THE ‘PROCESS” FOR PLAYER RECRUITMENT
THE “PROCESS”
There is a process for getting recruited in the sport of basketball, and at DTX, we have refined that process to the point where over 50 players from our program have gone on to play in college.
The process has been explained to the players dozens of times. Some players follow through, and others do not. This is a recap for players and parents in order to achieve their goals.
The process works like this….
It is my job as the head coach to develop the players on and off the court! That is my job! To get the players to play well enough to garner the attention of college coaches. I am to teach them the proper fundamentals and habits. That is my role in their process.
It is Coach Roman’s role, as the recruiting coordinator, to reach out to college coaches. He will do this in many forms. He will reach out through social media, text messages, phone calls, or in person! It is a tedious task and one that takes great effort due to how many players we have. The time Coach Roman dedicates to this process is immeasurable. He attends numerous seminars, clinics, and camps in order to create and develop relationships with many coaches and organizations like USA Basketball.
Once Coach Roman makes contact with a coach and determines that there is a genuine interest from a coach, he will then reach out to me, and I will contact the coach, usually by phone calls or in person. I am a “closer,” so to speak (if needed).
It is the player who has the most responsibility in this process! It is the player's role not only to be a good player, but to be a great student and to communicate with the coaches. The player MUST be the one who communicates with all the coaches of the schools they would like to attend. The players must have their website maintained and updated. They must be diligent in their communication efforts. The player must also communicate with us, to let us know who they have communicated with and who they have had ignore them.
This is the responsibility of the player!!! They must want this so bad that THEY do the legwork!!! They reach out! They go on social media. The player must do this! Not the parent, not the AAU coach, not the HS coach. We all will do our jobs by initiating contact, but it must also come from the player! The player can’t expect to sit back and have everyone else do the work for them; they must do the work and fulfill their role.
We have a saying at DTX, and it's a well-known saying…"You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink!" We can tell the kids what they need to do and provide a blueprint, but they must do the work. They can’t feel entitled and expect everything to happen for them; they need to make it happen!!
Like Michael Jordan said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen". It emphasizes that the person who really wants it badly enough will get it.
This is the same thing I say at the NIKE PHENOM CAMPS I run, and the same thing I say at all my international and national events.
Some listen and do, others do not.
So, to review….
MY RESPONSIBILITY AS THE HEAD AAU COACH
To develop the player on and off the court!
To create proper habits and provide a blueprint for success that must be followed.
To speak with college coaches as a closer.
COACH ROMAN'S ROLE AS RECRUITING COORDINATOR
To communicate with dozens and dozens of college coaches on behalf of each player who wants to play at the next level.
To communicate with me on those coaches who have a genuine interest.
To provide a blueprint for the players by communicating with them privately and within the group.
PLAYER RESPONSIBILITY
To maintain the proper lifestyle. To have high academic success, stay out of trouble, live a healthy lifestyle, and surround themselves with good people.
To COMMUNICATE!!!! The player MUST communicate with college coaches!!! They can’t expect things to just happen; they must make them happen.
The player MUST communicate with us as well. We must know what each player has done, who they have contacted, and what was said in response.
Must maintain and update their website.
Must continue to develop their skill and basketball IQ by watching games relentlessly. Study the game.
Show a passion and love for the game. There is an “it” factor that is common with all those who overachieve. It’s their ability to make no excuses and do the work. It’s hard to find as a coach, but those players do exist.