Suggestions for USA Basketball

Since my ideas are starting to make their way to the popular media (after being channeled through Sonny Vaccaro), I decided to address USA Basketball.

When I contacted USA Basketball while researching Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development, I was told it was not USA Basketball's mission to educate coaches or develop players; its sole function was to select and support US National Teams.

Naturally, I disagree with its sentiments. I do not think a country can take its National Program seriously without investing in its grassroots coaches and youth player development. After all, players are not made when they are 23 years old; they are made between 9-21. Three weeks is not enough time to overcome a lifetime of bad habits.

However, beyond this disagreement, I realized that even in its stated mission, USA Basketball is failing. After all, even in a basketball wasteland like Ireland, each age group has a permanent Head Coach, Assistant Coach and Team Manager. Imagine the changes to USA Basketball if it appointed a men's and women's full-time coach for the u-14, u-16, u-17, u-18, u-20 and u-23 teams. A staff of 18 coaches on the men's and women's side.

Also, in many countries, the Senior National Team Head Coach (Coach K and Anne Donovan) serves as the Technical Director or Performance Director for all the National Teams and programs. Basically, the Technical Director sets the curriculum and development program for all the teams.

In the USA, underage development programs typically take place as try-outs for one of the national teams. Selected players are invited, try-out for a week and teams are selected; then, 10 days before the competition, the team trains and then departs for the competition.

In other countries (okay, what I saw in Sweden, another virtual basketball wasteland), several times throughout the year, top players were invited to regional development camps. While these camps served as try-outs for the national camp, they were also developmental in nature; camps covered everything from athletic testing to on-court work to games. The players were selected based on potential and performance with their club teams; the National Team coaches were responsible for scouting, evaluating and inviting players to these camps as part of their job description.

Prior to an international competition, the National Team coach would invite the top performers from these regional development camps to the national camp and eventually select a side for the competition. The national teams work with the clubs to create time for these regional and national camps which do not imact the clubs too greatly.

In the USA, national team coaches could evaluate high school players during the season and invite players to a series of regional development camps in the fall and spring. During the summer, the top performers would be invited to the national team camps. The goal through all these camps would be to develop players for the senior national team, while also preparing for the underage international competitions.

Rather than laving development in the hands of random AAU coaches, personal trainers, high school coaches or sneaker reps, USA Basketball would be able to hand select its coaches which it felt could best develop players for future teams while also preparing for international competitions.

While Jerry Colangelo focuses all his efforts on Coach K, the senior national team and the Beijing Olympics, what about the next generation? How will they develop? Who will develop these players? Why wait until three weeks before the Olympics to reach out and develop a national team philosophy? Why not develop players from fourteen years old within a system and a philosophy? It cannot be a lack of money and certainly not a lack of interest in the sport. So, why can't it be done? Hire Rick Majerus to coach the u-23's; Kevin Sutton to coach the u-20's; Bob Hurley, Sr. to coach the u-18's; Dave Benezra to coach the u-17's, etc.

Put development in the hands of coaches who can develop players; coaches who are passionate about developing players. Not guys who are passionate about profit or a shoe brand. Change the culture, not just the names on the back of the Team USA jerseys.