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How to get recruited from a junior college basketball
How to Get Recruited for College Basketball
Playing college basketball is the dream for thousands of student-athletes across the country. But many families are often unsure of how to go about getting recruited by coaches. To be successful, recruits need to research their best college fit and actively market themselves to these coaches by creating an online profile and highlight video that showcases their athletic ability and leadership qualities. This section will answer the most common questions families have on how to get recruited for college basketball.
Quick Links
How does college basketball recruiting work?
How to get recruited to play college basketball
Men’s basketball recruiting timeline
What do college basketball scouts look for in recruits?
What percentage of high school basketball players play in college?
How important is club basketball?
How to join a AAU basketball team: how does AAU basketball work?
What to know about college basketball walk ons
What is a preferred walk on in college basketball?
Do college basketball teams have tryouts?
How to prepare for basketball tryouts: What coaches look for in basketball tryouts
How tall are men’s college basketball players?
Attend basketball recruiting camps
What does redshirt mean in college basketball?
Learn how to make a college recruiting video for basketball
Research schools and create your target list
Contact coaches on your target list
How your high school coach can help you in your recruiting process
How does college basketball recruiting work?
Basketball recruits who are successful in their recruiting journey do the leg work: they build a list of realistic schools, create an online profile and highlight film, contact college coaches and compete in front of coaches at tournaments and camps. From a coach’s perspective, here’s a quick overview of how they find student-athletes:
Identify potential recruits. At any point in high school, coaches can send general materials, such as recruiting questionnaires, to student-athletes, and they usually send them out to a large number of freshmen and sophomores to gauge their interest in the program. Respond promptly to these materials.
Second, in-depth evaluations. At this point, coaches focus on ranking their prospects and narrowing down their list. This is the stage where most families think the recruiting process begins. However, athletes who’ve made it this far have already passed an initial evaluation and shown some interest in the school. Tournaments, camps and highlight film are the most common ways coaches evaluate basketball prospects.
Verbal offers and visits. After coaches have their list of ranked prospects, they extend offers and lock down verbal commitments. Many recruits who are being seriously recruited will partake in unofficial and official visits during their junior and senior years.
How to get recruited to play men’s college basketball
Recruiting isn’t a linear, clear-cut process. You could be nearing the end of your conversations with one coach, while simultaneously just beginning with another. But knowing what steps you can take to create a communication strategy and market yourself will help you secure a scholarship offer.
Research and build a target list. Student-athletes should visit college rosters and look at the players in their position (are they seniors who are graduating?), athletic stats (how do they measure up?) and backgrounds (does the coach recruit from a particular region or tournament?).
Compete at the highest level possible: To accurately assess a recruit’s ability to compete in college, coaches want to see them play against high-ranked athletes.
Compete in the summer during live periods: Scheduling conflicts make it difficult for college coaches to watch recruits play in-person during the regular season. So, they turn to live periods. These stretches in the offseason allow college basketball scouts and coaches to hit the road and scout several players at once. Attend elite or exposure camps as well.
Excel academically. The NCAA Eligibility Center determines the academic eligibility and amateur status for all NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 athletes. Understand the requirements to stay on track.
Create a highlight film. The best way to secure an in-depth and in-person evaluation is by sending coaches a highlight video and a full game film. It’s a quick way to show a snapshot of the recruit’s skill set.
Be proactive. Start by sending an introductory email that includes your online profile, highlight video, academic information, outstanding athletic achievements and personal interest in the program. Then follow up with a phone call.
Men’s basketball recruiting timeline broken down by year in school
Here is a general guideline you can follow year-by-year to ensure your family is on track.
Freshman year
Fill out questionnaires online and respond to coach materials. College coaches can send recruits general materials, such as questionnaires, camp information, non-athletic information about the school and materials published by the NCAA at any time.
Meet with your guidance counselor and set academic goals for the year to keep your academic eligibility on track.
Research colleges from all division levels.
Create an online profile and if you have varsity or high-level competitive film, post your highlight video.
