhance the chances that she can earn a college scholarship. He reasons that she will be bigger and stronger against the younger competition and stand out as an elite prospect.
4. He jumps from team to team in search of the perfect fit for his baby. It is always something wrong with the coach and or/the other parents.
5. He either yells at his daughter like a maniac when she makes a mistake or his daughter can never do wrong in his eyes.
6. He exaggerates his daughter's stats and accomplishments.
7. He alienates High School and AAU coaches. They inform prospective college coaches to "BEWARE" of him.
Here are some other ways to spot an Elite Dad:
1.His daughter IS one of the better players around. He makes sure she gets quality instruction from quality coaches and trainers. She is one of the more skilled players since dad made sure of it.
2.His daughter is self confident and goal oriented. All the time spent with her is shaping her into a remarkable woman.
3. His daughter is less likely to fall victim to social problems such as teen pregnancy and eating disorders. She has developed a strong and assertive personality since he has made sure of it. His attentiveness has made her less susceptible to negative peer pressure.
4. His daughter is a top prospect in and out of the classroom. He has prioritized school. College coaches are comfortable with recruiting her because she performs on and off the court.
5. He DOES know more than the coach. When his baby girl said she wanted to be a good ball player, he immersed himself with the best instructional tools available. He hired the best coaches and trainers and observed and learned their ways.
6. He sacrifices financially to ensure his daughter can continue to play at an elite level. Elite basketball is not cheap and he does what it takes to make sure his daughter can play.
7. He is recruited by college coaches. Coaches understand that daddy has a lot of influence on his baby girl and she is more likely to choose a school that he likes.
8. He supports the team through his encouragement, compliments and fundraising. He provides rides for kids and advise for fellow parents.
Now the question is, what separates the two examples of Elite Dads? A lot of times, nothing seperates them.
I knew of an Elite Dad that constantly bad mouthed a coach that had a great resume'. This coach played pro ball, was coached by great coaches and had a seasoned track record. This Elite Dad would complain and criticize this coach to anyone who would listen. This coach helped get this Elite Dads' kid into a very prestigious school. The kid is currently playing college ball and maintaining an "A" average. Her Elite Dad sponsors economically disadvantaged kids in playing for the same coach he constantly bad mouthed. Go figure.
For better or worse, the girls basketball scene would not be the same without all my fellow Elite Dads.
