What Does it Mean to Keep Your Word?

I guess I should have made it more clear that the "real" ugliness goes on in really a very small percentage of the teams available. But, the chances are, at the very highest levels of competition, you'll find the price is extremely high, both in $ and mental anguish.

You're correct that once the kids get to be HS age, the road becomes much bumpier with many more forks. If you've paid any attention to this BB for the last month or so, you should understand that there are great schools with great programs, rotten schools with rotten programs and schools that fall everywhere in between.

There are some folks out there who do a heck of a lot of research into the sports programs of the schools their child may attend. It depends on how "good" the kid really is, how important sports are, and how deep one's pocketbook is.

But the way it seems to be going in today's world, the HS team really means little as far as any sophisticated opportunities goes. A good HS career will get local schools like community or Jr colleges making offers, and if the player is lucky, a 4 year school might take a flyer.

But in reality, the big programs are generally looking for the marquee players and unless a player has played in some venue that has superior competition and has demonstrated superiority at that level, there's no way to get on that marquee.

I suppose if a player was on a team that could get well into the end of year HS tournament and dominate somehow, that might qualify him for a "look" or maybe even an offer, but if a player is that good, it wasn't luck or by accident. If a kid is that good, its more than likely he has been playing somewhere for another team too.

Around here, the private coaches seem to have the "real" pipelines to the next level. Once a private coach establishes himself, the scouts and college coaches know him. I've seen coaches from some pretty impressive schools come to meet kids and watch private lessons. A tape or a phone call from a private coach means a great deal, if he has any credibility.

I'm not trying to imply that HS ball has no effect on a player's future, but it doesn't have the effect many HS coaches and parents believe it does. I'm also not saying a HS coach can't have an effect on a players future, at least locally.

Let me try to give you an example of how things really work. There's a kid on our HS team who's the same age as my son and is relatively equal as far as physical maturity goes. my son has been going to someone recognized locally as the best private pitching coach, while this other boy has never had a private lesson.

My son has played ball on some very good teams and has a fairly decent history with them as well as with the HS team, while the other boy has never played on any team other than rec teams and in a few tournaments. Obviously, this other boy is nowhere near as polished or as skilled, but his dad started taking him to a local private coach this summer.

If this kid applies himself and works hard, its conceivable that during the next year he will surpass my son as far as ability goes. Since my son is not one of the HS coach's favorites, its even possible that this other kid will be moved ahead of him on the HS team.

But, after the HS season next year when they're both 17 and available for scholarships, who has the best chance of getting one? Our HS team sucks and the chances of winning their league is remote at best, so the chances of anyone seeing either of them for that reason is slim.

Unless my boy goes totally in the tank, he'll be playing on at least one decent team next summer and for sure, if he doesn't go in the tank, he'll be going back to the Jr Olympics for the 2nd year. This other kid will be lucky to find a summer team to play on, not because he's no good, but he's getting into the race a bit late.

The private coach this other boy has is a former student of my son's coach. I don't know him personally and I have no doubt that if he learned anything at all, he's a good coach, but he's only been doing this stuff for a few years, not 25 like the other guy and I doubt that he has near the connections.

So when it comes time for scouts to look around, who do you think will get the 1st look? It may not be fair, but its reality. And if some other kid was fortunate enough to play for a better team and had a coach with more notoriety, he'd certainly get a better look than my son. The same goes for this other kid. If there's another boy somewhere of equal ability but hasn't been as fortunate with coaches or teams, he'll get the nod.

You see, once these kids get to a certain point, they are so close in skills, all the other things start entering into the equation. Grades, attitude, poise and the word others means a great deal. Often a superior player will come in 2nd, just because he didn't know the right people. its sad, but true.