Be proactive and call Division 1 and Division 2 coaches or athletics staff and talk to them on the phone.
Sophomore year
Post your highlight video to your online profile, if you haven’t already.
Aug. 1—Recruits can begin taking unofficial visits to Division 1 schools.
Check that your sophomore year classes meet NCAA academic eligibility standards and register for the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Send introductory emails to college coaches at your target colleges, if you haven’t already. And follow up with a phone call.
NCAA Division 1 and Division 2— Student-athletes can receive personal contact and recruiting materials starting June 15 after their sophomore year. Coaches can call athletes, send text messages, direct messages and emails, as well as make verbal offers. Top Division 1 and Division 2 athletes are getting offers from college coaches at this time. Most Division 1 rosters are finalized before the start of junior year.
NCAA Division 3—Off-campus contact is allowed after sophomore year.
Junior year
Take the ACT or SAT and submit your scores to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Upload your transcript to the Eligibility Center as well.
Update your highlight video.
NCAA Division 1—Off-campus contact is allowed beginning your opening day of classes.
NCAA Division 1—Official Visits are allowed Aug. 1 of your junior year through completion of junior year (5 total visits).
Offers continue to roll in for Division 2 prospects, as well as Division 3 and NAIA athletes.
If you’re not getting interest from coaches at the schools you’ve been contacting, take a new look at your college list and find new opportunities.
Senior year
Update your highlight video.
NCAA Division 1—Recruits can take an additional five official visits during their senior year. They may re-visit a school from a junior year official visit.
Nov. 13-20—Early signing period for NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 schools begins.
Nov. 1—NJCAA Signing Date.
Apply for the FAFSA on Oct. 1.
Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
Request final amateurism certification beginning April 1 in NCAA Eligibility Center account.
April 15-May 20—Regular signing period occurs for Division 1 and Division 2.
Division 3 and NAIA teams are finalizing their rosters during senior year. JUCO programs are also recruiting student-athletes at this time. Consider these schools if you haven’t secured a roster spot yet.
What do college basketball scouts look for in recruits?
College coaches consider a few factors when determining an athlete’s ability.
Physical characteristics—height and body frame, athleticism and strength. In NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball, the average height of a college basketball player was just under 6’5” and the most common height listed was 6’7”.
Technical skills. Coaches want to recruit student-athletes who have mastered the fundamentals.
Basketball IQ. Can the student-athlete process information in real time during a game and make the right decisions?
Academics. College coaches look for recruits who excel in the classroom. They know that student-athletes with a solid GPA and test scores will more likely be admitted into their university and have an easier college transition. Plus, a good GPA also tells coaches that the recruit is responsible and disciplined—traits they highly value.
Of course, what coaches look for also depends on their program’s specific needs. Connecting with a college coach is the best way to understand what kind of recruit they need. Another quick way is to visit the team’s website and analyze their roster.
What percentage of high school basketball players play in college?
There are 551,373 high school men’s basketball players. Of that number, 18,540 —or 3.4 percent—go on to compete in the NCAA and less than one percent move on to the NAIA. Just less than one percent compete in NCAA Division 1 where there are 353 teams; one percent compete at the NCAA Division 2 level, which has 313 programs; and 1. 4 percent compete at NCAA Division 3 with 109 teams. There are 430 JUCO programs rostering 6,352 basketball players.
How important is club basketball in the college basketball recruiting process?
AAU, which stands for the Amateur Athletic Union, can be a valuable tool in gaining exposure to college coaches. It allows recruits to compete against top tier athletes and offers coaches an extended look into their abilities. Elite Division 1 basketball players are often recognized in middle school through their AAU experience. But even though AAU provides several competitive opportunities, it isn’t a requirement to obtain a college basketball scholarship. Several prospects have foregone the AAU circuit and moved on to successful college and professional careers.
How to join a AAU basketball team. How does AAU basketball work?
