Blanco's high school coach warned me about the baggage he was coming in with. Before I watched Blanco play for the first time on campus, his high school coach called and shared a very detailed assessment about his game and personality. He said a lot of great things about him, but also let me know very frankly that he had some issues that may interfere with his overall success. One afternoon I walked into the gym to see if the guys were in there working on some aspect of their game, and as expected nobody was on the court. Blanco happened to be sitting on a sofa right outside the gym. Something was visibly on his his mind, so we went to my office to chat.
Me: You seem down. What's wrong??
Blanco: (tears forming) My AAU coach... He's dying of cancer.
Me: Oh man. I'm so sorry to hear that. How do you know he's dying??
Blanco: He told me his doctor said he ain't have much time. I always thought he was gonna get better. That man's the only dad I know.
Me: Dad? What do you mean? You don't have a relationship with your dad?
Blanco: (sobbing) Naw. I actually finally got to meet him this summer. I went down South to meet him and expected it to be cool, you know.. meeting my dad for the first time.
Me: And it wasn't?
Blanco: He acted like I wasn't even there. I've never did anything to him. He barely talked to me. Most the time he was wit his girl. This AAU coach been more of a dad for me than my own father ever was...
*** I sat there and let him cry because he needed to. He was obviously hit hard by this snub from his father.
I had a sense that Blanco's family issues ran deep. When he came up to play ball during the summer, his mother would sit silently in a corner every time. She'd never utter a word. He'd play for an hour and a half--sometimes even longer, while his mother just sat there. I thought this was weird because I know for damn sure my mother would've said something after the second game. I'd have three games to play. Tops! It was clear that he was the man of his home.
My spidey senses were raging. I knew it was just a matter of time before he balked at the male figure who wouldn't let him have his way as a first year player with unrealistic hoop dreams.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Blanco, the "Anomaly"
Blanco is a white guy. Often times when I speak of "the Bubble", people automatically assume that I'm using a euphemism for poor Black and Latino males. The effects of growing up with no consistent positive/supportive male role model and being academically troubled transcends race. Blanco is the perfect example of that. As a matter of fact, Blanco was one of the first Bubblees I'd ever encountered.
Blanco was so convinced of his Division I talent that Jesus Christ couldn't have convinced him otherwise. He was a 6'3, 190 lbs center who was not athletically gifted and possessed solid all around offensive skills, at best. Defensively, Blanco was a major liability. He couldn't defend a mailbox on a good day. All of this, yet I was the bad guy for being real with him.
Blanco: Coach, can I have our game schedule again?
Me: Sure. Do you need it for your supervisor or something?
Blanco: No. I need it for the basketball coach at Quinnipiac.
Me: (not really sure what to say) Are we talking about the D1 in CT.
Blanco: Yeh. That's the one. They watched me play then started sending me letters, but then my knee... I used to be so much more athletic than I am now. That injury killed it for me.
Me: (looking him square in the eye) I'd be pissed off if I were that coach and you sent me a schedule.
Blanco: Why?
Me: Gas is money and I don't like people wasting my money.
Blanco: (shoots back) Well, he has seen me play before and I know I can play at that level. I've played against guys on that team before and scored on them...
Later on, I discovered that Blanco was going through some personal issues stemming from a summer trip down South to visit his long, lost father.
Blanco was so convinced of his Division I talent that Jesus Christ couldn't have convinced him otherwise. He was a 6'3, 190 lbs center who was not athletically gifted and possessed solid all around offensive skills, at best. Defensively, Blanco was a major liability. He couldn't defend a mailbox on a good day. All of this, yet I was the bad guy for being real with him.
Blanco: Coach, can I have our game schedule again?
Me: Sure. Do you need it for your supervisor or something?
Blanco: No. I need it for the basketball coach at Quinnipiac.
Me: (not really sure what to say) Are we talking about the D1 in CT.
Blanco: Yeh. That's the one. They watched me play then started sending me letters, but then my knee... I used to be so much more athletic than I am now. That injury killed it for me.
Me: (looking him square in the eye) I'd be pissed off if I were that coach and you sent me a schedule.
Blanco: Why?
Me: Gas is money and I don't like people wasting my money.
Blanco: (shoots back) Well, he has seen me play before and I know I can play at that level. I've played against guys on that team before and scored on them...
Later on, I discovered that Blanco was going through some personal issues stemming from a summer trip down South to visit his long, lost father.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Re-evaluating "the Bubble"
This week I chose to highlight Bubble trait #2, which deals with the extreme poor judgment of those in "the Bubble."
There was Flash's plan (real or not) to rob his local Walgreen's. Armslong decided to drive a car around that had pitch black tints (which are illegal in the state of MA) even though he had no insurance and $1000 worth of unpaid parking tickets. You also got to read about Thuglife's idea of a good time--riding around town and yelling profanities out of a car window at random people. The dialogue is a rough recollection of conversations I've had with these guys. However, the situations I've written about have really happened!
In my previous recap, I noted that the delusional speak (ex. I shot somebody shortly before school started.) is the defining trait of those in "the Bubble." I'm beginning to re-assess that. Every psychological state has a continuum. The delusion could be the deeper end. I'm very intrigued by the continous poor judgment of Bubblees (people who live in "the Bubble.") I noticed that each of these guys make several awful decisions for every good one. I once showed Flash on a board how he had a 7:1 ratio in terms of bad to good decision making . He was stunned to see the visual.
The unfortunate thing is that even when the Bubblee makes a good decision, it ends up being compromised (or negated) by all of the bad choices.
Bubble Characteristics: Bubblees have a combination of several of these characteristics.
1. False sense of reality/abilities (i.e. delusion)
2. Extremely poor judgment/irresponsible
3. Unable/Unwilling to accept blame for anything
4. Financially irresponsible
5. Friends have little to no motivation
6. Awful parent
7. disloyal
8. Chronic exaggerator
9. Little to no ambition/misplaced ambition
10. No resilience
11. Happily ignorant
12. Very inconsistent
13. Drama Driven
14. Unable/unwilling to acknowledge flaws
15. Self – Mutilator
16. Extremely selfish
17. Frequently fired/Rarely hired
18. Manipulative
19. absent moral compass
20. Has at least one significant enabler .
There was Flash's plan (real or not) to rob his local Walgreen's. Armslong decided to drive a car around that had pitch black tints (which are illegal in the state of MA) even though he had no insurance and $1000 worth of unpaid parking tickets. You also got to read about Thuglife's idea of a good time--riding around town and yelling profanities out of a car window at random people. The dialogue is a rough recollection of conversations I've had with these guys. However, the situations I've written about have really happened!
In my previous recap, I noted that the delusional speak (ex. I shot somebody shortly before school started.) is the defining trait of those in "the Bubble." I'm beginning to re-assess that. Every psychological state has a continuum. The delusion could be the deeper end. I'm very intrigued by the continous poor judgment of Bubblees (people who live in "the Bubble.") I noticed that each of these guys make several awful decisions for every good one. I once showed Flash on a board how he had a 7:1 ratio in terms of bad to good decision making . He was stunned to see the visual.
The unfortunate thing is that even when the Bubblee makes a good decision, it ends up being compromised (or negated) by all of the bad choices.
Bubble Characteristics: Bubblees have a combination of several of these characteristics.
