When can you tell if an athlete will be a star?
Aug. 4, 2008 @ 9:49 a.m. by Joannaby joanna
This came up during my conversation with Bryce Brown on Friday when he said that you can tell if a kid will be good in fifth grade. I have to admit that I thought that was pretty early — I think he thought I was a little crazy, but then, I don’t watch too many fifth graders in action.
So I went to the MAYB finals of fourth grade boys on Sunday at Koch Arena and was duly impressed by the skill of these kids. They not only ran plays and seemed to see the floor pretty well, but they ran the floor well, dribbled well and had pretty nice range.
I brought this up during a conversation with McPherson girls basketball coach Chris Strathman.
He was fighting a speaking problem, something with his vocal cords — I’m not really sure on the exact issue because he was pretty tough to hear. Strathman was at the tournament working and he took some time to talk to me.
He said that in the McPherson girls program — definitely one of the state’s best — they have known who their stars will be since they were in fifth grade. He did point out that it’s easier to tell with girls because boys develop later than girls.
I asked him about the danger of putting a label on a kid that young — good or bad — and he said that can be a problem and you have to be careful because you want to give those kids who haven’t reached their potential a chance to prove themselves and work hard to improve.
On that last point, I talked to my husband about this and we threw out his daughter, who will be in seventh grade, as a perfect example. She hasn’t played sports the past two years but will play this year, so we have no idea what she can or can’t do. Maybe it will take her a couple years to really show what she’s got. You just never know.
What do you think? When can you tell?
August 4th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
As far as being a star, I would say maybe 8th or 9th grade maybe later. I mean look at guys like Michael Jordan who didn’t develop until after his sophomore year. To say they know who will be a star in the 5th grade is an overstatement. Some kids develop earlier than others and I have seen many 5th graders who were just about done growing. Deangelo Evans was a stud in biddy ball, stronger and bigger than everyone. Then he didn’t grow anymore. He was a stud in football and went D1 but most thought he was on his way to the NBA as a biddy ball player and he just stopped growing. I think most people have an idea who will be good, or possibly who has a lot of potential but to say they know who will be a STAR in 5th grade, that is a little over the top. Of course Macpherson believes they are the meca of basketball for Kansas so they might know more than the rest of the state when it comes to picking talent.
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August 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
chibears, What Strathman was saying — and maybe I didn’t make this clear enough — was that the kids who they saw as the best at a young age became those stars. Yes, they could tell.
But I think he makes a good point about it being easier to see with girls. Girls develop so much earlier than boys that I definitely believe that.
As for your remark that McPherson believes it’s the mecca of basketball — that may be true because of the school’s history. But Strathman is definitely not the type to be egotistical, at all, about the school’s program. He’s obviously a good coach, but he is so low-key and down-to-earth, that connecting such a statement to him would be ludicrous.
By the way, on a separate point that I thought of while writing this response, because there are so many who come on here and rip the people that I talk to or talk about, it could lead to me not being able to do that anymore.
Why? Because who wants to talk to the chick who is going to write something and then watch themselves get ripped for what they said?
I’m not saying this blog needs to be a love fest, but let’s take the Garrett Gould thing for a perfect example. He took time out of his day to chat with me. I write a story, write about it on the blog and then he gets called out as the biggest, most cockiest player ever. Think he’ll ever respond to a phone call from me again? I hope so, but maybe not.
Just something to think about.
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August 4th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
You never know. I wiould say there could be a few kids that could get recognized early as key players in the future, but for most you can’t tell what they can truly do until their early high school years. Too many instances of a star beig named only to have others out grow and out perform him/her later on.
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August 4th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Joanna, I was not saying that Strathman is egotistical at all. I have seen him coach and he handles himself with nothing but class. I am a fan of McPherson basketball, but sometimes the town, not the coaches, come off a little bit cocky. Of course when you win as much as they do they have every right to be this way. The way it was worded though it did sound as if he KNEW who was going to be a star not who he assumed would be a star and then it came to be. Which is more of how I can see him talking. Perhaps there is a difference between girls and boys but I have seen many middle school all-stars, girls and boys both, who became high school role/bench players. I think you can see potential at a young age but it is hard to tell heart at a young age.
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August 4th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Also, the Gould thing has gotten ugly and I apoligize making negative comments on that blog. He is just a high school kid trying to make something out of himself and there is no reason to say negative things about a kid trying to be he best baseball player he can be. It would be too bad if people stop talking to you about things that are said in a blog so with that I am done on here.
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August 4th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
chibears, don’t go.
My point is a pretty fair one and it wasn’t necessarily directed at you. It is true, thought, that a fear of being completely reamed just for laying it out there for a media person could keep some interesting folks away.
That concerns me. I have put so much into this blog that I want it to succeed.
Yet I want conversation. It’s a line, that’s for sure.
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August 5th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I would say that the majority of guys in the NFL and NBA were absolute studs all the way back to the 5th grade where everyone thought they’d be awesome, but there’s still just so many guys start competitve sports late or physically develop late that make a splash in college and the pros.
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August 5th, 2008 at 11:37 am
it all depends on the kid. jermaine tomlinson was supposed to be the next barry sanders when he was in grade and middle school.when he got to h.s. he never did anything,he even tryed switching schools.i have also seen ok players in grade school who turn out to be h.s. stars. then there are players like the brown brothers who have been superstars since they first stepped on the field and they always will be.that does not mean that they would have made it to where they are without alot of hard work.
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August 5th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Nice topic Joanna……the word star sometimes comes to early in life for most kids and student atletes. Early in a chosen sport…..its not surprising that some children / student athletes show a natural talent. However……i feel if you do not expose your Children to several different sports (not just the ones myself and spouse played) then you truely never know how they will perform, or end up likeing a sport other than what Mom & Dad watch on Television. The Star athletes are never truely revealed until you let them try several different ones, determine which ones they are naturally good at and the most important reason…..which one they enjoy the most. I once knew a kid who appered Huge in little league football and was a monster on the field. Well guess what….now he is a Senior and he is about 1″ and 20 lbs heavier than he was in sixth grade. He is no longer the Star…..classmates have caught up with him. It has effected him in a big way, he is not used to sharing the limelight because of his Star Status at the ripe age of 12. I say let them choose and try other activities & soon if they are meant to be a star then nature will take its own course!
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