As we close out 2009, we look back on the Company’s progress as well as the progress of many of the young players we interact with at 94Fifty events or that we train at our training facility in Massachusetts.   It’s remarkable to watch players improve so quickly when progress is visible and meaningful.   We train a number of players from as young as the 4^th grade up to the college level, but it is clear to me that there are no more important numbers for any player or parent hopeful of playing at the high school or college level than 6, 7 and 8.  As in the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade.

Why these grades?   These are the separation years – some kids are ahead of others due solely to early growth.  They can dominate due to size, or physical differences.     But what happens in these years for shooting and ballhandling skill development are by far the most important signs for future success.  Unfortunately, too many parents and players get caught up in what is happening during their travel team or junior high school games than whether the right progress is being made with critical skills.

For those players that haven’t grown yet, it is an amazing opportunity for you to set the stage for high school.  Many of those bigger players are becoming complacent – they may not be working on their skills, instead assuming that they will continue to grow at a similar rate.  Little do they realize that you will be taller than them in just a year or two and wondering how it is that you can now move at will on the court while they seem stuck under the basket.

For those parents that think simply because your child is doing well on the court in the 7^th grade, don’t make the mistake of forecasting that success into high school.   It can end quickly – we have seen it happen time and again.  Now is the time to begin implementing your strategies for maximizing high school playing time and performance.

These are critical years because they determine whether a player makes varsity as a freshman/sophomore or as a junior/senior.    Time moves so quickly from the Jr. High years to High School that most players and parents have no idea what has happened when all of a sudden they seem to be in the middle of the pack in High School with limited minutes.    These three years, more than any other, are the ones that determine how successful your high school and college dreams will become.