1. False sense of reality/abilities (i.e. delusion)
2. Extremely poor judgment/irresponsible
3. Unable/Unwilling to accept blame for anything
4. Financially irresponsible
5. Friends have little to no motivation
6. Awful parent
7. disloyal
8. Chronic exaggerator
9. Little to no ambition/misplaced ambition
10. No resilience
11. Happily ignorant
12. Very inconsistent
13. Drama Driven
14. Unable/unwilling to acknowledge flaws
15. Self – Mutilator
16. Extremely selfish
17. Frequently fired/Rarely hired
18. Manipulative
19. absent moral compass
20. Has at least one significant enabler .
Friday, August 27, 2010
Pookie Starts to Unravel
Pookie was a really weird dude. Other guys I've written about struggle with consistently making good decisions. Pookie was just a total mess. He had absolutely nothing going for him. You could almost hear the "ticking" as Pookie sauntered about campus. He just seemed to be a car honk away from being on CNN.
Me: Dude, what's your problem???
Pookie: What? Why you askin me that?
Me: You're in my office everyday. I've given you money for lunch. I've bought you toiletries. Why are you here everyday staring at me? Seriously, man!! You just sit there and stare!
Pookie: So, I can't come and visit you??
Me: No! You're up in this building all day everyday asking people for donations and stuff. Why don't you get a damn job?!?Plus, you're telling people you're on the team. I don't appreciate that. You aren't even a basketball player! I've seen you play!
Pookie: What should I work on to be on the team??
Me: EVERYTHING!
Before watching him work out with the team, he had told me that his original plan was to play at another school in our region. He couldn't even dribble a basketball.
One day as I was walking to my office, the Dean of Students called me into her office.
Dean: Do you know "Pookie"?
Me: Yes.
Dean: Is he one of your players?
Me: Absolutely not. He's terrible.
Dean: Well, he seems to have gotten himself in some serious trouble.
Me: What did he do?
Dean: Apparently, he forced a young woman who identifies as a lesbian to have sex with him in the driveway of 123 Something Street. Do you recognize that address?
Me: That's where a couple of my players live...
Dean: Well, that's where he allegedly committed this act. We've been looking for him to no avail. He has stopped going to classes.
I never saw Pookie again. He was a fugitive. I found out much later that Armslong and Thuglife agreed to take him in their apartment as long as he turned their electricity back on under his name. Their electricity had been turned off for non-payment.
Me: Dude, what's your problem???
Pookie: What? Why you askin me that?
Me: You're in my office everyday. I've given you money for lunch. I've bought you toiletries. Why are you here everyday staring at me? Seriously, man!! You just sit there and stare!
Pookie: So, I can't come and visit you??
Me: No! You're up in this building all day everyday asking people for donations and stuff. Why don't you get a damn job?!?Plus, you're telling people you're on the team. I don't appreciate that. You aren't even a basketball player! I've seen you play!
Pookie: What should I work on to be on the team??
Me: EVERYTHING!
Before watching him work out with the team, he had told me that his original plan was to play at another school in our region. He couldn't even dribble a basketball.
One day as I was walking to my office, the Dean of Students called me into her office.
Dean: Do you know "Pookie"?
Me: Yes.
Dean: Is he one of your players?
Me: Absolutely not. He's terrible.
Dean: Well, he seems to have gotten himself in some serious trouble.
Me: What did he do?
Dean: Apparently, he forced a young woman who identifies as a lesbian to have sex with him in the driveway of 123 Something Street. Do you recognize that address?
Me: That's where a couple of my players live...
Dean: Well, that's where he allegedly committed this act. We've been looking for him to no avail. He has stopped going to classes.
I never saw Pookie again. He was a fugitive. I found out much later that Armslong and Thuglife agreed to take him in their apartment as long as he turned their electricity back on under his name. Their electricity had been turned off for non-payment.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Flash tells his story...
Flash was a gunman's aim away from never having a chance to play in a college basketball game. According to Flash, back when he was running the streets, somebody he had beef with opened fire on him. A few shots zipped his way but only one hit him in the calf. Somehow Flash recovered to the point where at his dimunitive height (5'10) he could still dunk the ball with two hands a couple of years later. I once asked him what brand of cocoa butter lotion he was using because he had no trace of a scar on his calf.
God's grace is serious!
During that phase of Flash's life, he was also a purse snatcher until late one night a random old lady told him something that sent chills up his spine. After knocking off an elderly woman, he ran to a bus stop a couple of miles away to wait for his getaway ride (the city bus). As he sat there waiting, a "very grey haired woman" turned to him and said simply, "you will reap." He looked away for a second, then she was gone.
Flash was also the head of his own little crew. He ordered people to be beat up, and even devised plans for major heists.
Flash: I used to be on some stuff, yo. You expectin a lot from a nigga who used to run the streets, Coach. This whole school thing ain't even me.
Me: That's $1 in the nigga jar. I didn't twist your arm to be here, you know.. The effort you're putting out to change your life is admirable, but you need to be pushed. You lose focus.
Flash: I used to be about gettin dough, man. Name it, I done it. Drugs? Check. Guns? Check. If this one plan had gone through I woulda been in the dough fo real.
Me: Lemme guess. You tried to rob a bank?
Flash: Nah man.. Walgreens.
Me: Walgreens? What were you trying to do, steal all the Sudafed and sell it to the kids??? hahaha
Flash: See. I'm not even playin, Coach. I got the blueprints for that place. We was gonna run up in there and shake the place down.
Me: Are you for real?? You don't seem like the type to do that sorta thing.
Flash: That's who I was before. I'm tryin to do something different now so my son could look up to his dad, you know...
God's grace is serious!
During that phase of Flash's life, he was also a purse snatcher until late one night a random old lady told him something that sent chills up his spine. After knocking off an elderly woman, he ran to a bus stop a couple of miles away to wait for his getaway ride (the city bus). As he sat there waiting, a "very grey haired woman" turned to him and said simply, "you will reap." He looked away for a second, then she was gone.
Flash was also the head of his own little crew. He ordered people to be beat up, and even devised plans for major heists.
Flash: I used to be on some stuff, yo. You expectin a lot from a nigga who used to run the streets, Coach. This whole school thing ain't even me.
Me: That's $1 in the nigga jar. I didn't twist your arm to be here, you know.. The effort you're putting out to change your life is admirable, but you need to be pushed. You lose focus.
Flash: I used to be about gettin dough, man. Name it, I done it. Drugs? Check. Guns? Check. If this one plan had gone through I woulda been in the dough fo real.
Me: Lemme guess. You tried to rob a bank?
Flash: Nah man.. Walgreens.
Me: Walgreens? What were you trying to do, steal all the Sudafed and sell it to the kids??? hahaha
Flash: See. I'm not even playin, Coach. I got the blueprints for that place. We was gonna run up in there and shake the place down.
Me: Are you for real?? You don't seem like the type to do that sorta thing.
Flash: That's who I was before. I'm tryin to do something different now so my son could look up to his dad, you know...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Thuglife meets Loco
Transitioning to college from a life of thuggery isn't easy for most, especially when you're just a summer removed from shooting somebody from a rival crew. Thuglife, on the other hand, acclimated himself almost seamlessly to being a student. It didn't take long for Thuglife to find a new best friend either--Loco.
(Loco didn't quite qualify for "the Bubble" because he doesn't have that delusional characteristic. He was really just LOCO.)
He and Loco were like peas and carrots. I swear they were sharing underwear for awhile. You really couldn't find one without the other... EVER! They had a similar penchant for utter stupidity--like the day they rode around town together shouting obscenities out of a car window at random people. During that little adventure, Loco got out of the car and hit a random person over the head with a full 20 oz bottle of Poland Spring for fun.
I couldn't confront either of them about this episode since a passenger in that car told me about this incident, so I decided to pull them in separately just to talk about our code of conduct.