AAU is a youth sports organization and stands for the Amateur Athletic Union. Athletes form independent teams and compete in AAU tournaments against other teams. Teams are assigned based on geography. To find out which district you belong to and which team is best for you, you can visit the AAU website.
Many athletes value AAU as it provides an opportunity to compete against top-level talent that you typically wouldn’t find by solely playing locally. There are various levels of competition within AAU and as players develop and get better, they’ll switch to a higher competitive team. As a result, many AAU tournaments, especially NCAA-certified tournaments, often attract scouts, giving athletes a chance to play in front of college coaches. However, participating in these events can be costly. The AAU membership fee is $14 per year, but families can end up paying $400 to $4,000 dollars per year depending on how many tournaments they travel to. Many programs, however, offer financial assistance to help cut the high price tag associated with AAU.
Do college coaches recruit at AAU or high school games? The answer is, both. But joining an AAU program and competing during the off-season gives recruits the advantage to be seen by college scouts year round. It can be difficult for college coaches to attend many high school games during the regular season because of their competing schedules. AAU tournaments provide college coaches the opportunity to evaluate many recruits at one time.
To get a membership or start a club, you can visit AAU’s website.
What to know about college basketball walk ons and how to walk onto a college basketball team
The first thing you should know about becoming a college basketball walk-on is that it is rare. Basketball rosters are not that big—there’s an average of 17 players per team across the divisions. Coaches aren’t going to give up spots to walk-ons if they don’t have to. Some student-athletes, though, are recruited as a preferred walk-on. These athletes go through the recruiting process and are offered a roster spot, but they don’t receive any athletic aid as the coach doesn’t have any scholarship opportunities available.
Student-athletes have a better chance of walking on to a college team as a preferred walk-on compared to going to a tryout and making the team. Preferred walk-ons take all the necessary steps in the recruiting process to capture a coach’s attention: they proactively contact coaches and send their online resume; they attend camps and tournaments to gain exposure; they reach out to schools that are the right academic and athletic fit for them; and they take unofficial visits to the college.
Learn more about becoming a walk-on versus getting a scholarship offer.
What is a preferred walk on in college basketball?
After college coaches have handed out all of their scholarship opportunities, they may still continue to recruit student-athletes. In this scenario, a student-athlete is guaranteed a roster spot without receiving any athletic aid. These are known as preferred walk-ons. The recruit still goes through the recruiting process and joins the team—the coach just doesn’t have an athletic scholarship available for them.
Being a preferred walk-on means something different depending on the division and program, though. In NCAA Division 1, walk-ons typically don’t see much playing time and are less likely to receive an athletic scholarship in subsequent years. At the NCAA Division 2 and JUCO levels, however, some walk-ons earn playing time and a scholarship going into their second season. It is best to have clear communication with the college coach to understand playing and scholarship opportunities.
Do college basketball teams have tryouts?
While NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 programs are allowed to conduct basketball tryouts, Division 3 cannot do so. Tryouts are limited to prospective student-athletes who are seniors in high school, junior college transfers or four-year transfers who have completed their basketball season. Tryout participants also must be on an official or unofficial visit to the campus.
Typically college coaches only recruit one to two players as walk-ons. In Division 1, walk-on athletes don’t receive athletic aid and usually don’t get any playing time. Division 2 and JUCO programs more commonly give walk-ons a chance at competing for a roster spot and because these divisions offer partial scholarships, there’s also a chance to earn athletic aid after the first year.
How to prepare for basketball tryouts and what coaches look for in basketball tryouts
When making roster decisions, college coaches consider a recruit’s physical characteristics, like height and body frame, athleticism, ability to execute the fundamentals and basketball IQ, which showcases the athlete’s ability to interpret what is happening at game speed, as well as their ability to make the right decision based on instinct and experience. These players can anticipate what will happen next, making their game more automatic.
Securing a roster spot at a tryout is extremely rare. Student-athletes will improve their chances of walking on to a college team by establishing a relationship with the college coach ahead of time. Send them an introductory email with highlight film, game film, academic information, and contact information.
