I've talked about my first team http://oldredtiger.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/a-word-about-surgery-and-tin-sheds.htmland where I fell in love with the game http://oldredtiger.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/humble-beginnings.html
Competing against guys 2 years older at about the time young lads mature is a difficult prospect and a 5'10 Jordan just missed out cause he was a little small compared with other High School Seniors (read about it all here http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/real-story-michael-jordan-getting-cut-his-laney-high-varsity-team ) Regardless he used this setback to fuel himself to become the greatest player of all time
Truth be told I didn't even make my High School Open team until I was in year 12 - that's a longer story for another day but given the depth of talent and the fact we came 3rd in the Nation in 1990 and won the National title in 1991 it wasn't a complete surprise.
What may surprise though is my history of district basketball draft day failure.
My first district tryouts were with the Tigers in U14 as a 2nd year. I wasn't in the 40 best kids in the area and did not get my name called out. I was gutted as that was my local club and the one I wanted to play for. I got cut again as an U16 1st year and it wasn't until U16 as a 2nd year that I finally got picked in a side at a major club.
Back to the start though ... unable to make even the Tigers U14 Div5 team I went to a new club the Southern Districts Dragons .. to be honest they were a bit of a laughing stock, had crappy uniforms and didn't have a home stadium (we trained at Reynella East High)
I can still hear the "You don't have a stadium" taunts!!!!
What the Dragons did have though was a side in U14 Div2 which was to be a huge stroke of luck as I quickly got to play against much better competition. In the summer season we got pummelled most weeks but it was a great learning experience.
Over the summer break there was Basketball Talent ID camps held at the old Forestville stadium - at Southern we were allowed to send 2 kids ... I was lucky enough to be chosen. Again this was huge ... all the major clubs had their 4 or 5 best players from Div1 and I got to spend a week having a crack. We were coached by topflight players like Al Green, Lisa Vlahov & Mark Bradkte and although I was well out of my depth I got a taste for it.
Sometimes you don't get picked right away, other times not at all, but I think you learn more from the knockbacks and the struggle against stronger opponents. Persistence and hard work can overcome just about any obstacle and I hope those are 2 traits that sum up my basketball journey ...
Reminds me of the days when we started out playing hoops. I didn't have any experience growing up playing hoops at all, it wasn't until Dave got interested playing at Turramurra with his mates that I joined in. Would have been around 17 or 18 at the time, Dave and his mates were all a few years younger - I remember a team photo where the rest of the team only were as tall as my shoulders. We were kids playing in a social competition against men, and we got our ass handed to us every game. But slowly we got older, taller and gained some experience and started to hold our own. Some of the guys became pretty good - I would never say I got to the good level but I at least had my moments. Eventually we became the Casual Jordans and won a few titles. These are great memories. Every now and again, a team of young kids would join the comp and it would remind me of our early beginnings as we helped start their journey by thrashing the living daylights out of them. I bet a few of those guys now have their own stories to tell.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, thanks for the good read Tim.
Hey Stevo I reckon I even played a few fill in games for the Casual Js.
DeleteI also remember being one of the young punks but it didn't last long I think I've been playing against much younger competition for a looooong time now.
Cheers for the comments and continued reading - appreciated
Looking fwd to last Sat in September lets just hope the Hawks come for the party
TP
I didn't make the A's or B's in Year 12 ... and 20 years I won Club Champ in a club with at least 15 players better than me. It is about persistence.
ReplyDeleteYes Palk I 100% agree and I hope some of the young lads especially down in the lower grades start hearing the message. Anyone with enough time, effort and drive can become a solid basketball player - we are living proof!!
DeleteI'd like to hope re your comment above and in this weeks blog http://oldredsbasketball.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/sacba-week-9-preview.html post to the Ds that I can take some small amount of credit for Palky's 20 year realisation re Effort. Purge