Special to Greensborosports.com:
A major developing scenario has emerged surrounding prospective college recruits for either men or women sports. The looming question is “Are all rankings of student athletes real or justified”?
Too often in today’s sporting world on the
highschool levels, websites are creeping up from all over the country of
rankings of players. Too often parents and colleges are paying for these
services at alarming rates. Why would a parent pay money to a service to try and
get their child ranked when many times their athletic performance does not match
up with the rankings? Why do the folks that are coming up with these rankings
many times do not really do their due dilligence and when called out to justify
it, are many times caught looking like a deer in headlights? It all evolves
around money? The parent who does this are in hopes of their kid getting
recognized whether just or unjust so that they may land a scholarship. The
websites do it to create a money stream. Nothing is worse than to rank someone
whose performance does not match up with the rankings. This is where the
twisting takes place as far as the websites are concern. It often gives an
athlete a false since of accomplishment.
When players are listed and ranked, there should always be what their
actual performance has been. If the performance is not presented then it leaves
itself open for ridicule. Too often a scout for a particular website will list
players as tops only because they have a certain connection to an AAU program
and that is where most of their revenue is generated from. Again, is it justified
or is it about the money? Imagine ranking a player let’s say in basketball for
instance, that is a career 6 point scorer, 6 rebounds, 2 assists as a top 20 in
your rankings. How is that justified over a player whose numbers may be much
greater and plays the same position? These are just a few of the things that
many parents need to be leary of and student athletes need not get caught up in
either way. Meaning, an athlete believes that they are as good as the rankings
or they are not as good. Normally the real truth comes out over time.
Ah Ha.. I’ve always wondered why some players get all this national pub and then some players who are just as talented are never mentioned at all. I now see it’s more going on than what meets the eye. Is there anything left in this world that greed hasn’t corrupted yet! (no need for a answer)
ANDY,
It starts at the T-Ball level and never ends.
I have witnessed parents that have spent more than a college education on marketing their child as the next superstar in their respective sport.
I have witnessed parents that would slit the throat of a childs team mate , in order to elevate their childs rankings on the recruiting front.
I have witnessed parents that falsify statistics by large margins, in order to impress college coaches.
The shame of it is , the college coaches buy into much of the B.S. and sign many of these future failures to come play for them.
I have witnessed parents begging for votes on internet sites , in order for their child to receive an award that most people have never heard of.
I know some parents that will buy a Pro team, if thats what it takes to get their kid a deal.
Witnessing all of this over the years, its not a wonder that the “Showcase Marketeers” are making off like Bandits.
It will take time, but I think it will come full circle, and true ,honest talent will once again determne who is who in athletics.
This all goes back to the basics. If your child is apart of a good AAU program with good coaches that know the game and they regularly attend showcase events, then your child will get the necessary looks by colleges. These showcase events are loaded with real coaches, asst coaches and runners. They know the difference between rankings and players that can actually perform against real competition. You cannot fake footwork, form, speed, hustle, coachability, and desire. Coaches do not risk 6-7 figure salaries on “rankings”. The “rankings” will only put you on someones radar. Your ability to perform will keep you on their short list for future offers. Kids/parents in the correct AAU programs know exactly where they stand against the competition because they have seen it and someone has been honest with them about their current abilities. So – be real and be honest and don’t let someone sell you on something that you are not.
What’s worse than any of the parents previously mentioned is the ones who actually have the gall to ask other people for donations to support their future pro athlete’s trip to Cooperstown to play in a tournament or to secure donations to go to AAU tournaments in Floida, etc.. Trust me very few, if any, college coaches pay one bit of attention to statistics from parents during the recruiting process. If the coach or his staff do not see someone play, they are not giving away any “scholly” money unless a very trusted insider has given them them solicited advice. Guilford’s basketball program was built by referrals from Bones McKinney that Jerry Steele and Jack Jensen never saw when they originally came into prominence.
As PT Barnum once said, “There is a sucker born every minute.”. Isn’t it funny that most of them are parents whose children run a 7.5 second 60 yard dash, bench press 45 pounds 8 times (that’s bar only), and only shoot 40% from the foul line (that’s without any pressure). LOL