Evansville @ Wichita State

[Ricardo del Rio]

Mr. Sharpe,

With rapt attention, I await your reply to Ace Dad's last post.

[Sharpe]

To the poster who asked if I had ever attended a game with parents:

Both my boys played very competitive AAU basketball. Each played in a program with future D1 and in several cases, NBA players. Can you imagine the number of AAU games I attended from 1995-2004? Parents were sitting next to me for over 200 AAU games.

Both my sons were high school starters as Sophomores. One in Kansas and the other in Virginia. That is six winning seasons between them. Each played in a high school state championship game. The older son's team won the title game. The younger son's team lost the title game. Parents sat next to me for over 140 high school games. My older son had four teammates who received D1 scholarships. My younger son had four teammates who received D1 scholarships. Can you imagine the number of high school games I attended with parents who were concerned about their player's future?

During 3 of these years, I ran a Message Board on Virginia Preps called "Ask Basketball Dad" where I helped players and parents navigate college basketball recruiting. I literally received and answered emails from parents and players in the Washington DC and East Coast region. Can you imagine the number of email and phone conversations I had with parents about their player. I still get emails from friends of friends of parents, based on this connection.

My oldest son was a college athlete for five years. He used basketball as a tool to get his degree. My youngest son was a college athlete for 3 years. He failed to use basketball as a tool to get his degree. My oldest son played basketball overseas for four years. Can you imagine how many games I attended and sat next to other parents? (Approximately 35).

Last year I went to a funeral in Lawrence, KS for the wife of a former AAU coach (JUCO All American) and in attendance were the former players and parents from a 15 year period. Most of their sons had already completed college basketball or their playing days were over. As we caught up, I do not remember the conversations being about how many games we won or how many tournaments we attended or who made the NCAAs or who made the NBA. When parents talk, it is about their player's life decisions and goals.

Following is part of a letter I sent to a sports writer in October 2001 who was criticizing Jim Crews. Note the last sentence:

"There are about 326 Division 1 basketball programs. Not all of them can win. Not all of them can have a "high RPI." Not all of them can go to the "big dance." But each program can be competitive on the floor and graduate a high percentage of athletes prepared for the real world - a world after college basketball. Most parents are less concerned about the NBA and more concerned about their boys being prepared for life filled with other acronyms - AMA, ABA, MBA, GRE, GMAT, MCAT - so they can get a JOB one day. "

So yeah, I have

Ace Dad, I was obviously being a little facetious when I asked you if you had ever been to a game as I did see your name and I respect the way you have treated the process of putting your kids through school but it's hard for me to hear you say that parents are just above everything when it comes to sports. Some of the first really eye-opening experiences of my life were when I was younger and reffing and umping games, especially the softball games. A friend of mine who I was doing a game with, probably 16 at the time, was behind the plate and a dad didn't like his strike zone much and he was all over him through most of the game (not too uncommon) but after the game when my friend was opening his truck door the guy came over and got in his face and my friend was surprised at first and taken aback but then when he gathered himself he wasn't having any of it and so he told the guy where he could go and what he could do and that obviously didn't make the guy any happier and he looked like he was maybe going to hit him but his wife grabbed him and he realized how crazy things had gotten. That was the worst of the things that happened but parents were often incredibly uncivil.

I understand that those kind of confrontations don't happen when the kids get older and are in college but that doesn't mean the parents start to not care about the sports and only about the education and the future. I was at a WSU volleyball game a couple of years ago and we were sitting behind a couple of parents and the mom hated coach Lamb and couldn't believe that her daughter wasn't playing in front of some of the other girls and I know this because she could have been a little more subtle about it, snide remarks and sounds of huffing and exasperation when she would see the coach or someone else go in who wasn't her daughter.

I'm sorry but I think that it's just silly for you to have parents under the media on your list about who cares about the outcome of games just because they also care about education like they have to pick one or the other and are above all bias and reporach when it comes to oppinions. I think it's rediculous that you think that WSUbballer is biased (of course he is) but that you couldn't possibly be in the slightest.

[WuShockNation]

Wow you really gonna play the Im better than you because my kid played D 1 basketball card. Pretty lame.

[sixth ace]

Wow you really gonna play the Im better than you because my kid played D 1 basketball card. Pretty lame.

I'd say he played the 'i've already walked 1500 miles in those type shoes, let me share my experience' card

[Ace Dad]

Wow you really gonna play the Im better than you because my kid played D 1 basketball card. Pretty lame.

"Nation", I am not better than you. My basketball experiences are more than yours. I choose to share. Other basketball parents who read this board as guests appreciate me doing so. My board personna is to be a know-it-all and slightly arrogant. In the real world you would like drinking a beer with me.

I cannot fix a toilet, change the oil in my car, sync my remote control with the cable channels, or explain why dogs still turn in circles before having a bowel movement. But, I have forgotten more about basketball development, recruiting, and the transition to college than you will learn the next five years. When I was your age I learned from people with different experiences. Raise a couple of college players, spend thousands of hours with the game, and then we will talk.

We both have something in common: academics. I sense you are a college student. I teach graduate level studies. Now, time for you to study for your Chemistry test.