TwoEdgedSword Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 (edited) Son had been playing homeschool basketball for a few years and has developed well beyond his teammates by doing AAU, public school scrimmages etc. This homeschool team is more like rec level. Nice kids but the coaching is literally not there. There are no other homeschool teams in our area. It's a very small team, so he plays the whole game and is standing out in a good way there, but the team isn't going places if you kwim. Meanwhile, he's joined up with the public school for all their summer scrimmages. He's doing fine, they could use him for his height, but it's a huge team with lots of talent, so even though he would might be a varsity starter, there will be less playing time as subs are constantly rotated in with this p.s. team. Pretty even talent on this team across the board, but it's a huge team. He wants to keep the possibility of playing in college, at a D3 school open. Should he go back to the homeschool team and be a big fish in a little pond, or one of many with lots of talent on a big team? He's really not sure what he wants to do. Please don't quote this post. Thanks. Edited June 19, 2016 by TwoEdgedSword Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 You might want to reach out to Sue in St. Pete. Her son is playing basketball for his college team now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I would consider the coaching at the public school. If it is that much better, he might be better off there. If he's gotten good without good coaching, how will he be with solid coaching? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Are there any good club baseball teams in your area? If so, and the coaching is good, you might consider playing club ball. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoEdgedSword Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Well AAU is the equivalent for club ball here. It's basketball for him and he's been doing it, but it's just a spring thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 My son plays a different sport, so the process is a bit different than basketball. Being on a well-coached team is important, not just for your son's improvement but also for the scouting process and the connections that a coach might have among other teams. Elite level travel/tournament teams are also important in getting your child noticed by scouts. Definitely search for Sue in St Pete's thread about her son's process for getting to play college basketball. Even though our process isn't the same, it was a big eye-opener for me as to how much work it is for parents and kids to get a spot on a college team. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 To land at the college level, especially the small school level, is multi-step process. He will need to play on AAU teams, although their benefit can be diminished some when looking for a schollie at the D3 level. Being on a team that plays a tougher school schedule would be beneficial, and going from rec level play on the winter to AAU level in the spring can have a negative impact, as much of his competition will be improving more throughout their school season. It can be done, but is certainly tougher. Either way you decide, attending some reputable exposure camps will also be beneficial, as the small schools have limited budgets and use exposure camps to see a large number of athletes in their recruiting wheelhouse all at once. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeteranMom Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 If he's considering trying to work toward some scholarship money, the rec team is likely not going to help him get there. Does he have the time to do both? If he is way more advanced than the other kids on the rec team, it should only be continued if he really enjoys it. One thing I've noticed with kids who are much better on the Y/rec teams, though, is that the other kids come after the good kid (to try to shut him down) and sometimes not in a very controlled way. I know a parent who stopped allowing her son to play rec ball due to worries that her kid was going to get injured. She said she felt like he had a target on his back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 If he's considering trying to work toward some scholarship money, the rec team is likely not going to help him get there. Does he have the time to do both? If he is way more advanced than the other kids on the rec team, it should only be continued if he really enjoys it. One thing I've noticed with kids who are much better on the Y/rec teams, though, is that the other kids come after the good kid (to try to shut him down) and sometimes not in a very controlled way. I know a parent who stopped allowing her son to play rec ball due to worries that her kid was going to get injured. She said she felt like he had a target on his back. D3 doesn't offer athletic scholarships. They will offer "aid packages" to athletes they really want on their squads. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoEdgedSword Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Yes. Not looking for scholarships, but the chance to keep playing. If he really excels his last two years, then he might try to get a small one at an NAIA school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 (edited) Being on a team that plays a tougher school schedule would be beneficial, and going from rec level play on the winter to AAU level in the spring can have a negative impact, as much of his competition will be improving more throughout their school season. Either way you decide, attending some reputable exposure camps will also be beneficial, as the small schools have limited budgets and use exposure camps to see a large number of athletes in their recruiting wheelhouse all at once. :iagree: Your ds should have toughest competition possible. One day, I realized that there was not only competition between teams, but also between teammates. Striving to earn more playing time helped ds improve his skills. Are you sure "subs are constantly rotated in with this p.s. team"? I used to say "coach works in mysterious ways". The PS coach drove dh batty. OTOH, the team regularly won regional finals and went to state regularly, so I'm not gonna argue with him. Is there a possibility of ds playing for a private school? One of ds's rec team coaches from junior high had played CC, then D2 basketball. His wife had played D1 then D2 basketball. Their dd, who played on ds's rec team and was also ds's first love :001_wub: played at PS then walked on a lower level D1 school. Their ds is entering HS this fall and will attend/play at a private school. I was surprised because the PS where their dd/my ds played has a competitive basketball program. OTOH, they put a LOT of stock in AAU. Their dd was on a statewide AAU team that traveled the nation. I found in-state coach's phone numbers at a recruiting website and called and asked them how their athletes fared. I got some very good information from them, including which exposure camps in the area were "the best". One suggested an all academic basketball camp that ds attended. He got lots of calls after that camp. Good luck! PM me if you would like to see ds's recruiting brochure. Edited June 20, 2016 by Sue in St Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoEdgedSword Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Thanks Sue! This is all very helpful, including the link. Yes the coach does rotate subs pretty methodically. I've not seen it quite like this before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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