Summer ball
Have you ever wondered what your favorite college player does during the summer to improve his game?
First, he usually attends summer school to stay eligible and on track for graduation. While in summer school there are countless hours spent in the weight room or on the track to improve strength and conditioning. Next is skill development (shooting, ball-handling, etc.) Last is game competition, and that includes pick-up games, summer leagues or a foreign tour – and that's what I'm writing to tell you about.
As Greg Oden and Kevin Durant waited to hear their names called by David Stern as the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in this year's NBA draft, I waited, watched and evaluated the draft with 12 young men, 10 currently playing Division I basketball, who I would be coaching in the Jones Cup.
The Jones Cup is one of the premier international tournaments and is in its 29th year as a FIBA competition serving as a final prep for many countries trying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in China.
After a week of training, we would be off to Taiwan to represent Athletes in Action (AIA) and the United States. We would play nine games in nine days against national teams from the Philippines, Qatar, Korea, Jordan, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Japan, Taiwan and Iran. Most of the players we would face were older, stronger and much more experienced (professionals), and most had played together for six months or more.
I would serve as head coach and be assisted by Mo Michalski, of AIA – formerly the head coach of Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn. – and Jason Beschta of Moorhead College. Our players (Brian Asbury, Cliff Hammonds, Bradley Harris, Todd Hendley, Darris Nichols, Eric and Tim Pollitz, Alex Ruoff, Donald Sloan, Reed Rawlings, Tyler Wilkerson and Zack Gibson) came from 10 different colleges (Miami, Clemson, Lee University, UNC-Wilmington, West Virginia, Miami of Ohio, Texas A&M, Samford, Marshall and Michigan, respectively) and represented nine different conferences.
When this team departed for Taiwan it did not include any sure-fire lottery picks for next year's draft. One day you pull that switch and the light bulb goes on. I have been blessed because I saw it happen on two different occasions while coaching Patrick Ewing and Rumeal Robinson at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School. Sometimes it happens on a trip like this.
And that's one of the reasons why coaches such as Bob Huggins, Oliver Purnell, Frank Haith and John Beilein encourage their players to go on these summer tours. Summer competition really shows a coach how committed a player is to the sport and his overall development. First, it's the players' responsibility to raise the money. For our trip, each player and staff member, including myself, had to raise $2,400. The players had to humble themselves by asking friends, family, school supporters and local organizations for tax deductible contributions. This year one of the guys (Tyler Wilkerson) participated in a family fish fry to come up with the necessary funds.
Another reason coaches like trips like this is that players get the opportunity to work on their games and hone their skills in front of other experienced college coaches. The things their own coach might work on from October through March can be reinforced in the offseason.
During the three weeks of practice and competition for the Jones Cup, our players would have a chance to see how they measured up against other Division I players, as well as international competition. In the end, they all would have a better understanding of the game and what they needed to work on.
Not only would individual games improve, but the overseas experience provided a cultural, social and spiritual experience of a lifetime. While in Taiwan, the team and staff spent two days at an orphanage for boys, teaching them about basketball and life. We were also able to treat the boys to their first live basketball game. It was an experience the kids and players will never forget, and it was extra special because we overcame a 22-point halftime deficit to win our game against Kazakhstan.
During the final days of our trip, I had the opportunity to have lunch with the assistant basketball coach from Iran. We exchanged some ideas and philosophies about the game and our value systems. The Iranian coach spoke passionately about how the game has grown in his country and how academics have taken a back seat to the lure of money and fame.
He said that at one time, Iranian players had to earn a university degree before they could play for the National Team, but that rule no longer existed. He went on to say that the average Iranian parent is more interested in the level that their sons play at, and less interested in their sons' total development – both as a student in school and as a student of the game. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
When the tournament came to a close, we ended up in a three-way tie for third with a 5-4 record. We played hard, played unselfishly and improved daily while representing AIA and the United States with dignity and class.
As you watch any or all of the young men who went on this trip, or players who went on other summer tours, I hope you will have an expanded appreciation for what each student-athlete does during his summer break. And, if you would like to learn more about Athletes in Action, visit the AIA website at AIA.com.