Me: So I hear you and Loco have hit it off. Y'all are like Starsky n Hutch.
Thuglife: Oh.. yeh. Loco's my nigga!
Me: That's a dollar for you in the "nigga" jar. Pay up.
Thuglife: My fault
Me: How is it that we're only a week into school and y'all are acting like long lost twin brothers??
Thuglife: He just mad cool. Like, we have a lot in common. He's a real n..., I mean dude. And plus, we kind of connected in a weird way.
Me: How's that??
Thuglife: Well, I was tellin him about this chick that I smashed on out by where he live and come to find out he beat it too! That was funny! We messed wit the same chick around the same time!!!
**Months later, Thuglife and said female became a couple.
(Loco didn't quite qualify for "the Bubble" because he doesn't have that delusional characteristic. He was really just LOCO.)
He and Loco were like peas and carrots. I swear they were sharing underwear for awhile. You really couldn't find one without the other... EVER! They had a similar penchant for utter stupidity--like the day they rode around town together shouting obscenities out of a car window at random people. During that little adventure, Loco got out of the car and hit a random person over the head with a full 20 oz bottle of Poland Spring for fun.
I couldn't confront either of them about this episode since a passenger in that car told me about this incident, so I decided to pull them in separately just to talk about our code of conduct.
Me: So I hear you and Loco have hit it off. Y'all are like Starsky n Hutch.
Thuglife: Oh.. yeh. Loco's my nigga!
Me: That's a dollar for you in the "nigga" jar. Pay up.
Thuglife: My fault
Me: How is it that we're only a week into school and y'all are acting like long lost twin brothers??
Thuglife: He just mad cool. Like, we have a lot in common. He's a real n..., I mean dude. And plus, we kind of connected in a weird way.
Me: How's that??
Thuglife: Well, I was tellin him about this chick that I smashed on out by where he live and come to find out he beat it too! That was funny! We messed wit the same chick around the same time!!!
**Months later, Thuglife and said female became a couple.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Flash Goes to Jail
Two days after school had started (on a Thursday) Flash and some of his teammates decided to go clubbing. Little did they know that their night of innocent fun would land them behind bars. To his credit, Flash decided to play the honest card and tell me what happened before I could find out through another channel.
Flash: (knock knock)
Me: Hey man! Have a seat. How are things going out here? You like your spot?
Flash: (hesitates) Things is aiight.
Me: Aiight? Just okay? College isn't fun so far?
Flash: Yeh. It's straight... Coach, if I told you something you won't tweak??
Me: (heart sinks) umm.. it depends on what it is you have to tell me?
Flash: Seriously, though. You wanna have a relationship that's based on honesty, right? Memba you said that to me in the car. You want us to be real wit each other. Memba?
Me: Of course. Okay. I'll try not to get upset. What happened???
Flash: ... well, last night.. uhh... a few of us spent the night in jail...
Me: WHAT?!!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?! WHAT THE >>??
Flash: (puts his hands out) Hold up!! We got bailed out by homey's sista. You promised not to get upset. I'm tryna be real witchu.
Me: okay... (motioning to come out with it)
Flash: An undercover rolled up on us while we were drinkin outside the club. Don't worry. The car was parked.
Me: Huh?
Flash: Yeh. Last night we went to the club and tried to have some drinks right outside the club in the car before we went in..just a few swigs, you know. And then this dude rolled up on us and we got arrested.
Me: That doesn't make any f-in sense! You think it's okay to drink in a parked car?!?!
Flash: (knock knock)
Me: Hey man! Have a seat. How are things going out here? You like your spot?
Flash: (hesitates) Things is aiight.
Me: Aiight? Just okay? College isn't fun so far?
Flash: Yeh. It's straight... Coach, if I told you something you won't tweak??
Me: (heart sinks) umm.. it depends on what it is you have to tell me?
Flash: Seriously, though. You wanna have a relationship that's based on honesty, right? Memba you said that to me in the car. You want us to be real wit each other. Memba?
Me: Of course. Okay. I'll try not to get upset. What happened???
Flash: ... well, last night.. uhh... a few of us spent the night in jail...
Me: WHAT?!!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?! WHAT THE >>??
Flash: (puts his hands out) Hold up!! We got bailed out by homey's sista. You promised not to get upset. I'm tryna be real witchu.
Me: okay... (motioning to come out with it)
Flash: An undercover rolled up on us while we were drinkin outside the club. Don't worry. The car was parked.
Me: Huh?
Flash: Yeh. Last night we went to the club and tried to have some drinks right outside the club in the car before we went in..just a few swigs, you know. And then this dude rolled up on us and we got arrested.
Me: That doesn't make any f-in sense! You think it's okay to drink in a parked car?!?!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Bubble "Recap"
So far in "the Bubble" you have encountered seven characters: Lebraun, UConn, American Idol, Stretch Armslong, Flash, Pookie, and Thuglife. Unfortunately, these are all true stories. The common thread between the characters so far are their lack of a father figure and delusion state of mind (or false sense of reality/ability). The other more subtle quality that has not been treated significantly are their academic struggles, which are the result of (in my opinion) an undiagnosed disability (dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, dysgraphia). My belief is that the paternal and academic issues give rise to the delusional characteristic.
I've been tempted to pick up a psychology book to read about the effects of paternal abandonment on young people. Instead, I've opted to observe these seven individuals for any notable similarities. So far, it seems to me that paternal abandoment leaves a child (at minimum) with some baseline insecurities.
A child may feel like the abandonment was a result of some personal flaw. The other possibility is that abandonment usually means there's one income. The effects of growing up poor speaks for itself in this context of insecurity. Lastly, a father who comes and goes could leave a child feeling angry.
Now, consider this. On top of the issues a child may have as a result of having no solid father figure, throw in some major academic struggles. Basically, school sucks as much as home does. Where's the refuge for a child?? If things aren't going well in the two places a child/young adult spends most of his time, then the natural response is to create a reality that serves as a refuge--hence, the Bubble.
Bubble Characteristics: Bubblees have a combination of several of these characteristics.
1. Disloyal
2. Extremely poor judgment/irresponsible
3. Unable/Unwilling to accept blame for anything
4. Financially irresponsible
5. Friends have little to no motivation
6. Awful parent
7. False sense of abilities
8. Chronic exaggerator
9. Little to no ambition/misplaced ambition
10. No resilience
11. Happily ignorant
12. Very inconsistent
13. Drama Driven
14. Unable/unwilling to acknowledge flaws
15. Self – Mutilator
16. Extremely selfish
17. Frequently fired/Rarely hired
18. Manipulative
19. absent moral compass
20. Has at least one significant enabler .
I've been tempted to pick up a psychology book to read about the effects of paternal abandonment on young people. Instead, I've opted to observe these seven individuals for any notable similarities. So far, it seems to me that paternal abandoment leaves a child (at minimum) with some baseline insecurities.
A child may feel like the abandonment was a result of some personal flaw. The other possibility is that abandonment usually means there's one income. The effects of growing up poor speaks for itself in this context of insecurity. Lastly, a father who comes and goes could leave a child feeling angry.
Now, consider this. On top of the issues a child may have as a result of having no solid father figure, throw in some major academic struggles. Basically, school sucks as much as home does. Where's the refuge for a child?? If things aren't going well in the two places a child/young adult spends most of his time, then the natural response is to create a reality that serves as a refuge--hence, the Bubble.
Bubble Characteristics: Bubblees have a combination of several of these characteristics.
