This is my first-ever post on this site but I wanted to echo most of what Web wrote earlier. My two sons are Reeves and Raymond Nelson. While Ray has yet to garner as much attention as his older brother, most of you are probably aware that Reeves has verbally committed to play basketball at U.C.L.A. after his senior year at Modesto Christian High School.
Speaking on behalf of Reeves, I was confident that, at age 12, he would play college sports, with the free education that comes with a full-ride scholarship. What I wasn't sure of, at that time, was whether that scholarship would come in football, basketball, or baseball, since Reeves played all three sports at a pretty high level. When I estimated that Reeves was likely to grow to 6'8" (which, in fact, is his current height), I certainly encouraged him to focus primarily on basketball. To say the least, Reeves has been incredibly blessed. Not just with the physical gifts to play the game of basketball but, just as importantly, with several gentleman that have assisted Reeves in not only learning the game, but in becoming a man.
Reeves really began to learn and understand the game of basketball through his 7th grade coach, Dennis Wilhelm (the father of our starting point guard). At that time, the only person that I paid for basketball was Reeves' first travel ball coach, Darryl Dickson, and that was for Reeves' portion of tournament entry fees. While in Junior High, Darryl was the first experienced coach to confirm to me that Reeves was likely to be an exceptional player, and he communicated that to my son. I also paid for a few basketball camps in the early days, most notably Gary Porter's camp at Modesto Christian. Local to where we live, Modesto Christian has been the most successful boys basketball program for the past 10+ years. Without compromising on education or our faith, Reeves moved from Big Valley Christian School to Modesto Christian starting in the 9th grade. The choice to change schools was primarily made by me, with the knowledge that Modesto Christian had graduated several scholarship athletes since Coach Porter took over the program. Quite simply, by changing schools I hoped to optimize Reeves' chance of playing college basketball on a full-ride scholarship. While that may have still occurred at Big Valley, I am of the opinion that playing with and against the best competition is invaluable in becoming the best player that one can be. After 9th grade, and playing 20+ games with the varsity, Coach Porter took a few players to Kentucky for, what was then, Tubby Smith's basketball camp. It was at that camp that Reeves received his first full-ride scholarship offer. I mention this because Reeves was still just 14 years old. Pretty heady stuff, needless to say. As Reeves' parents, it was (and still is) our job to remind him to be humble, and that he is blessed to be in the position that he is in.
As I'm sure Web and others will agree, perhaps the main ingredient to becoming a very good basketball player simply has to do with playing the game. At the level that Reeves and many others play, basketball cannot be a part-time hobby. To play well, basketball cannot just be played from November until your team gets bounced out of the playoffs (if you even make it that far). Successful programs and players play basketball year-round. Players need to work on all aspects of their games, strengths and weaknesses, with special emphasis on fundamentals. If your child is going to be good, they have to play the game. As for Reeves, he has been playing year-round since the 8th grade. It is his dedication to getting better (along with his natural gifts), and competing, that has made Reeves the player that he is today. Without question, if your son wants to improve as a basketball player and increase his chances of getting a scholarship, he needs to get on a travel team. While all travel teams are not created equal, your son simply needs to play. As for elite travel teams, generally speaking, if your son is good enough he will be found. In the meantime, get him on a team. I paid for tournaments, travel, hotels, and food in the early days just like most parents. Reeves has played travel ball with the Central Valley Hornets, Modesto Slam-N-Jam, Oakland Soldiers, and Pump-N-Run Elite. It was only by playing with the local talent that Reeves was discovered, so to speak, and invited to play with the Soldiers (and a fantastic coach in Lou Richie, with additional, much appreciated input and help from Carl Foster). While our experience with the Soldiers was incredible, after one year we decided to have Reeves play for Pump-N-Run Elite, having been invited to play with several of the top-ranked players in the country. Of course, not every player is going to be invited to play with the Soldiers or the Pumps. These are invitation-only teams. But if your son works hard and stays dedicated to being the best player that he can be, that is the true blessing that he will provide to whatever team he plays for. If a coach you trust believes that some extra, paid-for training would be appropriate for your son, write a check if you can. Keep in mind that boys mature at vastly different ages. Reeves was 11.5 lbs when he was born, so it wasn't hard to figure out that he was going to be a pretty big kid. Your son might be undersized, relative to his teammates, but that says nothing of his heart. There are players in the N.B.A. right now that aren't great athletes. What those players possess, though, is the heart and desire to play at the highest level. Through that sheer willpower, they have developed the skills necessary to play with and against the best players in the world. I tell every player I meet that they are good enough to play in the N.B.A. if they are willing to work hard enough to achieve that goal. Your son may develop early or he may develop late. Regardless of that time frame, it is his hard work that will pay dividends in the end.
The last thing I would like to stress to every parent, especially those that have children that are good at sports, is to simply let your kids be kids. If your child is good enough, through his hard work and dedication, to receive a free college education by playing basketball, regardless of division, God bless him. Please keep in mind, however, that if you think your son has what it takes to play college basketball, life is far too short to focus solely on that. Basketball is great but it should only be part of their lives. There has to be a balance, generally, if you want a happy and productive son (who happens to be a player). If a player is focused, I firmly believe that they can get their basketball work done in a couple of hours each day (maybe slightly more if they are mature enough to be lifting weights). This leaves quite a bit of free time to study, do chores, and hang out with family and friends. If Reeves continues to be blessed, he may get a chance to play basketball for 20 more years. That leaves a lot of life to live after his playing days are over.
