 How important is it to be at a "winning" high school in terms of getting noticed? We hear that it's what you do outside of school ball, but if your school loses most (or all) of its games, what are your chances? And what about transferring – or moving – to another school?
Another Mom
Dear Mom:
It’s a fact of life that high school athletes would like to be on a winning team, play for a stellar coach and reach the state championship (or at least the league playoffs) at some time during their secondary school careers. It’s also a fact that high schools are not created equal in terms of their basketball programs: Some are perennial winners, others are consistent losers and many are middle of the road, with peaks and valleys depending on the number of good athletes who happen to be in the neighborhood during a given four-year period.
As a parent, it is tempting to start looking at other options for your child, especially if you don’t think she will get the recognition she deserves in a losing program. We all know families who had the financial means – or made some tough sacrifices – to send their children to private schools with top-notch basketball programs. Still others have used a false address – or even moved the entire family – to get into the boundaries of a public school with a winning program.
The key question: How important is high school exposure if your daughter is intent on playing college basketball? According to a recent Seattle Times article by high school sports columnist Craig Smith, approximately 3 out of 100 high school senior girls will play NCAA basketball, although many other girls will play at the NAIA or community college level. The message: Regardless of talent, every high school student should focus on her studies first (there is a reason why we call them student-athletes) instead of counting on an athletic scholarship to carry her through college.
I asked a couple of high school basketball coaches I know for their perspectives on this issue. Both of them coach very successful Puget Sound-area girls’ high school teams; one of them also coaches a select high school team during the off-season. Since the coaches requested anonymity, I will refer to them as Coach One and Coach Two.
According to Coach One, "to a certain extent, it is what you do outside of school ball that matters a lot." Because of NCAA recruiting rules, he noted, college coaches can watch only 40 dates during the high school season. However, "during the summer and the fall/spring viewing period (when select teams play), they can view as much as they want," he said.
As for the dilemma of playing on a losing high school team, "it is my belief that if you can play, you will be noticed." There is an inherent risk, he added, in moving to another program to get a better shot at being seen, or to play for a "better" coach. What happens if the coach suddenly decides to switch schools after you moved to that school specifically play for him or her? "Pick a school for its academics, and the sports will take care of itself," he advised.
Coach Two offered this advice: "If your high school team is fortunate to make it to districts or the state tournament, the players might get noticed by a college. College coaches are limited in the number of evaluations they can do during the school year, so tournaments with lots of teams playing on the same day in the same spot will draw the coaches."
However, she agreed with Coach One that the greatest opportunity exposure comes while playing for a select team during the off-season. "The month of July is the best time for the college coach to evaluate players, especially since they will be matched up against good competition. (Sometimes a high school game can be a blowout and tough for a college coach to evaluate the players.)
“There are thousands of colleges at various levels that offer basketball scholarships and thousands of young women hoping to get one of these scholarships,” Coach Two added. “The best way to help your odds is to make contact with colleges you are interested in (the more the better and the earlier the better) – send tapes, go to their camps, etc."
Hoop Mom
Teresa Wippel is team manager of the Warriors Basketball Club, a 6th Grade
girls' team from the Seattle area, and mom to Warriors post player Amanda
Waldron. In her other life, she is a freelance writer and editor. To ask Teresa a question, email her at teresawippel@earthlink.net
More Dear Hoop Mom:
Hoop Mom on Ankle Braces
Hoop Mom on Parent Coach
Hoop Mom on Ankle Sprains
Hoop Mom on What's Right With Our Sport
Hoop Mom on Bad Blood
Hoop Mom on Missing Practice
Hoop Mom on Taking Back a Player
Hoop Mom on Best Local Tournaments
Hoop Mom on Trash Talking Coach
Hoop Mom on Burnout at 11?
Hoop Mom on Thanking Coach
Hoop Mom on Fundraising
Hoop Mom on Playing Up
Hoop Mom on Starting a New Team
Hoop Mom on Surviving a National Tournament
Hoop Mom on Bench Behavior
Hoop Mom on Surviving the Road
Hoop Mom on Coaches
Hoop Mom on Jealousy
Hoop Mom on Nutrition on the Run
Hoop Mom on Looking for a Select Team
Hoop Mom on Commitment to Team
Hoop Mom on Talking to Coach Dad
Hoop Mom on Starting Select Ball
Hoop Mom on Subbing for Coach's Daughter
Hoop Mom on Subbing for Injuries
Hoop Mom on Sleepovers
|