How tall are men’s college basketball players?
The height of men’s college basketball players vary slightly from division to division. Generally, men’s basketball players are between 5’9” and 6’9”. Keep in mind that this should be used as a helpful guideline and not something set in stone. Players who don’t fall within these ranges are recruited every year by college coaches. The best way to understand a coach’s recruiting needs is to establish a relationship with them early on and analyze their current team roster.
View the average height of men’s basketball players by position across each division level.
Attend basketball recruiting camps to get noticed by college coaches
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing the right camp:
College basketball camps are run by the college’s basketball program. Student-athletes have an opportunity to sample campus life and compete in front of the coach.
Basketball exposure camps are designed to evaluate players and obtain a player ranking. Although they are not tied to a specific university, many basketball exposure camps offer players an opportunity to play in front of college coaches, especially at NCAA DIII men’s basketball coaches. Many of these camps are invitation-only, so the talent level is high – and excellent for player development.
Lastly, there is a level of “elite camps.” These are typically invitation-only events that bring together the top recruits from each graduate class to compete against each other at a national level. They’re run by college coaches on the school’s campus, so they’re a great way for athletes to get exposure to coaches.
If you want to get recruited at a college basketball camp, remember that most coaches attend events only to see players with whom they’ve already made some kind of connection.
Learn more about basketball camps and search for the best camps.
What does redshirt mean in college basketball?
The term “redshirt” is used to describe a student-athlete who does not participate in outside competition for an academic year. They’re allowed to practice and train with the team, but they don’t see any playing time. By doing this, they gain an additional year of eligibility, so technically they play four seasons in five years. Some coaches offer redshirt scholarships to freshmen who don’t meet the academic eligibility requirements coming out of high school, or as a chance to physically grow and prepare to compete as a collegiate athlete. In some cases, student-athletes redshirt for a year as they recover from an injury.
Learn how to make a college recruiting video for basketball
Creating a basketball highlight video is essential to garnering coach interest. Follow these straight-forward tips to put together a video that truly stands out:
Choose games against your best competition, such as varsity level, high-level AAU games or any nationwide tournaments.
Focus the camera from mid-court while making sure the student-athlete is easily recognizable.
Use a tripod to avoid a shaky camera.
Don’t zoom in and out.
Make sure the person filming the match isn’t cheering. If there is excessive and distracting background noise, mute the video completely. Don’t add music to the video either.
Put a title card at the front of your basketball highlight video that includes your name and graduation year, such as “John Doe Basketball Recruiting Video Class of 2021.”
Stack your best clips first. Typically you’ll start your video by highlighting your shooting ability.
Focus on three or four strengths and organize your clips to highlight them. For example, if you’re an excellent three-point shooter, highlighting six straight threes is much more effective than showcasing one three-pointer, a pass, then a free throw, and then maybe another three, etc.
Know what coaches are looking for in your position. In short, post players should showcase their shooting ability, quickness, ability to finish at the rim, rebounding, shot blocking, footwork and overall basketball awareness. Perimeter players should focus on scoring ability, quickness, ability to penetrate and finish at the rim, athleticism, basketball awareness and court vision.
Cap your video with your best 20 to 30 clips and keep it under four minutes.
Send college coaches your highlight video, as well as one unedited full game video. If they’re interested in a recruit after watching their highlight film, they will want to evaluate the full game next.
See the full list of tips for creating a basketball highlight video.
Research schools and create your target list
The very first step in the recruiting journey is often the one most overlooked—research. Here are the most important factors to keep in mind:
Academics: Visit the school’s website to see the average grades and test scores. Plus, consider which majors are offered and remember to ask the coach which majors are popular among athletes on the team.
Athletics: Student-athletes can use their high school or club coach to help them assess where they can make an impact, or they can visit a team’s roster and analyze the athletes’ key stats.
