Canadians Still In Canada, whom have interests of going prep

what grade nines could go prep?

zone killer, I wonder if you got a degree from a Canadian University because I know it's tough and not for the weak hearted. All the athletes that have gone south of the border for a prep school are helping themselves drastically. Prep is the best thing that has happened for all North American athletes. A place far from all the distractions of friends, girls, and neighborhood boosters. Basketball, class, SAT prep, and preparing for the real world. The only negative side would be Canadian coaches not being able to coach their homegrown talent, too bad. Even coaches in the US go through the same things and they move on. It's actually ironic that Canadian coaches complain more than US coaches who get paid for this and their careers depend on if they can keep their talent from going prep. In the end, the majority of people who go prep will end up with a university degree one way or another. If they were to stay in Canada, the outcome would be different. Can we blame kids for dreaming big, in a way yes but all that starts at home. If they don't have that household influence, then of course they won't be on a Canadian University track(Blame the parents). In Canada if you enter grade 9 and aren't ready for the academic path, your left behind. In the end, i'm not saying that it's impossible to obtain a scholarship from playing in Canada, but if your household doesn't preach academics, your finished. Let the players go prep, learn what real life is, earn a degree, and find work in the real world. Those who are league bound, will go league. It's a simple fact.

You got kids going down south who are barely getting 50's here in Canada. Not in academic or University courses either. These same kids are going to become eligible to play div 1. That's great you say? The prep school did its job. Not really, the division 1 program makes sure these kids become eligible any which way. When they get into college they take the easiest classes possible in order to keep them eligible so they can play basketball. What's wrong with that you ask? Well, the kid ends up getting a degree in something he has no interest in. Or a degree that will never get him a job. So, he played NCAA ball, you say? Well, great but how many people are going to pay you because you played ball at college? What kind of jobs will these kids get after basketball? The prep schools, colleges, handlers and AAU teams that send these kids down only talk about the signings. Do you hear anyone say what these kids are doing after basketball? What jobs did they get? How will they raise a family?

With all that said, these kids need proper support so they can take advantage of the basketball system so they can get a free education and a degree that they can use to get a good job. Guaranteed the handlers and AAU teams are not saying to the kid, listen, what do you want to study? What do you plan on doing after you graduate? All I hear and read on this site is Grassroots and CIA bounce listing all of the kids that they signed.

I want you to list what jobs these kids have, what degree they got and how they got it for free.

1) Those kids who are barely getting 50's down here will certainly do a lot better in a prep school because they have no choice but to do work. Whether or not they learn something is another thing. I was a student myself and finished my undergrad in Electrical/Computer engineering. Did I understand all the topics completely, no, the electrical part of the degree was pretty much a waste of time aside from the basic principles. So if these kids make it through the system with a degree, regardless of whether or not they find a job in that field, they've done themselves a good deed.
2) I'm not saying that just because they played college ball, a job offer will be awaiting them. I would rather a kid who has a degree, whether or not they use it to find a job is another story. I know some people who have double majored and aren't working in their field of study. Waste of time, maybe but somewhere down the line, IF they do want to pursue a job in that field, it's a possibility.
3) The prep schools, colleges, handlers, and AAU teams only talk about the signings because that's what there suppose to do. Once the kid get's to college, they're on their own. Organizations like Grassroots and CIA shouldn't have to list those things because their main job is to worry about the athlete and getting him to that level where he needs to perform to receive a scholarship. Now when they are in college, their coach is in charge of that. I know plenty of athletes from my alma mater who had no idea of what they were going to study.
4) Lastly, all i'm saying is don't bash these kids for going prep and not finishing up there high school years in Canada.

I don't know about you but when I walk into the barbershop I don't get upset or irrate when they don't wash my car or give me an oil change. Why is it that some people believe that BASKETBALL organizations should be held responsible for the academic success if their student athletes?? Grassroots and CIA Bounce have a focus which is to train/develop and coach their student athletes and provide them oppurtunities that don't exist in present surroundings. The NCAA has many requirements for each student athlete to be eligible for a D1 scholarship. The main one is that you must obtain "16 core academic credits" to be eligible. While the kids are striving to win a scholarship they are forced to maintain their academics at the same time. It's a travesty that so many organizations get bashed for helping keep a portion of our young kids off the streets and filling them with ambition.

You ARE keeping it real! Well said!