1. Disloyal
2. Extremely poor judgment/irresponsible
3. Unable/Unwilling to accept blame for anything
4. Financially irresponsible
5. Friends have little to no motivation
6. Awful parent
7. False sense of abilities
8. Chronic exaggerator
9. Little to no ambition/misplaced ambition
10. No resilience
11. Happily ignorant
12. Very inconsistent
13. Drama Driven
14. Unable/unwilling to acknowledge flaws
15. Self – Mutilator
16. Extremely selfish
17. Frequently fired/Rarely hired
18. Manipulative
19. absent moral compass
20. Has at least one significant enabler .
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thuglife & Pookie Showdown
Thuglife is a verbal assassin. His stories alone would have you thinking the boy was a rainy day away from popping off on campus. Somehow, regardless of the topic, he'd always find a way to throw "hammy" (urban colloquialism to reference a gun) into the conversation.
Thuglife's dad passed away when he was 4 or 5 years old...
A month before coming to school, Thuglife apparently capped some fool with the hammy during a gang dispute. I guess he was in a gang or something. Anyway, realizing that he had so much potential, one of the "Gs" took the rap for him so he could go to college. It was real nice of his fellow gang members to let him leave the hood to go to school.
His thuggery came into serious question as a result of some beef with Pookie over stolen money. Earlier in the school year, Pookie stole money from him and skipped town (re: Pookie Goes to College post). Thuglife told everybody who'd listen that the next time he saw Pookie bad things would happen. When Pookie came back to town months later to enroll for college, he approached Thuglife in front of the guys to settle the score about this money he supposedly stole from him. The team expected a fight for the ages, maybe even an old fashioned "cowboy ten paces then draw" showdown...not so much.
Thuglife claimed that he never accused Pookie then shook his hand to call it a truce. What followed that situation was some serious reconciliation. Seeing that Pookie was going to be homeless, Thuglife told Armslong (his roommate) that he could occupy the empty bedroom. I had to intervene at this point because this all just seemed crazy to me.
Me: Didn't you say that Pookie stole your money???
Thuglife: Yeh. He took my $65! Oooh! I was so mad.
Me: I'm sure you were. So, why do you want a guy who stole your money to live with you?
Thuglife: Oh nah. That beef is squashed. He knows what's up. He tried to step to me in front of the team and I had to let him know what the deal was.
Me: And what's that?
Thuglife: Nah. I was basically like I know you took my money and if it wasn't for the fact that I was a college student now and trying to change my life that the hammy would've had to come out.
Me: Really? The hammy?
Thuglife: See. I thought of you, Coach. I knew you'd be real disappointed in me if I messed up this opportunity so I let him off the hook, but he knows what's up..
Me: Rewind, though.. you mentioned the hammy. You have a gun in the crib?
Thuglife: Oh nah.. my nigga back home has it for when I need it.
Me: Is he holding the gun you used to shoot that guy? Look, man. I'm tired of hearing that stupid story from people. You didn't shoot anybody! I know a killa when I see one. You aren't a killa so stop telling people that story before you actually get in trouble for an unsolved crime.
Thuglife: See. You just don't know that other side of me.
**Apparently, I didn't know that other side of him because months later I found out that he offered to shovel his elderly neighbor's walkway when it snowed...
Thuglife's dad passed away when he was 4 or 5 years old...
A month before coming to school, Thuglife apparently capped some fool with the hammy during a gang dispute. I guess he was in a gang or something. Anyway, realizing that he had so much potential, one of the "Gs" took the rap for him so he could go to college. It was real nice of his fellow gang members to let him leave the hood to go to school.
His thuggery came into serious question as a result of some beef with Pookie over stolen money. Earlier in the school year, Pookie stole money from him and skipped town (re: Pookie Goes to College post). Thuglife told everybody who'd listen that the next time he saw Pookie bad things would happen. When Pookie came back to town months later to enroll for college, he approached Thuglife in front of the guys to settle the score about this money he supposedly stole from him. The team expected a fight for the ages, maybe even an old fashioned "cowboy ten paces then draw" showdown...not so much.
Thuglife claimed that he never accused Pookie then shook his hand to call it a truce. What followed that situation was some serious reconciliation. Seeing that Pookie was going to be homeless, Thuglife told Armslong (his roommate) that he could occupy the empty bedroom. I had to intervene at this point because this all just seemed crazy to me.
Me: Didn't you say that Pookie stole your money???
Thuglife: Yeh. He took my $65! Oooh! I was so mad.
Me: I'm sure you were. So, why do you want a guy who stole your money to live with you?
Thuglife: Oh nah. That beef is squashed. He knows what's up. He tried to step to me in front of the team and I had to let him know what the deal was.
Me: And what's that?
Thuglife: Nah. I was basically like I know you took my money and if it wasn't for the fact that I was a college student now and trying to change my life that the hammy would've had to come out.
Me: Really? The hammy?
Thuglife: See. I thought of you, Coach. I knew you'd be real disappointed in me if I messed up this opportunity so I let him off the hook, but he knows what's up..
Me: Rewind, though.. you mentioned the hammy. You have a gun in the crib?
Thuglife: Oh nah.. my nigga back home has it for when I need it.
Me: Is he holding the gun you used to shoot that guy? Look, man. I'm tired of hearing that stupid story from people. You didn't shoot anybody! I know a killa when I see one. You aren't a killa so stop telling people that story before you actually get in trouble for an unsolved crime.
Thuglife: See. You just don't know that other side of me.
**Apparently, I didn't know that other side of him because months later I found out that he offered to shovel his elderly neighbor's walkway when it snowed...
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Pookie Goes to College
One of the great things about getting guys in the hood to go to college is that their friends end up taking note of that. Some envy, and others motivate. When Armslong embarked on his college journey, a good friend (Pookie) decided to follow in his footsteps. Pookie initially enrolled at another community college in the state, but he decided to steal from the family that took him in so they naturally kicked him out. Since Pookie couldn't go back because his mother disowned him for stealing from her, he decided to join forces with Armslong.
Interestingly, Armslong wasn't too pleased about Pookie's decision to join him. One morning his mother called and implored me not to allow Pookie to live with her son because he was a bad influence. There was nothing I could do since I didn't own the property Armslong was living at. He just needed to man up and tell his boy to bounce.
I kind of picked up on Pookie's shadiness when he kept coming by my office with sob stories about not having eaten in days. He also went to other professional staff around the college to ask for money, vouchers, and whatever else they were willing to give him. There was also the learning disabled gym attendant who came to me in tears because Pookie wouldn't return the $50 he had let him borrow "to eat."
When I asked another Bubblee why he kept asking people for money, I was told that Pookie was addicted to buying fake Jordans and smoking weed.
I failed to mention earlier that Pookie had "dad issues" like everybody else in "the Bubble."
Interestingly, Armslong wasn't too pleased about Pookie's decision to join him. One morning his mother called and implored me not to allow Pookie to live with her son because he was a bad influence. There was nothing I could do since I didn't own the property Armslong was living at. He just needed to man up and tell his boy to bounce.
I kind of picked up on Pookie's shadiness when he kept coming by my office with sob stories about not having eaten in days. He also went to other professional staff around the college to ask for money, vouchers, and whatever else they were willing to give him. There was also the learning disabled gym attendant who came to me in tears because Pookie wouldn't return the $50 he had let him borrow "to eat."
When I asked another Bubblee why he kept asking people for money, I was told that Pookie was addicted to buying fake Jordans and smoking weed.