Cost: How much can your family afford and how much aid is the student-athlete eligible to receive at each school? NCAA Division 1 schools offer full ride scholarships, while Division 2, NAIA and JUCO programs offer partial scholarships. Many coaches, including NCAA Division 3, work with the admissions department to create financial packages that include need-based aid, grants, academic scholarships, work study and merit-based scholarships.
Personal Preferences: Think about housing options, school size, social aspects, distance from home and even the weather.
As families start to find programs they’re interested in, we recommend sorting them into three categories: target schools, dream schools and safety schools. Most of the schools on a student-athlete’s list should fall into the target category.
Get a head start on your list by viewing NCSA’s list of Best Colleges for Student-Athletes.
Contact coaches on your target list
Once a recruit has done the research and built a realistic target list of colleges, they’re ready to contact coaches. Remember—never wait for a coach to reach out. Be proactive to get on their radar. Here are a few steps to take:
Send an introductory email: An introductory email serves two purposes—to get an initial evaluation and establish a relationship with the coach. Make sure this email includes highlight film, academic information, contact information and key stats. Student-athletes should also personalize their email and explain their interest in that specific program. Never copy and paste—it’s almost guaranteed to get skipped over.
Tailor the subject line: Avoid generic subject lines, such as “Top basketball recruit,” and tailor the subject line to the school instead. For example, a recruit might want to include their GPA and test score in the subject line for high academic colleges, while highlighting key stats or awards to Division 1 schools.
Call coaches. Basketball coaches are allowed to talk to athletes on the phone when the recruits are the ones initiating contact. In other words, if a recruit calls an NCAA Division 1 coach, the coach is allowed to talk to them. Typically, they’ll want to email them letting them know what time they plan on calling so the coach can be prepared
Follow up. Whenever there is a noteworthy update to share, like a new ACT or SAT score or athletic achievement, email the college coach again to touch base. Because if they missed the first email (and coaches tend to be pretty busy), following up can help keep you top of mind.
See the full list of tips on contacting coaches.
How your high school coach can help you in your recruiting process
High school or club coaches are there to support student-athletes along their recruiting journey—and help them connect with college coaches. Here are a few ways:
Find the right college fit: Use their expertise and insight to create a college list of realistic programs. Plus, they probably have connections in the college network.
Connect with college coaches: There’s a loophole in the NCAA basketball recruiting rules that allows student-athletes and college coaches to talk on the phone. If a student-athlete initiates the contact and calls the college coach, the coach is allowed to answer the phone and talk to the recruit. High school coaches can help facilitate this contact by acting as a liaison.
Character reference: Men’s basketball coaches want to learn as much as they can about their top recruits, including their leadership qualities, attitude and talent. So, they call the recruit’s high school or club coach to get a better understanding of the athlete’s mental toughness, work ethic and behavior both on and off the court.
Video help: Don’t hesitate to ask your coach for help when creating a highlight film. Plus, they probably have full game footage already available.
Insider tip: Despite the impact that coronavirus had on college sports, as of June 1, 2021, the NCAA resumed its regular recruiting rules and activity! Coaches are actively working to fill their rosters, so student-athletes should be proactive in reaching out to coaches. Read up on how the extra year of eligibility granted to athletes who were most affected by the pandemic in 2020 will impact future recruiting classes.
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When does the recruiting process start?
Everything you need to know about athletic scholarships
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Author: Professional Guide
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Basketball player is a professional basketball player. Such a team game is popular, first of all, in the USA. In Russia, it is somewhat inferior to football and hockey, but still quite in demand. By the way, the ProfGid career guidance center has recently developed an accurate career guidance test that will tell you which professions suit you, give an opinion about your personality type and intelligence.
Professional knowledge
Famous basketball players
Examples of companies with basketball vacancies
See also :
Brief description: who is a basketball player?
The basic rules of the game of basketball are usually known to everyone: two teams enter the field, the one that scores more points wins. Points are given for hitting the ball into a basket hanging at a height of 3.05 meters from the floor. The number of points that is counted for each hit depends on the distance from which the throw was made. In the process of moving around the field, players must dribble the ball, beating it off the floor, and not hold it in their hands.
