Remember who has the final decision

Mark Lewis

Mark Lewis writes for Hoop Gurlz… he writes exceptionally well.  Very insightful.  Would I consider him a writer?  Probably not.  No disrespect intended.  Mark’s a basketball coach.  In my mind’s eye I still see him on the sideline, or out on the road recruiting…. minus the camera.

So many times in the recruiting process parents try to re-live their sports lives (or lack there of) through their child’s… HUGE MISTAKE.  Mark’s insight is accurate and helpful.  Mark says, “I’m not a parent…”  I disagree.  Biology may not have played a part in Mark’s “parenting,” but he “parented” many during his 20+ year coaching career.

I’m a parent.  We have a daughter.  Both my wife and I went off to college.  I blew out my ankle twice.  If I didn’t pick the school because I wanted to be there no matter what happened on the basketball court – I would have been miserable.  My wife did transfer because she was miserable.  We had both sides of the story.  Mark is spot on.

I hope Mark is around and I remember his words in 2018 when our daughter is making her decision.

In… Remember who has the final decision, Mark shares a great perspective into the process of recruiting for parents.  Who actually has the final decision is really important.

Parenting is tough. That fact is evidenced every day by rebellious kids and surrendering parents who just throw up their arms in exasperation. The approaches to guiding, teaching, preparing and supporting are varied and as daunting a challenge as any adult will face.

Now add to that the twists, turns and decisions that come with the recruiting of a prospective student-athlete and you’ve got a volatile mix that can tip the fragile relationship between a teenager and her parents.

I must confess, I’m not a parent. In fact my single greatest contribution to society may well be that I’ve added no offspring of mine to the population. However, I have had a ringside seat to a multitude of recruiting decisions through the years that have revealed some startling child-parent dynamics.

A lot of athletes go through the recruiting process with their parents at their side and come up with the right decision that makes sense for her future in the classroom, on the court and personally. The tug of war begins when the agenda of mom and dad start to override that of their daughter.

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What’s wrong with college basketball?

THIS IS REALLY GOOD.  You’ll see, even though it is “anonymous”, it’s still not 100% accurate… but it’s pretty good.  Coaches will still be self-serving and self protective even when being anonymous.  It’s as close as I’ve seen to the “truth” though.

By Dana O’Neil  ESPN.com

The image of college basketball has taken a beating in recent years, with rumors, murmurs and innuendo about cheating spreading like wildfire. Cynics believe no one is trying to follow the NCAA rulebook and that the game has fallen victim to the begging hands of agents, runners and hangers-on looking to collect on the next NBA star.

Is it that bad? What are the real problems? And is the NCAA doing enough to fix those problems?

To get the answers, ESPN.com went to the sources. During the EYBL Peach Jam last week, we interviewed 20 high-profile head coaches, representing each of the six power conferences. With the promise of full anonymity, we asked them to tell the truth about their sport.

And they did.

What is your least favorite part of summer recruiting?

No one likes the constant travel, the bad basketball and the emphasis on individual skills instead of team play.

Coaches travel everywhere to watch high school kids in July, but can’t keep an eye on their own.

But of the coaches surveyed, many — eight of the 20 — cited the time away from campus and their own players as the biggest problem with the summertime.

“I have my team over for a barbecue before I leave in July,” one coach said. “Little do they know it’s a farewell, not a welcome barbecue.”

“You walk into a living room and promise a mother that you’ll be there for her son,” said another. “And as soon as they get on campus, you’re gone.”

“They’re all on campus and I’m on the road,” added another. “If they do something stupid, I’m going to get fired — but I can’t be there to see what they’re doing.”

Some other popular grievances:

“What don’t I like? All of it. I don’t think there should be summer recruiting, period. They want to clean it up? Get rid of it.”

“I’ll tell you another problem — 70 percent of the kids we’re sitting here watching should be in summer school. They shouldn’t be here.”

“What don’t I like about summer? Everything. The babysitting, the ass-kissing. Does that cover it?”

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Major Grassroots Changes Coming (UPDATED)

There is major changes coming in Youth Basketball.  We’ve watched the establishment of iHoops and YB21 and the development of those philosophies.  We’ve seen the NCAA begin to develop new legislation to further regulate and monitor non-scholastic youth basketball.  No matter what “side” you are on, here is a good resource for following some of the discussions.

Major Grassroots Changes Coming (UPDATED)

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Loyola’s Alisha Mosley

What a shell we live in sometimes.  You see other coaches on the road, you chat, laugh, text…. then we all return to our own campus and you never know what goes on, what happens.

Story from The Women’s Basketball News Server

Until I spoke to Joe Logan a couple of weeks back I never knew.  Everyone is swamped this time of year. We think we are busy and trying to get ready for the next game.  Alisha Mosley’s next game was fighting for her life.  Amazingly, she won! At first she wasn’t supposed to… but she won!  Alisha Mosley’s story is nothing short of amazing.  Read it.  Check in with Joe, Abby or Gizz.  Keep them in your prayers.

Loyola Women's Basketball

The simple fact that this team is still in the thick of things in the MAAC and right around .500 is amazing.  Forget about the fact that this staff is down a member… less “man-hours” for scouting reports, film work, player workouts, practice, player relations.  (Not to mention recruiting)   Think about the emotional drain on the players themselves, Joe and his staff.  Good news or bad, everyday there is a full range of emotions for players and coaches to work through.  This group of players and coaches is to be applauded for how they have persevered and worked their way through this, found a way to keep the ship floating.

Keep fighting Mos… can’t wait to see you back in the gym.

ABR Recruiting Network – THINGS TO KNOW

RECRUTING TIPS – THINGS TO KNOW

• You and your parents or coaches may visit a college campus, at your own expense, as many times as you would like.  There are times considered a “DEAD PERIOD,” when you can not visit with members of a coaching staff.  Let the coaches know you are coming.
• You may meet and speak with college coaches on their campus at any time, except during a “DEAD PERIOD.”
• You may receive three (3) complimentary admissions to any collegiate sporting event any time you are visiting a university campus.  Your high school and/or AAU (Summer) coach may receive two (2) complimentary admissions as well.  That sporting event must be on the universities campus or regular HOME playing facility and it can not be for a post season (conference or NCAA Tournament) game.
• During your Senior year in high school:
  • You may take ONLY five (5) Official Visits
    • An Official Visit allows the college you are visiting to pay for certain things for you and your parents or guardian.  Those things include:
      • Hotel
      • Transportation – for you only if you are flying for all of you if you ride in the same car with your parents or guardian.
      • A university coach may accompany you during your trip to campus ONLY if that transportation occurs by automobile and all transportation occurs within the 48 hour period.
      • meals – On campus or Off.
      • Complementary Admissions to Athletic Events

• BEFORE you can take an Official Visit you must provide that college a copy of your test score fro the SAT, ACT or PSAT.
• Your Official Visit may not exceed more than 48 hours.

DEFINITONS:

EVALUATION

Permissible for authorized athletics department staff to be involved in off-campus activities to assess academic qualifications and athletic abilities.  No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect are permitted.  *Each year, the coaching staff may evaluate you up to 5 times during the academic year in women’s basketball (others sports have specific numbers of evaluations specific to the sport).  You can locate sport specific evaluation numbers HERE.

CONTACT

A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.

Other Definitions HERE.