About Alan Parham 
A friend asked me, “What is today’s recruiting enemy #1?” The answer is simple and easy to identify. And it’s maddening, too. As a college scout for 13-plus years, I have watched families kill so much time. So my friend, what is recruiting enemy #1? It is without question wasted time. Parents vs. the Problem … Read more
Parents can repel college coaches, for sure. Every community has them. Nobody wants them. Hovering over practices, games, matches, meets and scrimmages, they cast a dark cloud wherever they go. They bug the heck out of coaches, organizations, officials, other parents, and even the kids. It is a shame, really, because sports should be fun for … Read more
Team moms are the unsung heroines in youth sports. They do the peripheral work a coach has no time for. They assist in ways few people would undertake. And they do it all with a smile and a hug for the young athletes they so dutifully and lovingly serve. The Ultimate Doers Team moms work … Read more
Free throw shooting in basketball. Why is it so tough to consistently do well? After all, a player is standing still, 15 feet away from a non-moving target, holding the ball and with nobody defending. Why are so many players simply awful at this essential skill of the game? Since you asked, I have a couple … Read more
“Do your job!” This is something football fans are accustomed to hearing from two of the sport’s preeminent coaches. “Do your job” reminds even the best Both the New England Patriots and Alabama Crimson Tide head coaches, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, respectively, repeat this mantra over and again to their teams. Apparently, it works, … Read more
The best coaches are unquestionably unique individuals. Likewise, they are distinctive in the way they approach their sport and their athletes. Many never played sports competitively beyond high school. Most teach, or taught, classes other than physical education. Yet to a person, they have a fire burning internally which fuels their drive to coach and … Read more
Coach 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 … Read more
Basketball recruiting in April is big, if not enormous, for college coaches and high school prospects. Two crucial weekends Two weekends, in particular, present outstanding opportunities. From April 21-23 and 28-30, special individual and team showcase events happen across the United States. Consequently, that is when things get serious in basketball recruiting. Coaches see large … Read more
New NCAA football rules announced April 14 signal course changes in the FBS’s handling of camps, practices and recruiting. The rules primarily address these Association’s concerns: Prospects’ well-being during recruiting Players’ safety Players’ health Coaches? They get some relief on the front end of recruiting. However, they will be hard-pressed to get the same work … Read more
The final NCAA signing period starts the day after tomorrow, April 12. There will be a whole lot of happy high school seniors. Time to celebrate Signing parties will be held in gymnasiums and libraries across the U.S., as well as in many foreign countries. Families, teammates, friends and fans will join to celebrate. Parents … Read more