Features of the profession
A professional sports career requires a lot of energy, effort, time and dedication. A basketball player must always be in good shape, his salary and popularity largely depend on the performance of his performance on the field, and he must work closely with other team members. The main duties of a basketball player are as follows:
Daily attendance at training.
Compliance with the regime of the day and nutrition.
Participation in matches.
Participation in non-match events of the club.
Regular medical examination, following the recommendations of the doctor and trainer.
A basketball player must be prepared for the fact that he will periodically have to change the clubs he plays for, participate in international competitions from his country, and even during the match, cooperate with different groups of players (frequent substitutions are very common in this game).
Pros and cons of the basketball profession
Pros
Prestigious profession with a decent salary.
Opportunity to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Opportunity to travel, communicate with representatives of different countries and peoples.
The joy of victories and the support of the fans.
See also:
Cons
The need for talent or extensive experience to gain recognition and sign expensive contracts.
In order to successfully fill the position of a basketball player and succeed in this field, an athlete must be in very good physical shape, he must not have serious chronic diseases, he needs excellent endurance, concentration, speed of movement and reactions, perfect coordination. Most often, very tall athletes become successful basketball players. Analytical thinking, the ability to follow the strategy developed by the coach, make decisions quickly, and work together with the rest of the team will also not interfere.
Basketball training
Russian universities and colleges do not offer basketball training as such. You can learn how to play basketball in sports schools, and then improve your skills in basketball clubs. In parallel, you can get a sports education (including to successfully work as a coach after completing a career in big-time sports). In this context, the specialty "Physical Education" in colleges (code 49.02.01) or the same name in universities (code 49.03.01). A certificate is sufficient for admission to a secondary school, in addition to it, the results of the Unified State Examination in the Russian language, biology and physics are required for admission to the university.
Courses
Stremlenie Basketball Club
It is necessary to think about where to get the profession of a basketball player, if you have the appropriate inclinations, from childhood. Therefore, most basketball schools offer training for children and teenagers. One of these schools is the Stremlenie basketball club, where individual and team trainings are held. Members of the club also take part in competitions.
The best universities for basketball players
MSPU
RGSU
MGOU
RGUFKSMiT
RGUFK them. P.F. Lesgafta
RSPU im. A.I. Herzen
Read also:
Place of work
Basketball players play for basketball clubs, national teams. At the end of their careers, they work as coaches (both in adult clubs and in children's sports schools).
Salary of a basketball player
The level of income of such an athlete directly depends on his talent, experience, professionalism and fame. The more useful a basketball player can bring to the club, the higher the salary will be offered to him.
Basketball player salary for November 2022
Salary information provided by hh.ru portal.
Russia 100000-250000₽
Career growth
Building a career for a professional athlete is about improving your skills and getting more and more lucrative offers from clubs. With age, it may also involve a change from activity to coaching.
Professional knowledge
Human anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.
History of physical culture.
Psychology of physical culture.
Management of physical culture and sports.
Biomechanics of motor activity.
Rules of the game of basketball.
Team strategies when playing basketball.
Famous basketball players
Michael Jordan, one of the Chicago Bulls' most popular players, was on the club's winning streak six times in the NBA.
Shaquille O'Neal, recognized as one of the best players in the history of the NBA, also known for releasing rap albums and starring in several films.
Clyde Drexler, one of the best basketball players in the NBA, Olympian with 20,000 points in his entire career.
See also:
Examples of companies with vacancies for a basketball player
In the footsteps of Milos Teodosic.
How to get a basketball education in Serbia - Basketball
Vera Ivanova, representative of the Euroleague in Russia, talks about the life of young basketball players at the FMP gymnasium in the suburbs of Belgrade. Last year, Vera's son Andrej joined the program that has left many famous Serbian players (Milos Teodosic, Nemanja Bjelica and Bojan Popovic).
