Yes, good article, and people who argue "it is just 'hearsay' that the US experience is always great" should take this on-board.

Sounds like his daughter had a hard time of it, lot of generlisations in there.

I appreciate the fact that he has expressed his own family's college experience and I am always keen to read about others too.

Good, bad or indifferent, no matter what you do in life you can end up in situations you regret or enjoy.

Due diligence and care always needs to be considered first, I think the message is that if it all works for the kid going overseas they can benefit greatly, sometimes it isn't that way!

That's life...

wasn't meant to be a boti bashing post...

just highlights the college system and what some have experienced...

for me as an avid baller whom always wanted to go to the us to play high school/college ball its very interesting and eye opening and of course take everything with a grain of salt...

^^Correct observation $Grov

As the parent of a child in freshman year at a D2 school in the mid US, this is a perfectly reasonable article with some general observations about the college system.

In particular the "Coach is God" part of it is both a strength and weakness of the system ... coaches are paid professionals dependant on their record, whereas the kids are amateurs trying to study for a degree at the same time. This by definition introduces tensions that are not always positive ... personal observation is that the college system also allows coach behaviours that would not be tolerated in our system.

Having recently visited the US for the first time to see things first hand, everything Boti says is pretty much spot on.

It ain't for everyone, but many kids get a fabulous and rewarding experience (no I don't know the positive/negative ratio either).

In short - just make sure you (and your child) go into it eyes wide open.

as a person who spent 3 years at a small div 2 school and coming up through the ranks in australia i wasnt warned of what to expect.
yes the coach is god, but if your not strong enough go home.
parents and students pick the right school, make sure the coach whom recruited you is there when you arrive as mine wasn't.
i would recommend the you kids step outside there comfort zone and play seniors in local comps with different groups to learn some life experince before heading over there only being around the same people your whole junior playing lives.

^Anon above - huh did you even read the article dude ?

I repeat - as a parent of a child just into the college system this year, everything Boti observes is pretty much spot on.

He is not criticising the system at all - just observing that parents and kids need to be aware of what is expected.

The training every day of the week is a reality, pretty much at any level of the NCAA and NAIA. If you don't like that sort of workload, you won't last.

A potential recruit pretty much needs to be a basketball tragic and workaholic to survive in the college system - and those that do have a ball (pun intended) and reap some fabulous rewards - lifelong friends, new experiences, travel to many US states, in general positive personal development etc etc.

I repeat again - do your research, go into it eyes wide open.

Anon #910

Most of the NBL players I can think of who regularly get tagged as being 'lazy' went to college. Which players were you referring to in particular?

And Boti has interviewed more players who're in or been through the NBL over his years. I'm sure he has a pretty broad idea of their college experiences.

The article seemed pretty general to me, much more focus on negatives than positives. My experience chatting to college grads is a pretty decent number call it the "time of their life", with others all away down the spectrum to "worst time of my life".

Like almost anything in life it comes down to the situation you end up in and what you make of it, some of that you can control and some of it you can't.

Having had my child graduate recently after four years at college and go on to play professionally we have nothing but high praise and by the way so does he about his college experience.

You really need to do your homework and go into it with your eyes wide open as it is tough and not for everyone.

Make sure you do your homework and I mean diligently as to where you send them. Make sure the coach is going to be there the whole time your child is and sometimes that is easier said than done. Nothing worse being recruited by one coach only to have another come in and you don't fit into their plans, we have seen that happen many times.

Send them to a college where they will get court time and not sit on the pine for three out of the four years as some coaches only like to play the upper class men.

A bigger school doesn't necessarily mean it's a better school. Going to a college with 20,000 students and getting lost in the system when you have to maintain a high GPA as well as train every day is tough so make sure it fits your schooling plus basketball needs.

Visit the schools you are looking at with your child. You get a great sense of belonging and if the fit is right. Gut feeling plays a huge part in the decision.

Make sure your child knows and understands what is expected of them. It is not a walk in the park or frat party heaven. You have to maintain a certain GPA. You are away at games so miss some classes so you have to catch up. You train most days and maybe even twice a day. You are away from family and friends so you miss Christmas with them, birthdays, weddings and special occasions, it really is tough.

But on the positive side you are getting a free education. You are playing against tough opposition day in and day out. You are seeing a lot of America and if lucky get to play in a different country as part of a tour. You may make it to the NCAA tourney. You make lifelong friends and you come away with a degree which will come in handy after your basketball life.