Keep basketball and education separate. When I'm coaching a team, I'm not worried about the ability of my center to solve a differential equation in 5 seconds. I'm worried about him being able to finish around the rim! My job is to make sure he is able to do that - and nothing more.

Too many parents think (not so much in rep, but more in highschool) that the the basketball coach is a replacement parent and is supposed to teach morals, responsibility and life values while the kid is on the court. Hold on! That's a parent's responsibility. A coach is there to teach basketball! If the coach is a good guy and happens to teach your kid a few good life lessons, then that's a bonus. But, that is NOT their primary job.

Why is it that when I walk into a parent-teacher interview that the teacher doesn't give me massage and a hair cut? Oh, I forgot, it's not their job.

Here's an excerpt from a well known sports publication:

"Some other stats that really opened my eyes were the percentage of players who make it to the NBA. I mentioned above only 8% of the top 100 players make it. What about all of the other aspiring players? There are roughly 546,000 high school boys basketball players in the United States. Only 3% of them go on to play in college! Then only 1.2% of that 3% go on to play professionally. That means only .03% of high school players make it to the league! Another eye opener was the cost of 4 year tuition, room and board at some big time basketball schools; Villanova ($196,200), UNC ($118,516), and Michigan State ($130,792). Sometimes I think players forget how valuable their education is!"

So why is important that coaches emphasize academics? Give your head a shake. Teach them basketball, but don't go fillin their heads with hopes of the big time. Goin prep doesn't mean jack! Just means you now compete with the other top players and hope you don't get lost with the thousands of players that play your postition just as well as you do.

I like the optimism, but don't delude these kids. Just help them play their best and if they ask your opinion guide them in a direction that will show real results. A Canadian post secondary education is better than most of the college educations you'll get down south, especially if you end up in a degree programme at any Canadian university. And you don't have to pay those inflated tuition fees in American dollars.

If any of you played high level south of the border, why not tell the players how your dreams ended down there? Did anyone on this line beat the statistics?

Courtside, your head and heart are in the right place. I think every parent and coach reading this will agree with you that a quality education must be in the plan.

However, its not the coach's responsibility to ensure his kids have a good academic plan. He's a coach, not a guidance counselor.

Most schools don't let kids play on any team if their grades are not up to a certain level. So, the school is doing its job. The parents of the players are responsible for the rest. Your family will determine if the risks and costs of going prep will be worth it for you. Do you really think this is a place for a highschool coach to be sticking his nose into? Most of you would resent a highschool coach pushing you one way or the other. I know I would.

Why doesn't your highschool coach tell you which religion you should practice or how often you should go to church? Isn't it important to have good moral values? Doesn't organized religion preach these values? Yes it does. But, is this something that your coach should be guiding you on? Its none of his business.

Similarly, how you choose to study, where you choose to go to school and how you choose to run your life are none of his business.

You make some good points coach. You're right, I don't want coaches telling their players where to practice religion etc. but most coaches don't understand the influence they have on their team or the indivdual players and that could be an issue. Like any person in a position of authority coaches have a responsibility to set an example. Coaches don't have to dictate how players are to live their lives but they may have a significant influence.

When you coach you want your team to represent you as a coach and the community team as well. So when a player act's up on the court, is it your responbility to set them straight on the court or do you leave that to their parents? Do you just ignore their acts or provide a form of discipline? Bench time, miss a game or two? Although maybe not directly, a coach plays a role in a players life on a team that also translates outside the team. That's why we all want our players ballin on the court and not out on the streets learning life lessons, the wrong way.

Alot of players look up to their coaches. Most players remember all their high school, college and rep coaches. If you played at a high level, you remember all the times the coach said "work harder, keep tryin, don't give up, try again, listen, practice makes you better, etc..." Although they hear these lines from their parents (we hope) these are all life lessons they heard from any coach over and over again. Coaches also have to remember the negative comments they dish out too. Those comments probably stay with a player longer than the positive comments.A coach may not be teaching religion or how to have a good academic plan but coaches teach all kinds of other life skills.

