Insecurely Confident

This high school coach is recruiting. That club stole my players. Nike has a new circuit. She plays for an adidas team. Her dad is going to ruin her. Her mom talks too much. She, He, They, Them would tell you to start with ME! As in, worry about yourself and take care of your own business.

Girls basketball seems to be full of posers. People claiming that they are competent and capable but spend so much time worrying about what others are doing that it affects(infects) their abilities.

 It should be a great time to be a girls high school basketball coach. The competent ones are thriving. The HS leaders are seeing kids stepping onto their campuses and they are more skilled than ever. Save the argument that kids are less fundamental these days for someone else. I remember girls HS basketball in the early 90's. I remember having to sit for the HS  girls game before our games and today's game has easily gotten better in terms of skilled players. The problem is that old habits die hard. Girls basketball used to be a sport where a TYPICAL coach would not have to put as much effort in it as a boys coach would. I did say TYPICAL. Title 9 was a gift for female basketball players but a curse for the high school coach that is lazy. Now, kids are chasing the educational opportunities that Title 9 has helped give female ballers. HS coaches are under the lights. Those that give their all and are good at what they do will not have to worry about another coach recruiting their kids. In large part, good and capable HS coaches will not lose players to recruitment, instead, they will have young families wanting to attend their schools. In Texas, look how many kids MOVE TO Duncanville or Georgetown to have a chance to be lead by HS greatness. Surely greats like Kathy Self-Morgan and Rhonda Farney do not lose sleep because of another high school is talking to their kids. They will surely lose a few but gain many that will appreciate their expertise. They have learned that to keep their "significant others", they have to spend more time  

Some segments of Elite club basketball has evolved into something of a hybrid; part college program and part pro team. The clubs with the most national connections, understands best how to capitalize on the image of Lebron James or Derrick Rose and have the most money are the "best" program. The ability to teach and develop has taken a back seat to securing the best teenagers possible and claiming elitism. That said, Cool! Very few programs are on this level. Very few individuals have the resources to financially sponsor, keep and lead elite players. Kudos to them! Since most kids are not capable of playing at the level that these individuals thrive at, Move On! Club programs, not on this level, should concentrate on what they can control; teaching and development! Choose PARENTS wisely, since they are the ones who will eventually field the calls of the elite clubs recruiters once "your" players are worthy of "elite circuits". If the parents believe in what you are doing and the appropriate college attention is garnered, they will stick with you because you are a 'Day One'. If not, Keep It Movin!  Slang intended! This is not boys basketball where keeping a future NBA pick can set you up for life. This is girls basketball where setting up girls for life  is, or should be, the reason. Let the de facto amateur pro teams and their general managers assemble teams for trophies and prestige while you concentrate on learning and teaching your craft. Helping a kid earn a full ride to a good mid-major like Rice may be worth more in the long run than coaching a kid up to UCONN.

Daddy and mommy should stop tripping. As I have written previously, basketball is a beautiful buffet. Who's the best? Candace, Taurasi, Augustus, EDD? Best college player is Chiney, Odyssey, Stewart, KML, Thomas? The answers are all opinions. The problem is when parents get caught up in making villains out of other players (teenage girls) in an attempt to bolster their own baby. I have gotten caught up in this madness in the past. The great thing about the game is that it does not lie. Eventually, the fake will fade and the authentic will last. If your child is that good, her game will persevere and her gifts will be rewarded. Worrying about this kid getting written about and that kid made some all-star team is self depreciating. I tweeted that parents should rebound a thousand shots a day instead of worrying about club, high school and trainers so much. If parents attacked the development of their own children as much as they spend time worry about or criticizing others, their child would super nice on the court!  Really, go rebound a thousand shots a day and see the opportunities of your child increase. Heard a saying that the affluent should not let money raise their child. Well, the parent of an aspiring elite basketball player should not let club, HS or trainers raise their child. Get more proactive with your own child and later for all that venom. Haters parents raise hater kids.

This unusually cold season has prompted me to buy wood for my fire place lately. I'm learning what is a good deal on wood and which ones burn best. I found a good guy and will travel to hook up with him.  He is priced right and gives good quantity. An interesting thing happened recently, the cops kicked him off of his spot. In the spirit of good ol'  American entrepreneurship, he set up shop at another spot, right next to a guy that had been there for awhile. This guy has inferior product but carried himself as if he is a better business man. He WAS the best wood seller at his spot because he was the ONLY seller at his spot. While I'm waiting in a line to buy wood from my guy, the established seller makes his way over and gives his sales pitch by bashing his competition. If sales are made in the first few sentences, he wasted them on speaking negatively about his competitor instead of selling me on the reasons that give him a competitive advantage. What was his competitive advantage?  Only the lack of true competition. Sounds like all the high school coaches that use regulations to force players to play for them. Sounds like all the club coaches spreading rumor and negativity about other programs. Also sounds like momma or papa, loud  in the crowd, mad at the world because her/his daughter is not getting the so-called respect she deserves. Shout out to my wood guy! He is like all of those competent club programs, HS coaches and parents that take care business and let the Insecurely Confident tell on themselves through their inferior actions and hateful talk! Keep it Movin!