Feb 1, 2011
A player takes a shot during the high school all-star game at the S.J.G. Greater NC Pro-Am, Sunday, August 8, 2010 in Durham, NC. (Photo by: Will Bratton)
Has there ever been a team in the history of sports where a player hasn't been upset about some aspect of the game?
I would venture to guess probably not. And much of the time the dissatisfaction is over playing time.
There seems to be a preconceived notion among many student-athletes these days that they are entitled to being the star of the team. Many believe they're going to play their sport in college, without really knowing what goes into the process. Kids are often concerned more with their statistics than with the win-loss record of the team.
Well, as we approach National Signing Day, here's a stat for you.
According to an article in the New York Times, somewhere between one and two out of every 100 high school athletes get some sort of athletic scholarship for college. That's 1-2 percent.
There just aren't enough scholarships to go around.
Think of all the high school basketball players across the country. Seriously, step back and think just how many kids probably play high school basketball in the United States of America.
During the 2009-2010 school year, 17,969 schools in state associations recognized by the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations played boys basketball. There were 540,207 high school boys across the country playing basketball. That doesn't even count players in organizations not recognized by the NFHS.
Even so, there are only 7,177 men's basketball scholarships available in the NCAA. And all 7,177 aren't available every year, because most of them are being used by current college players.
What I'm trying to show you is that getting a scholarship to play college sports isn't an entitlement, it's an honor.
There is a YouTube video I saw linked on Twitter today. I watched it, and I thought to myself, "Wow. This is so true." I'm not allowed to post that video here... So if you'd like to see it, go to YouTube, and search for "My Coach _____" (rhymes with ducks).
I hear it and read it on an almost daily basis. Someone thinks Coach A should be playing Player B more for School C. Usually that's coming from a parent, another relative or a close friend. And usually they don't know what they're talking about.
I've said this several times before. The worst thing a parent can do is tell their child how their coach is doing things wrong. When that happens, the kid will never reach his full potential, and the team will never reach its full potential. I've seen these types of situations rip teams apart.
This YouTube video speaks volumes about where high school sports are today though.
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