‘Sports Is Like Life: Adversity Included’

As youth sports become more competitive, parents must decide what type of program suits their child’s needs: one that permits every child to play in each game or one that caters to elite athletes.

Ken “Moon” Jones, an Inglewood parks and recreation boys basketball coach, and Danny White, an all-stars boys basketball coach, spoke with MARY REESE BOYKIN, offering opposing views.

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The Southern California All-Stars are the No. 1 championship program in Los Angeles. The SCA has won at least seven or eight national championships at the fourth through eighth grades division. We are sponsored by a shoe company that donates uniforms and shoes valued at $500 to $600 a player. Kids want to be associated with a winner.

During the past 10 years, I have coached at both parks and recreation and the all-star teams, so I know the spectrum of kids who don’t get enough playing time with an all-star team. I tell them to work on their game with parks and rec, the YMCA or similar programs. The goal of SCA is to build character and self-esteem, but because we are a traveling basketball team, we also try to win. Just as a gifted magnet program is not for every kid, neither is an all-star team. SCA is a place for kids with exceptional talent. Many come to the team as already established basketball players with fundamental skills. I take the players to the next level.

Every new season, there are tryouts and every athlete has an equal opportunity to make the team. I don’t think it’s fair to make the new kid the 11th or 12th man, if he plays better than a returning player. Our coaches choose the best team out there to win. Beyond talent, we put together a team of kids who get along with one another and don’t fight among themselves.

It’s tough when a kid has been around for two or three years, has been loyal to the program, and a new athlete plays ahead of him. We understand that. But we try to do what is best for the overall program, not just for individuals. Kids work harder when other kids are ahead of them. Some kids get complacent--”I am a starter. I don’t have to work hard anymore.” But coaches reward performance.

There are situations where every kid can’t play in every game. There are some differences, but not a lot of big differences among my players. The first seven or eight kids could start any time. The other four are role players whose specialty may be defense or rebounding or shooting three-pointers. But in games where every athlete does not get a chance to play, I pull the kid aside and let him know why he didn’t get in the game. Maybe I felt that he was not strong enough at that particular time or didn’t have enough confidence. The coach’s job is to help athletes feel good about whatever they are contributing to the team. The kids have to be reminded that they must work hard because nothing will be given to them in the real world, so don’t expect it now. Competition is healthy. The earlier a child learns to deal with rejection or adverse situations, the better, the stronger, that child will be.

In 2 1/2 years, they will be in high school and things will be a lot tougher. My goal is to prepare them. High school coaches attend the games of traveling teams. They know that the hard-core basketball players come from teams like SCA. I think SCA members have a better understanding of what to expect in high school sports than players on parks and recreation, where every kid plays five minutes a quarter.

Winning isn’t everything. I tell my players that winning is being proud of what you have done, whether the score indicates you have won or not. If you can go home and say, “I gave my best effort,” that is winning. But our kids want to win because of the exposure and the opportunity to visit other places. And it’s not just basketball when we are away from home. On one trip, I took my athletes to the Kennedy Space Center in Coco Beach, Fla. Without basketball, many of my athletes would not have had this experience.