The team we have been awaiting

While purusing my favorite prep gossip site, SoCal Hoops, I saw this post:

California Supreme is starting traveling teams in the following age brackets at the moment 5 year old thru 9 year olds. Coach Clark will be conducting try-outs at Manual Arts High School, on Vermont & King, on Saturday August 5th at 12 noon to 2 p.m. If you are interested call coach Clark at (626)372-7346 There will be tryout's for older ages at a later date. We will also hold try-outs at a later date.
Thank you
Coach Clark

I have been waiting for an incident which would illustrate so clearly the ills of the current system that parents, coaches and the media would be forced to re-evaluate. I thought the article about the ten year old from Washington would be enough. I thought the corrupt adidas Phenom camps milking parents for extra dough would be enough. I thought Sonny Vaccaro taking the top seniors and forming a barnstorming team would be enough.

But, none really forced people to re-evaluate. Some raised their eyebrows, but only slightly, as these events seemed like another step down the same slippery slope.

But, a five year old traveling team (I called the number; there really is a Coach Clark of the California Supreme)? Why? Five year olds do not have the spatial awareness or balance to play basketball and lack the upper body strength to pass or shoot. These kids would be better served doing martial arts, swimming or just running around chasing other kids.

At the gym where I train kids, oftentimes kids arrive early for their workouts with other trainers. These are 8-11 years old; somehow, they manage to invent games with whatever space is available. They'll juggle a soccer ball, play handball with a stability ball, jump rope, etc. It doesn't matter what they do, but they always seem to enjoy it and seem to arrive earlier and earlier so they can play. So, why the need to interrupt the joyfulness of play and put a five year old into the pre-professional environment of traveling basketball?

In an ESPN article from last year, Tom Farrey profiles the Basketball Town Pharoahs, a team of six players at the u-8 AAU National Championships.

When the Pharaohs began their national title hunt last September, there were 15 players on the team. They were an elite 15, having made the cut at a tryout open to all boys age 8 years old and under. But travel ball, with its ambitions beyond city limits, requires a real commitment of time and money from families. There are professional-grade uniforms, weekend tournaments in distant cities, and expectations of return on investment.

What is the purpose of cutting an eight year old? It goes on, speaking about the coaches' sons:

Second-graders last year, Devin and Jay's immersion in basketball is near total. They play no other sport, and they play nearly year-round, with three practices a week and up to four games on weekends between their travel and recreation teams. Their fathers hire a personal trainer.

The best part of the article is a quote from one of the coaches during the middle of the game:

"Stay awake!" Greene says to Devin, who is slumped in his chair. "You're coming [in] for the fourth."

For a similar tale on the follies of competitive youth sports, read Rick Reilly's SI column from July 25; it profiles a dad who lost control of his life because of youth lacrosse, and, near the end, after he loses his job, he and his wife find out none of the parents and players really want to be there but they do it because all the others do. They are just keeping up with the Jones', running from camp to tournament to practice, wearing out their kids who ultimately quit because her parents are pushing too hard. And, the moral of the story from the last line is that parenting is the most competitive sport, which is why we have problems in youth sports today.