Wanna help your child to become a NBA player?

[cordobes]

I'm aware that many of you in these boards have been - more or less recently  -  graced with the priceless joys of fatherhood. So, I'm bringing to your attention an article published in his own blog by Coach Ettore Messina, head coach of CSKA Moscow, four times Euroleague winner and consensually seen worldwide as one of the Great Minds of the game, a brilliant tactician and talent evaluator (and also a fierce dictator, he's Larry Brown on steroids). In this article he addresses the issue of what fathers can and shall do to help their children to become pro athletes.

http://www.sports.ru/blog/messina/4328511.html

In all honesty, I don't think there's something there that will bring up an epiphany to any of you; but I brought it up to have a chance of recommending Coach Messina's blog: http://www.sports.ru/blog/messina/ (all posts have english versions). IMO, it's indispensable for everyone interested in knowing a little more about basketball in general and the intricities of leading a professional basketball team. 

[ACF]

First, ANDERSEN  and now this.
I enjoy your "company" here at CB more
and more with each day that passes.
TP, my man.

[Steve Weinman]

Thanks for posting, cordobes -- I'm always looking for new perspectives and sources of insight...I'll be sure to check out the blog.  Now that you've abandoned the points of ellipsis-based posts, your wonderful work returns! 

-sw

[cdif911]

interesting read, and one thing I really took out of it is the advice that I think many many parents need to hear, before a kid is about 14 or 15, he/she should not be doing more than 4 sessions of a sport a week - its way too much on him/her.  I think more kids who could be great athletes end up burning out and not wanting to do it anymore, for mental reasons, than anything (PS I hate parents who force a sport on their kids, its not fair for anyone and everyone including the team, parents, player, coach, end up getting burned by it)

if my (hypothetical) kid is 6'7 and seems to like basketball, I'll encourage him to play, if he hates it and wants to play piano or something, yes my hoop dreams go away, but I'll still let him do what he wants....as long as he stays a good student of course

[bdm860]

Hold your kid back a year, then your kid (hopefully) will appear more advanced and further developed than the other kids in his/her class.  It worked for OJ Mayo and Bill Walker (but I think they might have made it anyway).

At first I didn't know about this article, how shallow is it to push your kids toward professional sports anyway, but after reading it I was impressed.  Didn't agree with everything the guy said, but he came off intelligent and insightful and didn't push his views.  It definitely wasn't the shallow push-your-kids-towards-professional-sports-so-you-can-cash-in-on-that-winning-lottery-ticket article I was expecting, but it was more like if-your-really-going-to-push-your-kids-to-be-pros-this-is-way-that-will-cause-the-least-harm-when-they-don't-succeed.