A little background
At first, Andrei, like many children, played football - in his "historical homeland", in Kustanai. It turned out well. But at some point, his grandmother, who was raising the boy most of the time, decided - "enough." In fact, she herself played basketball very well in her youth, she was a candidate for the Union team, because her sports preferences were obvious. Andrei was lucky - at the age of eight, Sergey Kudenko took up his training in the Tobol system. The enthusiasm and great desire of the coaches played a role - the boy got carried away, fell in love with basketball, the first successes came - at the famous mini-basketball festival in Anapa in Russia, where his team performed not so hot, he won the free throw competition.
In 2011 Andrei moved to Minsk due to our family circumstances. We immediately tried to find him a section. So he ended up in the structure of Tsmoki-Minsk. At first, due to the reserve of training in Kazakhstan, he looked just great against the background of his peers. But then the “work” of the coaches – I won’t go into details – led to the fact that over time he ended up deep on the bench of a team that was losing with a devastating score in the Northern European Youth League matches.
What to do?
At first, we looked for problems within ourselves. The coaches told us that Andrei lacked arm strength, leg strength (er, isn't that what a sports school should be doing?), and we tried to do something on our own. In this, by the way, Evaldas Kandratavichyus helped a lot - now the physical training coach of Lokomotiv-Kuban, who then worked at CSKA. He suggested a simple exercise program, which Andrei honestly performed at home - additionally, after school and training. More than a year has passed, and the situation in the team has not changed. Then we began to think about more serious changes.
In the summer of 2013, we sent the boy to a camp in Serbia. Camp Petsarski, a former Partizan player, was advised by Nenad Krstić. In two shifts, six coaches worked with Andrey, and each of them noted three factors - desire, efficiency and “predisposition”, that is, a predisposition to basketball. This was a signal for us: the guy will soon be 14, and it seems that sport can become a matter of life for him. All that was left was to help.
Why Belgrade?
The next year was spent developing plans and calculating options. It is clear that you can't stay, but you have to go to a place where basketball will be taught actively and efficiently. neighboring Lithuania? There, the new generation practically does not speak Russian, and the language is very different. Moscow? It is expensive to live, it is difficult to get settled, but the family is together. Serbia inevitably added difficulties to the overall measured life, but still seemed like the best option. A high level of basketball training, an easy-to-learn language, plus a great disciplining opportunity to live abroad in adolescence. Moreover, friends helped with accommodation, slightly easing the financial burden.
So, Belgrade. What's next? There are a lot of basketball clubs here. And, as it turned out, a guy with a certain level of training can easily get into the school of Partizan or Red Star, not to mention the less famous ones. But then another problem arose - these schools offered only training. The usual study was offered to do on their own. It turned out that there is only one Russian school in the Serbian capital - at the Russian Embassy, and getting there is almost impossible, all the places have long been occupied.
An internet search helped and suggested the First Basketball Gymnasium in Belgrade.
School in Zheleznik
The gymnasium in the Belgrade suburb is one of the best in the country, and, perhaps, in Europe. Basketball specialists know it under the name FMP - it was here that the club of the same name was based, now included in the structure of Red Star Stars. From here, Milos Teodosic, Nemanja Bielica, Dusko Savanovic, Bojan Popovic, Marko Keshel and many other masters received a start in life. From 2007 to 2010, juniors from Zheleznik played four times in the Euroleague final and won two titles - in the last couple of years, the Zvezda team has already been in the best line.
It was here that they offered a complex - both study and training. Moreover, basketball lessons are absolutely free, with the exception of individual lessons, which cost 30 euros. But schooling is the main thing that affects the parental budget, taking away 500 euros per month. Lessons are held in English, with which Andrei, thank God, is in order. Often in the classroom, teachers work with him alone, but in general there are enough foreigners in the college - from Romania, Lebanon, Holland, Germany, Macedonia and even Russia.