I failed to mention earlier that Pookie had "dad issues" like everybody else in "the Bubble."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Flash
In recruiting many of my players, it usually takes a couple of viewings for me to get a general sense of the guy's ability. I like to see a lot of different things, ranging from a guy's overall athletic ability to his grasp of basic basketball fundamentals. One of the things I really pay attention to is how a guy responds on the court when he's losing. I want to see if the player is resilient and fights until the end. Nothing bothers me more than the ho-hum character who's just out there running around. I didn't quite pick up whether or not Flash had that competitive drive, but his "first step" was serious!
On that basis alone, I decided to sign him up. I knew it was very unlikely that I'd find another guard with that kind of burst on his first step. Unfortunately, Flash didn't come with a "Caution" label on him. This boy had ISSUES! One visit to his "hood" and apartment was enough for me to see why this dude was so screwed up. His mom was a heroin addict and his brother seemed to be developmentally delayed. That, however was his second home. Most of the time he lived with his girlfriend and her Godmother in a three bedroom unit that a cat would have found difficulty getting comfortable in.
Oh, and as with most Bubblees, he had dad issues.
He was my first self-mutilator. Flash never cut himself per se, but at least once a month, he would do something really stupid to compromise his general well-being.
Me: What's going on, man? Every professor has bad news about your grades. They say you've fallen off. What's going on?
Flash: Yeh coach... I've had a lot going on.
Me: Like what?
Flash: Stuff, man...
Me: Are we really gonna do this "pull it out of Flash" bit today? Come out with it. I can't help you if I don't know what's up.
Flash: (sigh) I got another baby comin...
Me: Uhh... you're broke and don't have a job. There are these things you can pick up from the local pharmacy, or even the Counseling office here on campus, to help you with this producing problem. They're called condoms.
Flash: (laughs...) She tricked me, Coach
Me: What do you mean?
Flash: She said she was on the pill?
Me: And you believed her???
Flash: Yeh. I went in it raw diggy and let off! I can't believe she'd do this to me.
Me: (mocking him) I thought you and your girl had a good situation going on. She didn't think one baby was enough?
Flash: That's the thing, Coach. It isn't my girl who's pregnant. It's this other chick who has wanted to have my seed for a minute. I can't believe she tricked me!!
Me: You decided to have raw sex with a woman who has wanted you to be her baby's dad?
On that basis alone, I decided to sign him up. I knew it was very unlikely that I'd find another guard with that kind of burst on his first step. Unfortunately, Flash didn't come with a "Caution" label on him. This boy had ISSUES! One visit to his "hood" and apartment was enough for me to see why this dude was so screwed up. His mom was a heroin addict and his brother seemed to be developmentally delayed. That, however was his second home. Most of the time he lived with his girlfriend and her Godmother in a three bedroom unit that a cat would have found difficulty getting comfortable in.
Oh, and as with most Bubblees, he had dad issues.
He was my first self-mutilator. Flash never cut himself per se, but at least once a month, he would do something really stupid to compromise his general well-being.
Me: What's going on, man? Every professor has bad news about your grades. They say you've fallen off. What's going on?
Flash: Yeh coach... I've had a lot going on.
Me: Like what?
Flash: Stuff, man...
Me: Are we really gonna do this "pull it out of Flash" bit today? Come out with it. I can't help you if I don't know what's up.
Flash: (sigh) I got another baby comin...
Me: Uhh... you're broke and don't have a job. There are these things you can pick up from the local pharmacy, or even the Counseling office here on campus, to help you with this producing problem. They're called condoms.
Flash: (laughs...) She tricked me, Coach
Me: What do you mean?
Flash: She said she was on the pill?
Me: And you believed her???
Flash: Yeh. I went in it raw diggy and let off! I can't believe she'd do this to me.
Me: (mocking him) I thought you and your girl had a good situation going on. She didn't think one baby was enough?
Flash: That's the thing, Coach. It isn't my girl who's pregnant. It's this other chick who has wanted to have my seed for a minute. I can't believe she tricked me!!
Me: You decided to have raw sex with a woman who has wanted you to be her baby's dad?
Stretch Armslong
Last summer one of my very good friends introduced me to Stretch Armslong. Like many inner-city ball players, Armslong had major hoop dreams. He was very athletic and had freakishly long arms. I'm pretty sure he could've scratched his knees standing up.
Usually when I see a guy with that much raw athletic ability, I'm lead to believe there's something wrong. It's difficult to be as athletic as Armslong and slip through the cracks. It took a month for me to realize he had the basketball IQ of a fruit fly. He couldn't pick up plays regardless of the way it was presented (paper, walk-thru, etc). Learning a basketball play isn't about intelligence. It's really a matter of recognizing alignments and understanding why a movement is happening. Armslong even struggled with a basic defensive stance despite my many attempts to rectify that.
Me: Defend at an arms length away from your opponent! Why are you three feet off the ball after I've told you this five times?!?
Armslong: Oh. I went to some practices at UConn and that's how they defend.
Me: Does it look like you're at UConn right now?!?!
Armslong: (whispering) No
After practice he came to me and apologized for trying to do it his way. He reasoned that since his goal is to play at UConn in a year, he should try to defend like they do.
Me: You want to play at UConn? (thinking...what is it with these guys and UConn)
Armslong: Yeh. I play pick up there all the time with the women's team. I think I could play there.
Me: You're joking, right?
Armslong: No. Why??
Me: Your fundamentals need a lot of work.You have trouble remembering to v-cut. You release the ball from your crotch when you shoot. There's also the fact that none of the courses you're taking right now will transfer to a 4-year school. Speaking of academics, what's going on with your English class?
Armslong: I'm doing good.
Me: You have a D right now.
Armslong: Yeh. I'm passing. I'm good.
Me: So a D is good to you??
Armslong: I mean. I did good on my last test. I hate that professor, though.
Me: Why's that?
Armslong: She won't let people go to the bathroom!
Me: Do you have a bladder problem that I don't know about?
Armslong: No
Me: Then why the f**k are you concerned with her bathroom policy?!?!
(To be continued...)
Usually when I see a guy with that much raw athletic ability, I'm lead to believe there's something wrong. It's difficult to be as athletic as Armslong and slip through the cracks. It took a month for me to realize he had the basketball IQ of a fruit fly. He couldn't pick up plays regardless of the way it was presented (paper, walk-thru, etc). Learning a basketball play isn't about intelligence. It's really a matter of recognizing alignments and understanding why a movement is happening. Armslong even struggled with a basic defensive stance despite my many attempts to rectify that.
Me: Defend at an arms length away from your opponent! Why are you three feet off the ball after I've told you this five times?!?
Armslong: Oh. I went to some practices at UConn and that's how they defend.
Me: Does it look like you're at UConn right now?!?!
Armslong: (whispering) No
After practice he came to me and apologized for trying to do it his way. He reasoned that since his goal is to play at UConn in a year, he should try to defend like they do.
Me: You want to play at UConn? (thinking...what is it with these guys and UConn)
Armslong: Yeh. I play pick up there all the time with the women's team. I think I could play there.
Me: You're joking, right?
Armslong: No. Why??
Me: Your fundamentals need a lot of work.You have trouble remembering to v-cut. You release the ball from your crotch when you shoot. There's also the fact that none of the courses you're taking right now will transfer to a 4-year school. Speaking of academics, what's going on with your English class?
Armslong: I'm doing good.
Me: You have a D right now.
Armslong: Yeh. I'm passing. I'm good.
Me: So a D is good to you??
Armslong: I mean. I did good on my last test. I hate that professor, though.
Me: Why's that?
Armslong: She won't let people go to the bathroom!
Me: Do you have a bladder problem that I don't know about?
Armslong: No
Me: Then why the f**k are you concerned with her bathroom policy?!?!
(To be continued...)
