No Whistle on This Traveling Call

Jamal Boykin turns 16 years old on Sunday, which means he’ll be old enough to drive. He’d be better off getting a pilot’s license considering all the cities he plans to visit over the new few months.

Boykin, a 6-foot-7 All-City basketball player at Los Angeles Fairfax, is gearing up for tournaments across the country. His suitcase is packed, and now it’s a matter of choosing where to go.

Last week, he was in Las Vegas. This week, he might go to Houston. Then it’s on to North Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana ...

“You can be a great player, but without the exposure, it doesn’t mean much,” Boykin said.

Jordan Farmar, another 16-year-old All-City basketball player from Woodland Hills Taft, is joining Boykin as a frequent flyer on the club-basketball circuit. He was in Virginia two weeks ago, in Texas last week and has trips scheduled for Mississippi, Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana, South Carolina and Colorado.

“I don’t even know,” Farmar said of his final travel plans. “It changes every day.”

Welcome to the lifestyle of a big-time high school basketball player. It’s about traveling for free to spring and summer tournaments and camps mostly sponsored by shoe companies.

“It’s great fun,” Farmar said. “I want to be the best and go up against people who are known as the best.”

This whole exercise seems a bit sleazy, with questions of who’s supervising these minors in hotels and in gyms, but it is the way of life adopted by the people in charge and creates opportunities for high school players to be seen by college coaches.

Boykin’s mother, Mary, didn’t embrace the club-basketball process with her oldest son, Ruben, who eventually signed with Northern Arizona.

“I was opposed to this whole thing,” she said. “Then I saw how [lack of exposure] hindered him.”

She has been allowing Jamal to travel across the country since sixth grade, and his reputation as a top young player has benefited from the experience.

“It seems too serious for the children’s age, but it’s either you understand how it works and make it work for you or you’re an outsider looking in,” she said.

Jamal understands the trust his parents have placed in him.

“There’s going to be a lot of outside influences besides basketball, and you have to be strong and stay focused, but I grew up in a church environment and use good judgment,” he said.

If all works out as planned, players gain experience and insight that will prepare them for college basketball and beyond.

And if they don’t want to participate, there are others ready to step in for the chance to prove themselves.

“It’s about staying on top,” Boykin said. “If you don’t go to a tournament, someone else could take your spot while you’re sitting at home.”

Boykin is only a sophomore. He’s using the spring and summer to show he can be an effective power forward against taller, stronger and older players.

Farmar is one of the most sought-after junior point guards on the West Coast. This month, UCLA Coach Ben Howland was at Taft on a Wednesday to offer him a scholarship and Arizona Coach Lute Olson arrived the next day to do the same. Next month, Farmar will take an official recruiting trip to Florida.

This is what happens when players develop national reputations and coaches from around the country start wooing them.

Farmar’s attitude is a little different from most. He said he’s not on travel teams solely to be seen by college coaches since he has narrowed his choices and has the grades to enroll in college.

“I’m doing it to make sure I’m ready to test myself against players who are good and to enjoy myself,” he said.

Besides packing shoes, sweats, homework and a toothbrush, Farmar and Boykin ought to bring along a cell phone because that’s the only way friends will be able to reach them during this time of endless basketball.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.