There is also a boarding school in the gymnasium: in fact, most of the "students" live there, saving a lot of time on travel, but for now we have decided not to transfer the teenager to full independence. Camps are paid separately - two in the summer, after the end of the school year and before the start of the next one, and in January, during almost a month-long winter vacation.
How to enter
There were three key steps to get into the gymnasium.
First, get an extract from the certificate and confirm it in the Serbian Ministry of Education. The curricula are very similar, so matching and validation is fast.
Secondly, to go through the "review" - a small gathering in March, during our spring break, and to please the coaches.
Thirdly, to solve domestic and, most importantly, visa issues. Here, if the child lives with his family (if he stays in the “dormitory” of the college, the college deals with this issue), there is a trap: staying in Serbia without a visa is allowed up to 30 days. To obtain an annual visa, a minor needs to provide a visa of one of the parents, and it is not enough for a parent to prove to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that his son will attend school - this must already be confirmed by all documents including a visa. Journalistic experience helped: it was not difficult to obtain accreditation at the Ministry of Culture by providing an official letter from the Russian media. Clearly, this path is not for everyone, but there are a few more simple options.
No time
Have you read How I Was a Prodigy? Approximately in this mode, Andrei's life is now going on. He gets up at 7 am and takes a bus to Zheleznik from the city center, where our apartment is located. The journey takes about 50 minutes one way. There, he will have classes at school, two breakfasts (future basketball players are fed generously and scientifically, food that is strictly healthy for the growth of the body) and intensive training. After her, the guy goes home, where he has dinner and goes to bed to restore strength. Because in the evening, at 21:30, they are again waiting in the hall. Returns home after midnight - shower, dinner, sleep.
Students have only one day off during school hours - Sunday. In addition, the cadet team competes in the championship of Belgrade and its region. It is important to say here: 40 (!) Teams divided into eight groups participate in the tournament at the first stage. The guys from Zheleznik made it to the second stage, but did not reach the final round following a crazy spin. Unfortunately, Andrei did not take part in the decisive battles: in April, he was knocked out of action by appendicitis.
Our hero was the youngest among the cadets. Therefore - well, also because of the shortcomings of basic training, which the coaches pulled up for him all year - he did not get much playing time. But still, he constantly went to the court, sometimes even at the decisive moments of the matches (unlike Minsk, where the coaches drove their favorites without looking deep into the bench), he distinguished himself by important balls, once he even threw a “buzzer” from the center line.
Andrei was a little upset that he did not play anymore, but with the support of his family he clearly realized that it was too early, his time would come. The rudiments of disappointment, moreover, were shattered by the charisma of coach Bojan Jerich, a young professional whom all students look up to with admiration. This, however, is an amazing guy, short, but with an excellent school - he easily shows each of the exercises to the students himself. Gera, as his name is behind his eyes, is incredibly energetic, dexterous, attentive and sharp-tongued. At the same time, like all coaches at the school, at any moment he can give clear and objective feedback, which, in the case of preparing an athlete for parents, is both important and interesting. When Andrei waited for an offer from Jerich to work individually, for him it was an event, akin to winning the Olympic Games.
By the way, belonging to the Zvezda structure means that professionals from the main team come to talk with the guys - last year Boban Marjanovic, Branko Lazic and Charles Jenkins visited the school.
What's next
A full college education takes four years, and Andrey has one of them behind him. He is 15, his height is 187 cm, and the desire to play is more than enough. Naturally, we have to think about the future. The reputation and results of the FMP are such that the guys from there are taken away quite early - to clubs and American universities. There is also a "senior" "Star", where the success of the pupils is also closely monitored. Here we try not to look far, although professional clubs have already begun to look closely at boys born in 2000.
The question of the national team is much more interesting - in a year Andrey will be in his prime for U16. Since 2010, Andrei has a Belarusian passport, but he lived in the country for only three years, and his preparation as a basketball player was treated carelessly there. Neither the coaches nor the school are still aware that Andrei is playing basketball abroad and is making, albeit small, but noticeable successes for himself.