Basketball Transfers: A National Epidemic

[IATrainMaster101]

I don't think it's necessarily a problem, but there is something to be said about honoring commitment even when it's tough on you.

Don't take that to mean that kids should never transfer out of bad situations, but you have to wonder if sometimes kids are losing out of valuable life lessons on how to take the bull by the horn and fix their situation.

I think of my own kids and what I try to teach them and the values I try to instill. In so many situations, I would hope that my kids have enough grit to work through tough times, make decisions to improve the situation and at all times look at a scholarship as something to be truly greatful for.

 

[Billso]

You've been told you're entire life that you're the man.

If you were good enough to get a major conf. scholarship offer, you were the star of your high school team, without question.

Things have never not gone your way... and you now believe you shouldn't have to put up with disappointment.

So you transfer and lose out on some serious life skills, such as how to adapt.

Well said. Not true of all transfers, but certainly true of many. In football, Bain and Beutjer come to mind.

 

[GhostofBTT]

I don't think it's necessarily a problem, but there is something to be said about honoring commitment even when it's tough on you.

Don't take that to mean that kids should never transfer out of bad situations, but you have to wonder if sometimes kids are losing out of valuable life lessons on how to take the bull by the horn and fix their situation.

I think of my own kids and what I try to teach them and the values I try to instill. In so many situations, I would hope that my kids have enough grit to work through tough times, make decisions to improve the situation and at all times look at a scholarship as something to be truly greatful for.

What if you committed to a lie? What if a shuckster told you one thing, and then gives you the bait and switch?

What if your situation changes? Perhaps what is right for you now isn't what is right for you in three years? It is wrong of you to think that these kids are transfering out because they are ungrateful and are unwilling to work through difficulty. You don't know these people or any of the difficulties they face.

Is that a life lesson you are teaching your kids? To make assumptions and to judge other people's situation when you have no idea what is going on?

 

[NewMexHawk]

I still say it is more about communications than anything else. We are just more aware of what is going on today. Players have always transferred. Before the advent of internet and all the other means of communication we just weren't aware of it. That has just as much to do with it.

It would be interesting to know how many kids have transferred from colleges per year since say 1980 until now.

 

[DodgerHawki]

We don't always agree Ghost...

I love this crap. Guys coming in here saying it is a societal problem, or a problem with the way kids are being raised.

Guess what. It isn't a problem. It is called adults exercising their options. No one wants to stay in a bad situation if they can help it. Since when is it a sign of good character to do what is wrong for you to appease the mind of idiot fans who don't know you?

but this is correct. There may--emphasize may--be some societal shift toward not honoring commitments or some such thing, but the evidence just isn't there on the issue of transfers. Players are within their right to transfer. That's why they have transfer rules. Coaches are free to leave jobs for higher-paying ones, and do every year. This year alone McCaffery, Barbee, and others did just that. No one is accusing McCaffery or Barbee of "lacking commitment" or some such thing. And they shouldn't. But the players are to be held to some undefineable standard of conduct.

Coaches get paid a lot of money in power conferences to manage their roster and get players to buy in to what the team is doing. The ones that can't do that very well don't last long.

 

[IATrainMaster101]

What if you committed to a lie? What if a shuckster told you one thing, and then gives you the bait and switch?

What if your situation changes? Perhaps what is right for you now isn't what is right for you in three years? It is wrong of you to think that these kids are transfering out because they are ungrateful and are unwilling to work through difficulty. You don't know these people or any of the difficulties they face.

Is that a life lesson you are teaching your kids? To make assumptions and to judge other people's situation when you have no idea what is going on?

Excuse me but nowhere did I ever say that it was accross the board wrong to transfer so please don't put that on me. I also don't feel like I judged anyone for their diecision. If I did please show me where. I simply said that there are life lessons to be learned by working through rough patches and I try to instill that in my kids. Step back from twisitng my words about how I raise my kids mr educator.

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

Players switching schools appears to be a national problem now. It is not limited to Iowa and Iowa State. Why do today's young basketball athletes change schools so readily?

Is it the way they are raised by their parents?

Is it the influence of AAU coaches?

Do they all expect to make the NBA?

I really do not understand it. You didn't see this type of thing 10 years ago and certainly not 20 years ago. What changed? Does anyone have a theory?

I think it speaks mostly about society in general. It is a "me" society. And in a society where even 10th place finishers get a ribbon and dodgeball is outlawed because it singles out the weak kids, it is not a surprise this trend is taking place.

Look at society in general ... We have short-term memories. One minute the Haitian relief fund is the hottest thing going (telethon, etc.) then all of a sudden we are on to something else.

In sports, well, if you aren't getting your way or you don't think the coach is playing fair with you, well, then by all means, I am packing up my bags and leaving.

I recently heard a report/story of 25 year-old workers on Wall Street actually breaking down and crying during their reviews because their bosses were being hard on them. We are doing kids no favors when parents are trying to be "buddies" with their kids instead of actually being parents. We are not doing kids any favors by driving them to play sports and trying to relieve the glory days through our kids.

Guess what? Those same kids who have been coddled and told their entire lives how "special" they are will indeed be in for a rude awakening when they hit the real world. Work is work and that is why it is called work. It's not easy.

I think it is the parents. I think it is the society we live in ... I think it is the growing influence AAU coaches appear to have.

It is just sort of an impersonal society we live in ... the "what's in it for me?" mentality ...