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Get Scouted Scouting CareersCoach Geno Auriemma has some serious things to say to the parents of high school-age athletes.
Coach Auriemma sits alone at the top of women’s college basketball. Despite the UConn Huskies suffering a historic upset to Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I women’s basketball semi-finals, Auriemma undoubtedly remains one of the most revered coaches in the sport, women or men.
Post-game recruiting tutorial
Recently, in a post-game press conference, Coach Auriemma talked candidly about the biggest problem in today’s college recruiting. He spoke out how difficult it is to find players who want to be great teammates and work hard to win. A big part of his commentary revolved around parents and their relationship to the problems he currently sees in women basketball prospects.
“Kids inherently want to be good teammates,” he said. “I really believe that with all my heart. Most kids, when they are on a team, I guarantee you, go watch any seven-year-olds or eight-year-olds, they want to be good teammates. You watch them play.”
When they get older and starting having a little bit of success, and the parents get involved, they become not so great teammates because they are told that you are not going to get anywhere unless you shine.”
A lesson for all prep athletes
Auriemma knows. He has watched a lot of youngsters play the game. And through his eyes and words, we see and hear what the best of the best is experiencing. And it is not pretty. Coach Auriemma is being as blunt as blunt can be. Parents everywhere can learn a big lesson, not just in women’s basketball, but in all sports.
“So now, back in the day, we had AAU tournaments. You had to win a certain number of games to qualify for the national championship. And you play on your team, and you had to live in your state or area to play. You played and if you lost you went home and it was devastating,” asserted the Huskies head coach.
Now that’s changed. When they go to these tournaments, they’re not going to win games. They’re going there for the coach to see them exhibit their skills. So this idea of winning for the weekend doesn’t exist anymore. So, it’s not their fault. It’s just the way it is,” he lamented.
We see this every day as NSR scouts. We observe how sports, for the most part, have devolved. The quality of youth, team sports has declined to the lowest common denominator, showcasing individuals.
Athletes Coach Geno Auriemma IDs
Coach Geno Auriemma goes on to say, “And I try, when we go recruiting, to identify those kids who still have an interest in being great teammates. Not always successful. Believe me, I’ve had my share of guys really hard to coach for that reason. And you can trace it back, generally, to the parents, without question, you can trace it back to the parents.”
What will y0u, as a parent of a high school athlete, do with this information? Ignore it or make a change which could in turn alter the course of your athlete’s chances to be a great teammate and perhaps even a great college teammate?
It’s on you.
Note: NSR is the worlds’ leading recruiting authority.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.
I have watched Geno recruit the best young ladies to UCONN year after year and teams are always we and not I, Geno is the best in the women’s game period.
Geno should be a Professor of Human behavior, the man is brilliant !!!
We, in Connecticut, have come to LOVE our UConn women…….we watch “team play” to the highest level…….and look at the BEST players that have played four years in Storrs………Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Rebecca Lobo…….and the list goes on and on…… UConn players could go to any other college to play (more minutes in games) but a true UConn women’s basketball player believes in “team” play and all the great things that are achieved through this system. Not any great high school player could measure up to UConn standards but the recruiting process, though very daunting I’m sure……yields those young ladies who best fit in with the University of Connecticut player system. Dedicated, hard-working, intense practices and national spot light opportunities…….those are what our UConn women possess and deserve…….. no other women’s college basketball program comes close to the UCONN HUSKIES……..ELEVEN National Championships in 22 years…….that says it all!