American Idol
I still hold this truth to be self evident, that most "Bubblees" are men. The reason I believe this to be the case is that men (in my opinion) have a harder time dealing with their insecurities. Personally, I don't know of many men who like to talk things out, or generally share how they really feel about anything. Instead we choose to put on a facade that "it's all good"--hence, making stupid stuff up that eventually becomes real to us. Women have their own insecurities, but they're typically more apt to talk about what's going on. I was really thrown for a loop about my Bubble theory when I met American Idol, a woman.
American Idol didn't offer many red flags the few times I'd met with her. She showed up on time for appointments. Her grades were pretty good. I went as far as even recommending her for a job on campus as a tour guide. She did have the tendency to post some ridiculous status updates on facebook that were somewhat dramatic, but she kept that in check on campus. She also had some dad issues (which all people in the Bubble seem to have in common), but again, given that everything else was generally cool I didn't typecast her as a "Bubblee."
On a random day in the spring I decided to take American Idol with me on a visit to an elementary school. Her task during this trip was to talk to some 6th graders about her experiences as a college student and help me with a workshop. I was pretty shocked at what took place during the visit.
During her presentation to the students, American Idol mentioned that she liked to sing as a hobby. She talked about performing with friends in shows and how she'd like to be a singer someday if it were at all possible. A student then challenged her to sing in front of the group. As she hesitated, and I looked on, the other 6th graders started to cheer her on to sing. Eventually, American Idol got the courage to perform.
I was dumbfounded by what happened next. I stood there stunned as she literally squeaked her way through some tune. There's a fine line between nervousness and just being awful. If she had gone on for another few seconds, I would have had to save her from herself. She was that bad. It was pretty clear to everybody in the room (other than American Idol) that she had a better chance of finding Ronald McDonald waiting for her in the girls' bathroom holding a million dollar scratch ticket than making it as a singer.
(To be continued)
American Idol didn't offer many red flags the few times I'd met with her. She showed up on time for appointments. Her grades were pretty good. I went as far as even recommending her for a job on campus as a tour guide. She did have the tendency to post some ridiculous status updates on facebook that were somewhat dramatic, but she kept that in check on campus. She also had some dad issues (which all people in the Bubble seem to have in common), but again, given that everything else was generally cool I didn't typecast her as a "Bubblee."
On a random day in the spring I decided to take American Idol with me on a visit to an elementary school. Her task during this trip was to talk to some 6th graders about her experiences as a college student and help me with a workshop. I was pretty shocked at what took place during the visit.
During her presentation to the students, American Idol mentioned that she liked to sing as a hobby. She talked about performing with friends in shows and how she'd like to be a singer someday if it were at all possible. A student then challenged her to sing in front of the group. As she hesitated, and I looked on, the other 6th graders started to cheer her on to sing. Eventually, American Idol got the courage to perform.
I was dumbfounded by what happened next. I stood there stunned as she literally squeaked her way through some tune. There's a fine line between nervousness and just being awful. If she had gone on for another few seconds, I would have had to save her from herself. She was that bad. It was pretty clear to everybody in the room (other than American Idol) that she had a better chance of finding Ronald McDonald waiting for her in the girls' bathroom holding a million dollar scratch ticket than making it as a singer.
(To be continued)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Navigating "the Bubble"
It's very important to note that the defining characteristic of being in "the Bubble" is delusion. For instance, your friend who earns a modest income decides to hit the local BMW dealership regularly to test drive cars that aren't in his price range. That, ladies and gentleman, is the single most defining characteristic of people who live in "the Bubble." In order to deal with their insecurities, they resort to fabricating truths that ultimately become their reality. Just because somebody you know is failing at life doesn't mean they are in "the Bubble." Some of us can deal with failure better than others.
People in "the Bubble" earn their citizenship once the following qualities are combined with their delusion. All of us own a couple or a few of these characteristics. The difference with "ordinary" folks is that they don't own SEVERAL of these traits.
Bubble Characteristics: Bubblees have a combination of several of these characteristics.
1. Disloyal
2. Extremely poor judgment/irresponsible
3. Unable/Unwilling to accept blame for anything
4. Financially irresponsible
5. Friends have little to no motivation
6. Awful parent
7. False sense of abilities
8. Chronic exaggerator
9. Little to no ambition/misplaced ambition
10. No resilience
11. Happily ignorant
12. Very inconsistent
13. Drama Driven
14. Unable/unwilling to acknowledge flaws
15. Self – Mutilator
16. Extremely selfish
17. Frequently fired/Rarely hired
18. Manipulative
19. absent moral compass
20. Has at least one significant enabler
People in "the Bubble" earn their citizenship once the following qualities are combined with their delusion. All of us own a couple or a few of these characteristics. The difference with "ordinary" folks is that they don't own SEVERAL of these traits.
Bubble Characteristics: Bubblees have a combination of several of these characteristics.
1. Disloyal
2. Extremely poor judgment/irresponsible
3. Unable/Unwilling to accept blame for anything
4. Financially irresponsible
5. Friends have little to no motivation
6. Awful parent
7. False sense of abilities
8. Chronic exaggerator
9. Little to no ambition/misplaced ambition
10. No resilience
11. Happily ignorant
12. Very inconsistent
13. Drama Driven
14. Unable/unwilling to acknowledge flaws
15. Self – Mutilator
16. Extremely selfish
17. Frequently fired/Rarely hired
18. Manipulative
19. absent moral compass
20. Has at least one significant enabler
Friday, August 13, 2010
UConn (Part II)
By the time preseason rolled around, everybody on the team knew that UConn had been pursued by one of the nation's elite Division I basketball programs in the country. I'm almost certain that even the gym attendants, who could care less about basketball, knew about this bogus interest from UConn. The most surprising part about this foolishness was that others believed him. Even though he was 5'8 (5'10 when you ask him) and had absolutely no explosion in his game (he "dunked" in a hs game), UConn's teammates accepted this story at face value. Nobody questioned his story....Ever! There's a possibility that some didn't believe him because as I would painfully witness during the season, accountability didn't exist among them. A guy could snooze his way through practice, or a game, and only the coaches would say anything about it.
UConn didn't complain about coming off the bench, which was a surprise given that we were "lucky" to have a guy who was supposed to be playing at a Division I. Imagine that. A guy who should have been playing Division I basketball for a legendary coach was content being a reserve at a Division III junior college. UConn struggled through first semester. One of the things I liked a lot about UConn's game as a high schooler that didn't need much tweaking was his outside shot. I figured at the very least he could give us a couple of threes per game off the bench...not so much. After we started that season at 1-4, I decided to hold a team meeting to get to the bottom of why we weren't clicking at all on the floor.
Me: Fellas, we're playing like sh*t out there. Teams go zone and I got guys putting on an And 1 dribbling exhibition in front of two zone defenders instead of moving the ball. We aren't moving the ball, or moving after the pass. Shooters aren't making shots. What's the problem?
UConn: You be makin' guys nervous, screamin from the sidelines and stuff. Let us play!
Me: So, my yelling leads you to not be able to make a jumpshot or dribble the ball against pressure?
UConn: I'm a 2 guard! I'm not a pg! You're playin me at the wrong position. Ever consider that?!?
Me: What?!?!? You're a shooting guard now? Do you realize our best player is a shooting guard and plays 34 minutes per game?
Enabling Teammate: Yeh man. You be makin' guys nervous yellin from the sidelines. That's why UConn can't play his game.. (This is the same guy who asked me privately why UConn was getting a lick of playing time.)
Me: How many times have any of you come in here on your own to shoot extra jump shots? I need a show of hands for who comes in to take extra shots.