Coaches should understand their responsiblility and not play like their some other side line commentator that just wants to win some games. If one of your players asks you your opinion to go to prep school what are you going to say? Ask your parents? Why do you think they come to you in the first place? Because you 're just a coach? If the coach says the player is not good enough do you think the player will still go?? If the coach says the player is good enough, do you think the player will say no, you're wrong coach?? The player WILL take into account your opinion probably as much as their parents. So you don't think you have a role to play in that decision??? You already know the answer and probably don't want that kind of responsiblility. But as a coach you will have an influence, whether you want it or not. I don't blame you for wanting to stay out of their busines and that is a wise position to take but as the expert on the court be prepared when they look to you for guidance.

If any kid asked me my honest opinion of where they stand as a player and if I think they can get to the next level I'd be happy to do that.

My personal experience is that kids (and their parents) don't want to hear the negative. There are so many guys that are already convinced that basketball is their future even though there is no evidence to back it up. I've had more than one set of parents yell, scream and swear at me because I didn't play their kid enough or the kid got benched for some reason. One mother verbally attacked my wife in the bleachers because she thought I wasn't giving her son enough opportunities. Do you really think that parents like that are going to listen to ANYTHING I have to say - related to basketball or otherwise?

There have only been about 5 or 6 kids that I've ever seen that I thought had a real chance at making basketball a career. But there were substantially more that I though could get a free ride through college.

Bottom line is, plan "A" must be a plan for education and some kind of job. Plan "B" is that the stars align and you make it to the NBA.

HoopLa.com I would definitely be interested in going prep. Just tell me what I have to do.

[quote="Canada23"]zone killer, I wonder if you got a degree from a Canadian University because I know it's tough and not for the weak hearted. All the athletes that have gone south of the border for a prep school are helping themselves drastically. Prep is the best thing that has happened for all North American athletes. A place far from all the distractions of friends, girls, and neighborhood boosters. Basketball, class, SAT prep, and preparing for the real world. The only negative side would be Canadian coaches not being able to coach their homegrown talent, too bad. Even coaches in the US go through the same things and they move on. It's actually ironic that Canadian coaches complain more than US coaches who get paid for this and their careers depend on if they can keep their talent from going prep. In the end, the majority of people who go prep will end up with a university degree one way or another. If they were to stay in Canada, the outcome would be different. Can we blame kids for dreaming big, in a way yes but all that starts at home. If they don't have that household influence, then of course they won't be on a Canadian University track(Blame the parents). In Canada if you enter grade 9 and aren't ready for the academic path, your left behind. In the end, i'm not saying that it's impossible to obtain a scholarship from playing in Canada, but if your household doesn't preach academics, your finished. Let the players go prep, learn what real life is, earn a degree, and find work in the real world. Those who are league bound, will go league. It's a simple fact.[/quote]



what dream world are you living in??? Take a look at the percnetage of players goin to prep and actually getting a degree! Its not what you think it is. Its very low. You prolly believe in all the hype that the handlers are feeding you, OR your one of the handlers!!!
Prep should be used for players in certain situations thats all.

ZK - Do you REALLY think that the same guys that can't get a degree going through the prep program were going to become astrophysicists if they stayed in the Candian system?

For many of these guys, if they didn't go prep and "give it a shot", then they probably would have never made it to college or university anyway - no matter where they went. They weren't smart enough to make it, regarless of which country they went to school in. Your point about the percentage of guys getting a degree is mute.

Some of these guys were good enough to get a free ride part/most of the way. In case you'd like to check the latest U of T fee schedule, here's a sample http://www.fees.utoronto.ca/Assets/Student+Accounts+Digital+Assets/schedules/apsc/09-10+apsc+dom+fees.pdf .

To make a long story short, it's about 10K per year for somebody going into engineering, and a little more or less in other programs. This kind of a price tag on a "CANADIAN" education is a HUGE incentive for sombody to try the "free-ride" route down south.

So many people in Canada get useless degrees, just for the sake of saying they got a degree. Does it help them get a job? No. So, if you're one of the people in this group, why wouldn't you give down south a shot? There are millions of people that buy lottery tickets every week and never win. Does that stop them from buying the next one? No. Every kid that is half decent at the game of basketball wants to buy a lottery ticket.

Coach Paul, maybe you should watch the movie Hoop Dreams. How come the private school helped one kid but kicked the other one out for not being able to pay tuition? Then they left him with no transcripts. Not everybody gets a free ride.

Prep is not for every kid. As well, some kids SHOULD NOT be given basketball a chance. Adults need to be a bit realistic with these kids. Your son is a great player and he'll get division I attention, but not every kid can play ball like your son.