General curiosity - Basketball Private School related

[Superiorwitt]

If you have a child who has shown an early aptitude at Basketball in particular.. What would be the path to eventually getting them to some of the better athletic schools in the area? ie a Dematha, O'Connell, Paul VI, Sidwell, Albans etc. Is it just enrolling the child early on and seeing how things play out, or consistently attending camps at the school, other?

(if its ok, will also crosspost in the basketball forum)

Open to insights and perspectives. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

AAU circuit. The coaches will find out about them if the “aptitude” is as good as you suggest.

[Anonymous]

AAU is what matters. Get on the right teams with the right coaches.

The top basketball schools (including a few on your list) recruit nationally. Yes I said nationally.

[Anonymous]

How did St Albans get on that list??

[Anonymous]

For the Catholic schools, the CYO 8th Grade League is an opportunity to get noticed. The Catholic high schools host tournaments with the express purpose of seeing where the best players are in the Catholic K8's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholic schools, the CYO 8th Grade League is an opportunity to get noticed. The Catholic high schools host tournaments with the express purpose of seeing where the best players are in the Catholic K8's.

LOL. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did St Albans get on that list??

They recruit. They have a 6’8 freshman from China on varsity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAU circuit. The coaches will find out about them if the “aptitude” is as good as you suggest.

Advice for getting on an AAU team.

[Anonymous]

Camps at the school will do nothing. Bear in mind that an "early aptitude" if you are talking about a kid who is younger than 12 or 13 is a poor predictor of high school aptitude. If you are talking about an early elementary aged kid their current ability is almost worthless as a predictor of high school ability. Prepubescent boys can demonstrate coordination and speed, but kids who seemed very fast and coordinated at like 7 or 8 are frequently flatten out in comparative talent by 11 or 12. Kids develop at different rates and as "early aptitude" kids get older, their peers will often catch up and sometimes far surpass them. Most of the kids who were the stars of my kid's 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade basketball teams stopped playing in middle school. Meanwhile, my kid hit a growth spurt in middle school and is still playing in high school.

And that's the other big unknown before puberty: body/build/size/strength. Unless you and your spouse are very very tall (or your prepubescent kid is already very very tall) there is really no predicting size and strength post-puberty both of which are key in basketball--particularly in the DMV where every high school is very competitive, but especially so those that you mentioned.

All of this to say that you should try to lower your expectations, which will only place unnecessary pressure on your kid. It would suck for you and the kid if you enroll him in a $50k school in 3rd grade with the expectation that it will lead to D1 college recruitment. That's a big investment for a lottery-like chance at getting any real playing time at one of the top basketball high schools in the DMV. It's not easier to getting playing time at a top high school just because you happen to already be at the school -- these schools recruit.

So you should send your kid to the school that you think is the right fit for him now (in terms of academics and other needs), let him tryout for the area's top AAU teams, and see where it goes. If he turns out to be a great prospect in middle school, the high schools you mention will find him. If not, you saved him and yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and expense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Camps at the school will do nothing. Bear in mind that an "early aptitude" if you are talking about a kid who is younger than 12 or 13 is a poor predictor of high school aptitude. If you are talking about an early elementary aged kid their current ability is almost worthless as a predictor of high school ability. Prepubescent boys can demonstrate coordination and speed, but kids who seemed very fast and coordinated at like 7 or 8 are frequently flatten out in comparative talent by 11 or 12. Kids develop at different rates and as "early aptitude" kids get older, their peers will often catch up and sometimes far surpass them. Most of the kids who were the stars of my kid's 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade basketball teams stopped playing in middle school. Meanwhile, my kid hit a growth spurt in middle school and is still playing in high school.

And that's the other big unknown before puberty: body/build/size/strength. Unless you and your spouse are very very tall (or your prepubescent kid is already very very tall) there is really no predicting size and strength post-puberty both of which are key in basketball--particularly in the DMV where every high school is very competitive, but especially so those that you mentioned.

All of this to say that you should try to lower your expectations, which will only place unnecessary pressure on your kid. It would suck for you and the kid if you enroll him in a $50k school in 3rd grade with the expectation that it will lead to D1 college recruitment. That's a big investment for a lottery-like chance at getting any real playing time at one of the top basketball high schools in the DMV. It's not easier to getting playing time at a top high school just because you happen to already be at the school -- these schools recruit.

So you should send your kid to the school that you think is the right fit for him now (in terms of academics and other needs), let him tryout for the area's top AAU teams, and see where it goes. If he turns out to be a great prospect in middle school, the high schools you mention will find him. If not, you saved him and yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and expense.

This is the right answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholic schools, the CYO 8th Grade League is an opportunity to get noticed. The Catholic high schools host tournaments with the express purpose of seeing where the best players are in the Catholic K8's.

This is a very sweet thought but this is not how players at the actually good schools are found.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAU circuit. The coaches will find out about them if the “aptitude” is as good as you suggest.

Advice for getting on an AAU team.

1. Do research on AAU basketball teams. Not all of them are created equal. Research, then research some more.

2. Send your kid to tryouts.

3. At the same time, your kid needs to be playing select basketball in your town or county. House or A House league will not cut it. CYO basketball it you go to a Catholic school will not cut it.

If your kid makes the Select team, talk to other parents and the coaches. They know the right teams for your kid to be on.

Good basketball players (even good ones who won't be good enough for their high school teams!) are on multiple teams at the same time. It's how basketball works.

[Anonymous]

Also you need to take this to the basketball forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAU circuit. The coaches will find out about them if the “aptitude” is as good as you suggest.

Advice for getting on an AAU team.

Be good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the Catholic schools, the CYO 8th Grade League is an opportunity to get noticed. The Catholic high schools host tournaments with the express purpose of seeing where the best players are in the Catholic K8's.

Adorable.