...crickets...
UConn had another story he liked to tell. Apparently, he beat Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics in a shooting contest during a community event for some local kids in Worcester. I don't know that a multi-millionaire would really care to embarrass a little kid in a shooting contest at a team sponsored community event that's designed to boost self esteem, but hey...maybe it's just me. There's always the possibility that he actually beat Tony Allen in a shooting contest. The last time I checked Tony Allen didn't make it to the NBA because of his jump shot. This is a guy who has hit the side of the backboard more than a couple of times shooting from twenty feet. I didn't bother rationalizing all of this to UConn, however. By the time second semester rolled around, he was only playing against cupcake opponents. There was no need for me to burst his bubble.
UConn didn't complain about coming off the bench, which was a surprise given that we were "lucky" to have a guy who was supposed to be playing at a Division I. Imagine that. A guy who should have been playing Division I basketball for a legendary coach was content being a reserve at a Division III junior college. UConn struggled through first semester. One of the things I liked a lot about UConn's game as a high schooler that didn't need much tweaking was his outside shot. I figured at the very least he could give us a couple of threes per game off the bench...not so much. After we started that season at 1-4, I decided to hold a team meeting to get to the bottom of why we weren't clicking at all on the floor.
Me: Fellas, we're playing like sh*t out there. Teams go zone and I got guys putting on an And 1 dribbling exhibition in front of two zone defenders instead of moving the ball. We aren't moving the ball, or moving after the pass. Shooters aren't making shots. What's the problem?
UConn: You be makin' guys nervous, screamin from the sidelines and stuff. Let us play!
Me: So, my yelling leads you to not be able to make a jumpshot or dribble the ball against pressure?
UConn: I'm a 2 guard! I'm not a pg! You're playin me at the wrong position. Ever consider that?!?
Me: What?!?!? You're a shooting guard now? Do you realize our best player is a shooting guard and plays 34 minutes per game?
Enabling Teammate: Yeh man. You be makin' guys nervous yellin from the sidelines. That's why UConn can't play his game.. (This is the same guy who asked me privately why UConn was getting a lick of playing time.)
Me: How many times have any of you come in here on your own to shoot extra jump shots? I need a show of hands for who comes in to take extra shots.
...crickets...
UConn had another story he liked to tell. Apparently, he beat Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics in a shooting contest during a community event for some local kids in Worcester. I don't know that a multi-millionaire would really care to embarrass a little kid in a shooting contest at a team sponsored community event that's designed to boost self esteem, but hey...maybe it's just me. There's always the possibility that he actually beat Tony Allen in a shooting contest. The last time I checked Tony Allen didn't make it to the NBA because of his jump shot. This is a guy who has hit the side of the backboard more than a couple of times shooting from twenty feet. I didn't bother rationalizing all of this to UConn, however. By the time second semester rolled around, he was only playing against cupcake opponents. There was no need for me to burst his bubble.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
UConn
A couple of years ago a local high school teacher told me about a point guard (UConn) that I needed to watch. To her credit, the young man was actually a solid player. UConn had very good court vision and rarely made mistakes on the floor. Most 17 yr old point guards try to force a lot. This guy seemed to be cut from a different cloth, however. There was no flash to his game whatsoever. When I say there was no flash, I mean there was no flash. It was nice that he wasn't randomly putting the ball behind his back to awe his friends in the stands, but this point guard really had no flash. Whether it was a halfcourt set or fastbreak, UConn played at the same deliberate pace.
Sitting in the stands watching him interact with his coaches and teammates, it was refreshing to see "UConn" display a cool composure all the time. I decided to take a chance on UConn after watching him trudge through his third game with no crazy mistakes. In sports, it's common knowledge that certain qualities are not easily taught. UConn was born to be a point guard from a mental standpoint. My job was simply to add some pep to his step...that's when I discovered UConn was living in a different reality.
Me: Look, man. I've seen you play a few times. I like your game. You don't make mistakes and you're cool as a fan all the time. Are any other schools looking at you?
UConn: Well, this other school was looking at me but my grades need to get better.
(This anonymous school is a Division 3 college that doesn't play in an ultra competitive league)
Me: Oh, so coming to QCC makes sense for you then.
UConn: Yeh, I guess.
Me: You don't seem too thrilled about playing ball at QCC.
UConn: It's not that. I just wish my grades were higher right now, you know? I get that I can get a good education at your school and not pay as much. Y'all are like the bootleg version. I could get the real thing for a lot less.
Me: (thinking.. did he really say we were the bootleg version?)
**Fast Fwd to summer
Unfortunately, coaches aren't always honest about their players. I asked his coach about any red flags, and he said there weren't any. Within a week, I discovered that UConn had the work ethic of a grape. He found every excuse in the book not to come to summer workouts. His primary issue was transportation even though he was fifteen minutes away from campus (walking). It didn't take too long for us to have a sit down to discuss his work ethic. During that conversation, he said a couple of things that were really alarming.
Me: Do you realize what kind of opportunity you have here to be playing college ball in your backyard, and not pay a dime for school?
UConn: I hear you, Coach. Can I tell you something?
Me: Sure.
UConn: I was the MVP of a summer camp at UConn. They wanted me.
Me: Which UConn?
UConn: The D1 in Connecticut. They wanted me. They were sending me letters and stuff.
Me: (waiting for punchline..)
UConn: I went to this camp and averaged like 27 a game and I was killin' it. I was competing with guys who get burn for them!
Me: (puzzled) You were being recruited by UConn
UConn: Yeh. I got letters! Oh and wanna know something else?
Me: What's that?
UConn: I can dunk!! I dunked in a hs game before.
Me: No, you didn't. You're 5'8 and barely get up on your lay-ups.
UConn: See, Coach. I just ain't show you everything. Watch when we get to the gym.
**The day of reckoning
I watched UConn go up on three separate occasions and basically throw the ball at the back of the rim and pull it down with the two fingers that barely got up there. After the last failed attempt, he explained to me that his jumping ability had been compromised by a recent bout of Jumper's Knee which is also why he was reluctant to work out during the summer.
Sitting in the stands watching him interact with his coaches and teammates, it was refreshing to see "UConn" display a cool composure all the time. I decided to take a chance on UConn after watching him trudge through his third game with no crazy mistakes. In sports, it's common knowledge that certain qualities are not easily taught. UConn was born to be a point guard from a mental standpoint. My job was simply to add some pep to his step...that's when I discovered UConn was living in a different reality.
Me: Look, man. I've seen you play a few times. I like your game. You don't make mistakes and you're cool as a fan all the time. Are any other schools looking at you?
UConn: Well, this other school was looking at me but my grades need to get better.
(This anonymous school is a Division 3 college that doesn't play in an ultra competitive league)
Me: Oh, so coming to QCC makes sense for you then.
UConn: Yeh, I guess.
Me: You don't seem too thrilled about playing ball at QCC.
UConn: It's not that. I just wish my grades were higher right now, you know? I get that I can get a good education at your school and not pay as much. Y'all are like the bootleg version. I could get the real thing for a lot less.
Me: (thinking.. did he really say we were the bootleg version?)
**Fast Fwd to summer
Unfortunately, coaches aren't always honest about their players. I asked his coach about any red flags, and he said there weren't any. Within a week, I discovered that UConn had the work ethic of a grape. He found every excuse in the book not to come to summer workouts. His primary issue was transportation even though he was fifteen minutes away from campus (walking). It didn't take too long for us to have a sit down to discuss his work ethic. During that conversation, he said a couple of things that were really alarming.
Me: Do you realize what kind of opportunity you have here to be playing college ball in your backyard, and not pay a dime for school?
