NPR posted this story yesterday about a 10-year-old fifth grade student who’s getting some attention for his basketball skills. According to the piece, this is a growing trend in college basketball:
The popularity of the NCAA tournament games, he says, has parents pushing their children into basketball. “They see their sons or daughters being the next superstars.”
Those parents may post videos on YouTube touting “The Next Kobe Bryant,” but at 10 or 11, how much can you really tell about a child’s potential?
“You don’t know if they’re going to grow — if they’re going to mature,” Weber says. And, he adds, college coaches don’t know if the child will one day be able to compete academically as a student athlete.
I can’t read that story without thinking about Mr. Show, and just how oddly prophetic they were at times: