Reclassifying is about Dominating

Reclassifying is when a student-athlete and their parents make a conscious choice to be “held
back” in high school (and in some states, as early as middle school) USA Today High School
sports article. The purpose is to increase the coach’s team value and rain supreme as tournament
champions in some AAU organizations on the east coast.

This style of play destroys children’s egos from taking a beating on the court. It
is difficult to watch as a parent as your child’s ego becomes deflated after getting embarrassed on
the court by older players. There are sophomores in the AAU tournaments in high school playing
on the A team vs. B team with legit middle school age players.

During the week, you take your child to practices and skill development sessions with an
instructor to prepare them for the game. Then, get put into the game but make a mistake and then
pull right out of the game. He hoped to have a significant impact only to replace him with the kid
the squad just picked up for the tournament. Can you imagine a teenager getting outplayed by
another child who looks older only to get ranked higher in level or classification?

Hard work beats talent if hard work is outworking the talent. It appears reclassifies outplay hard
work and talent with regard to AAU Basketball.  It’s all about winning and putting on a showcase that display kids
ability, and sometimes a fast break can look like a Lakers show.  A freshman playing on JV
level with his high school team is doing a finger roll to the basket on an 8th grader in the AAU.

As a teenager, to have that rewarding feeling of confidence and self-esteem brought on by the
coaches who see you—presenting you with offers to play for their team as you appear to become
a possible threat on the court to other opponents. Mom and dad cheer on and decide that if he
reclassifies next year, he can dominate that grade level again and get looked at by recruiters to
attend a big named Div-1 school.

here is still life after basketball, which you
must prepare yourself for when the lights are off, and there’s no one in the stands anymore.

Is it the parents’ influence to control the kid’s dream to reclass as their way to live through the
child’s imagination? To the teenager having to deal with that decision to reclassify, what happens
if it doesn’t work out as you hoped, and choices you have to make can affect your dream.

What about the education part that influences the business of basketball? Don’t get behind on
your education to be the floor general on the court.  There is still life after basketball, which you
must prepare yourself for when the lights are off, and there’s no one in the stands anymore.

What’s the problem with playing against someone your age or playing on your level that will
make you better?

Basketball is easy; life is hard! remember today’s decisions, which will affect your life down the road.

In High School and working in the professional basketball business, all the best high school
players would perform at either the legendary five-star basketball recruit camp or the ABCD
camp at Fairleigh Dickerson University. The best high school ballplayers from around the
country would come to demonstrate their skills in front of college recruiters and some possible
NBA scouts at these camp. It was the best against the best of basketball athletes, and performing
in that camp, would get your child’s name recognized as an elite level player and top in their state.

The High School level of basketball AAU tournaments appears to be regulated by teams’ dominance
over the age limits that teams can compete in.  As a parent, I have
witnessed the mental anguish in a child who just played and was defeated by an
overbearing team of all-stars that should be competing at the next level. There would be more
competition levels and even playing levels to compete, and plenty of colleges and scouts
for everyone to get the chance to potentially play. Basketball is easy; life is hard! remember today’s
decisions, which will affect your life down the road.