But your child will get homesick so be prepared to fly over and spend some time with them to help them through that down period. Skype is your best friend, just being able to see them when you are chatting to them helps so much.

It isn't for everyone and even if your child goes for a year or two and decides to come home there is nothing wrong with that. Better to have tried than to live in wonder and regret not having given it a go.

It has been the best experience for our son, he has his degree and now plays professionally. His four years flew by so as you wave your child off to start his or her freshman year thinking four years is a long time, believe me it does go quickly. Good luck to them I hope they have the same wonderful experiences as our son and many of his friends male and female that went at the same time he did.

Ok I've placed 6 of my players into the college/high school system in the last 10 years , all the HS players got recruited to College. They played in colleges ranging from a 8000 average crowd in D1, to a less than 200 in D2. 2 did not end up playing for their recruiting head coach as they moved on before year 1 started. 2 were redshirted, 2 changed colleges to get out of unbelievable situations, 1 absolutely should have but did not, 5 out of 6 ended up as starters by their junior year. All graduated.

I have less close experience of some 4 others who were not coached by me here in OZ, but whose experiences I knew of through their parents approaching me for advice re what their children were experiencing in the US.

I'd say I have more first hand experience that Boti and I have to say that Boti is absolutely right.

so an "anonymous" wants to know who I am !!!??? - - If you have to ask - while posting anonymously yourself - then I would suggest you need more from me than even I could provide to lift you from being a little bit "clueless".

That may well be a little bit harsh - bluntly it not really important to me what opinion an anonymous poster has on any forum. by the way , there's a number 7 and 8 players from my old club going to the US soon. One I actually never really coached in the older juniors ( 5 seasons in u/10s don't really count) and is going over to a prep high school but the stronger kid is going straight to College.

Lute used to bring his Arizona teams out here almost every 2 years ( was then the max OS trips allowed by the NCAA rules) and he did have a good reputation as a players coach over here - used to do "coaches clinics" at the AIS using the AIS boys - good way to avoid the NCAA recruiting restrictions. Did not know Martin had a less than great time with him -

As I said - Boti is fairly spot on in his article.

As @Very Old has pointed out ... situations can vary significantly ... and be affected by the annual coaching round about.

Not great to be recruited by one coach but then find that coach has left by the time your start ... but not an uncommon occurrence.

I think the three key things are:
1. Do your research (parent & child)
2. Timing is everything in being recruited - if you know the system you can find the best opportunities
3. As with the game itself, you just need a little bit of luck to end up in a positive environment

And final comment for anyone interested - do not discount NCAA Div II, it's still great basketball and the schools still have great facilities. My child was happy to settle for Div II but get more court time and couldn't be happier. Don't let the bright lights of Div I dazzle you unless you a really that good.

And many Div II schools tend to be much smaller so it's much more of a community/family atmosphere within the college. For many Oz kids away from friends and family back here, that helps.

Totally agree CR. My son attends a Div 2 school where 90% of the students play sport. He has a great coach where he has played around 20 minutes right from his freshman year. He plays in a strong conference where most of the top teams would beat the weaker div 1 conference teams. Focus on the feel of the college, the coaches, community and quality of the education and finally if kids are getting court time and feel part of a team they are less likely to get homesick.

First of all, senior night isn't the last game, it's the last home game. Well done Boti on getting that wrong already.
Secondly, white coach shakes black player. Why make it racial? Another great point Boti, especially as I've seen similar crap in Adelaide.
Thirdly, seen players dragged at home for not running a play they got told to run even despite a score and a change in defence.
All in all, the moral of his story is that they didn't do enough research and stuck it out when possibly his daughter could have transferred and enjoyed her time elsewhere. Seems like he's just upset over his daughter not getting the treatment or minutes he may feel.
Oh and from the blokes I know who have been or are attending college the only issues they have had with coaching has been talked out separately away from the team, and dealt with maturely by both parties.

"First of all, senior night isn't the last game, it's the last home game. Well done Boti on getting that wrong already."
"Senior Night - the last home game at every college - is huge for the players involved."

Classic. Def miss read that part haha

...huh? I was quoting that to correct Ricey, whom I quoted immediately before that.

As for the Anonymous above that trying to argue that college basketball can't possibly be a bad option because it's widely available on TV...what the hell?

@ Koberulz,
Hope you don't mind me asking but did you previously post on this forum as Ingles 13 ?
I have noticed a lot of similarities.

I've never posted anywhere under that name.