"I'm going to Disney World!"
Well, almost.
A big hello to everyone from sunny Orlando, Florida, home of the AAU National Championship. This penultimate event of the July recruiting period is annually held at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, just outside the main gates of the most magical place on Earth (that is, according to some people. I can't say for sure because I've never actually been to Disney World itself. This might be one of the reasons why I am 24 years old going on 54. Thanks Mom and Dad!).
The AAU National Championships is by far the largest event of the recruiting period. There are constantly twelve games going on simultaneously at the complex, with another seven to ten games occurring at off-site facilities. At any given time slot there could be twenty-two games going on at once! At this point every coach has his own select group of players whom he has been following throughout the month. However, an event like this one also affords coaches the opportunity to see a large number of players over the course of a few days, as every coach continues to search for that under the radar guy who fits what he is looking for.
This week also represents the “Iron Man” portion of the month. Coaches are entering the third week of being on the road, and across the board the massive amounts of travel and fourteen-hour days are starting to take their toll. It can be seen on the faces and in the body language of coaches as they watch these games. More than a few fellow coaches remarked to me how worn down they were after taking red-eye flights to Orlando.
Although I can relate, I don't have much sympathy for those guys, since I drove down to Orlando after spending the weekend at a smaller AAU tournament in Richmond. The monsoon/hurricane/lightning storm that I had to go through from Jacksonville to Orlando didn't help matters much, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little tired right now, but the energy of being at the event and the ultimate goal of finding quality players to help CNU win championships is all the motivation one needs to finish strong.
So the journey through the recruiting gauntlet continues. How do coaches get through these last few days and stay focused? For starters, by talking a lot to each other. July is a great time for coaches to reconnect with their friends and colleagues in the profession. The coaching profession is sometimes referred to as a fraternity, and for good reason. Many coaches are great at keeping the mood light. Jokes, funny stories, and good-natured ribbings abound. Coaches spend a lot of time at these events catching up with one another, and of course talking about all of the potential recruits out there.
Every coach is also endlessly attached to his smart phone and/or iPad. These technologies are the go-to when a coach needs a quick reprieve from the sometimes not-so-exhilarating action taking place on the courts. Of course, other times the stuff you witness at AAU events can best be described as very “interesting”. For instance, this past weekend a team had to start a game with only three players. That's right, the first ten minutes of the game were played 3 on 5! This is a slightly less than ideal scenario for evaluating players. Naturally, the team with five players turned the ball over its first two times down the floor. AAU basketball folks, feel the excitement!
Everyday this week I drive through the main entrance to Disney World, where the sign reads, “Where dreams come true”. It might not exactly happen here, but this stop on the ride can be a key piece of the puzzle for players and coaches alike. For now, I'm going to keep plugging away – hoping to catch some of that Disney World magic, and then bring it back to Newport News!
Running tally for the month:
Total Days on the Road: 14
Total Miles Driven: 2, 681
