The Cross Over Movement Blog

I understand the purpose behind the big recruiting events and tournaments during the NCAA recruiting windows for high school players. I think changes can and should be made to the process, but I understand the motivation for players and college coaches. Basically, these are like giant try-outs for college teams.

Today, I saw this posted online:

ADIDAS Explosion Camp
Presented by First Step Basketball Academy and All West Hoop Report
Sunday November 11, 2007
11 am to 8 pm
Participation Fee: $85
Limited to 120 top Middle School players
6th to 8th grade
The #1 fall individual exposure event provides all participating players the opportunity to demonstrate their skills to all media expected to attend.
** Play Top Southern California Competition
** Get Evaluated by the West Coast’s and the Nation’s Top Scouts
** Each Player receives ADIDAS Explosion Jersey shirt
** Special All West Hoop Report Youth Rankings
**Special Hoopmasters Report
** Special ADIDAS Giveaways for contest winners

So, ADIDAS is offering Southern California middle schoolers the opportunity to pay more money to play pick-up games against the same players they play against every weekend in AAU Tournaments. And, the apparent reason is “to demonstrate their skills to all media expected to attend.” Why do sixth graders need to demonstrate anything? Sixth grade is developmental basketball, not performance. These kids should be learning the game, not trying to impress scouts.

I had a 6th grader a couple weeks ago ask how he could be rated in the top 100 players. I told him to practice, get better and worry about it five years from now when college recruiting begins to be important.

ADIDAS is now taking these camps to other countries and starting their PHENOM brand in other sports. Nobody talks anymore about Demetrius Walker, the “best” player on the “best AAU team ever.” His AAU coach started the phenom camps with ADIDAS and used Walker as the example. He was in SI, rated #1 in his class and the next, next LeBron. The message was clear: if you wanted to be next, next, next, the phenom camps were the way.

Walker is now entering his junior year and he is no longer in the top 250 players in the country. So, how important are those 6th grade rankings? What does it say about an organization that used a kid like a paid endorser and obviously has done little to help the player expand his game, as evidenced by his free fall from the rankings? Walker is no longer considered the “next, next LeBron;” instead, he can be the “next Schea Cotton,” a cautionary tale for those who get too invested in the early hype these premature exposure events create.

These are sixth graders. Why not use the resources to provide a training camp, an opportunity for the best players to train together and learn and develop skills from top coaches? That is what a sixth grader needs, not the opportunity to play in front of the media.