UConn: I hear you, Coach. Can I tell you something?
Me: Sure.
UConn: I was the MVP of a summer camp at UConn. They wanted me.
Me: Which UConn?
UConn: The D1 in Connecticut. They wanted me. They were sending me letters and stuff.
Me: (waiting for punchline..)
UConn: I went to this camp and averaged like 27 a game and I was killin' it. I was competing with guys who get burn for them!
Me: (puzzled) You were being recruited by UConn
UConn: Yeh. I got letters! Oh and wanna know something else?
Me: What's that?
UConn: I can dunk!! I dunked in a hs game before.
Me: No, you didn't. You're 5'8 and barely get up on your lay-ups.
UConn: See, Coach. I just ain't show you everything. Watch when we get to the gym.
**The day of reckoning
I watched UConn go up on three separate occasions and basically throw the ball at the back of the rim and pull it down with the two fingers that barely got up there. After the last failed attempt, he explained to me that his jumping ability had been compromised by a recent bout of Jumper's Knee which is also why he was reluctant to work out during the summer.
Lebraun Comes to Town
A couple of weeks ago, I was paid a visit by none other than "the Emperor" himself (Lebraun) in my office. He had left me a message during the week asking about trying out for the basketball team, but I didn't take it seriously because (after all) this is Lebraun we're talking about. Why would Lebraun want to play at a junior college?!?
I called Lebraun to invite him for a visit to campus so we could talk about the seriousness of his interest in playing here. Oddly enough, even though Lebraun has been ensconced into my psyche over the past several years via ridiculous puppet commercials and the like, I didn't quite recognize the Emperor when he walked into my office. The following is a transcript of our conversation.
The "Visit"
(Knock. Knock)
Me: (Looking up from computer) Yes. Who are you??
Lebraun: It's me, Coach.. Lebraun
Me: What? You aren't Lebraun!
Lebraun: Yes, I am. My friends all tell me that I'm Lebraun. Don't you recognize me? I'm in your face every night on ESPN. You do watch ESPN, right?
Me: Yeh but you look nothing like ...
Lebraun: Maybe it's the make-up, but it's me. Check this out. I didn't play high school ball because my father kept moving me around and stuff. I went to like four high schools in five years so I didn't play ball. My father just couldn't make up his mind about where he wanted me to be. It's all his fault!
Me: Umm.. Sorry to hear that, man. You aren't...
Lebraun: Yes, I'm who I said I am. My friends told me I'm Lebraun. Watch when you see me play. As a matter of fact, I played against one of your players and dominated him. Blocked him like 7 times. He was your center.
Me: You mean the guy who averaged 2.4 ppg for us this year??
Lebraun: Yeh. That's him!
"The Tryout"
I invited a few guys up to play some pick up who had expressed interest in trying out this fall. Among the eight who showed up that day was (you guessed it) "The Emperor." The first thing I noticed about Lebraun was the odd spin on his jump shot. When you shoot the ball is supposed to have a back spin on it. His ball rotated sideways... At some point in time, I guess he decided to use his left thumb (in addition to his right hand) to get some more umph on his shot. Emperors can go against the grain. That's their nature.
Secondly, I noticed that Lebraun could only go to his right. This seemed odd to me since I'd seen him punish so many teams going to his left. By the third game, the guy who was guarding Lebraun adjusted to this obvious deficiency and forced him left every time. Lebraun was rendered useless. He couldn't figure out which foot to jump off of going to his left...
"The Work Outs"
Given the fact that he is Lebraun, I invited him back for summer workouts. Having coached at this level for five years now, I'm fully aware that size AND stardom doesn't land at just any coach's doorstep. Lebraun had a tough go of it with the conditioning drills. He even got sick a couple of times during the first workout. To his credit, however, he kept coming in and showing up on time.. Most Emperors don't operate this way so I felt very fortunate to be in the company of humble royalty.. Everything was going well until "the Phone Call." Here's a transcript of that conversation.
"The Phone Call"
Lebraun: Hey Coach. I can't make it today.
Me: Why's that, Lebraun? You still aren't in shape. You need to be here everyday.
Lebraun: I know that, Coach, but my gf is having a baby today.
Me: Congratulations, Dad!!
Lebraun: It's not mine.
Me: What do you mean it isn't yours?? She's your gf, right?
Lebraun: Long story...
Next Day...
Me: So, tell me about this long story with your gf and the baby.
Lebraun: Oh yeh. It's not my baby.
Me: I heard you the first time. Whose is it then?
Lebraun: When I met her, she was three months pregnant.
Me: Oh.. That's nice of you to take on somebody else's responsibility.
Lebraun: Well, it ain't just that. She got a car so I'm just using her for that. That's how I get around...
Me: Oh, so you're using her for her car and she's using you to be a father. Got it.
I called Lebraun to invite him for a visit to campus so we could talk about the seriousness of his interest in playing here. Oddly enough, even though Lebraun has been ensconced into my psyche over the past several years via ridiculous puppet commercials and the like, I didn't quite recognize the Emperor when he walked into my office. The following is a transcript of our conversation.
The "Visit"
(Knock. Knock)
Me: (Looking up from computer) Yes. Who are you??
Lebraun: It's me, Coach.. Lebraun
Me: What? You aren't Lebraun!
Lebraun: Yes, I am. My friends all tell me that I'm Lebraun. Don't you recognize me? I'm in your face every night on ESPN. You do watch ESPN, right?
Me: Yeh but you look nothing like ...
Lebraun: Maybe it's the make-up, but it's me. Check this out. I didn't play high school ball because my father kept moving me around and stuff. I went to like four high schools in five years so I didn't play ball. My father just couldn't make up his mind about where he wanted me to be. It's all his fault!
Me: Umm.. Sorry to hear that, man. You aren't...
Lebraun: Yes, I'm who I said I am. My friends told me I'm Lebraun. Watch when you see me play. As a matter of fact, I played against one of your players and dominated him. Blocked him like 7 times. He was your center.
Me: You mean the guy who averaged 2.4 ppg for us this year??
Lebraun: Yeh. That's him!
"The Tryout"
I invited a few guys up to play some pick up who had expressed interest in trying out this fall. Among the eight who showed up that day was (you guessed it) "The Emperor." The first thing I noticed about Lebraun was the odd spin on his jump shot. When you shoot the ball is supposed to have a back spin on it. His ball rotated sideways... At some point in time, I guess he decided to use his left thumb (in addition to his right hand) to get some more umph on his shot. Emperors can go against the grain. That's their nature.
Secondly, I noticed that Lebraun could only go to his right. This seemed odd to me since I'd seen him punish so many teams going to his left. By the third game, the guy who was guarding Lebraun adjusted to this obvious deficiency and forced him left every time. Lebraun was rendered useless. He couldn't figure out which foot to jump off of going to his left...
"The Work Outs"
Given the fact that he is Lebraun, I invited him back for summer workouts. Having coached at this level for five years now, I'm fully aware that size AND stardom doesn't land at just any coach's doorstep. Lebraun had a tough go of it with the conditioning drills. He even got sick a couple of times during the first workout. To his credit, however, he kept coming in and showing up on time.. Most Emperors don't operate this way so I felt very fortunate to be in the company of humble royalty.. Everything was going well until "the Phone Call." Here's a transcript of that conversation.
"The Phone Call"
Lebraun: Hey Coach. I can't make it today.
Me: Why's that, Lebraun? You still aren't in shape. You need to be here everyday.
Lebraun: I know that, Coach, but my gf is having a baby today.
Me: Congratulations, Dad!!
Lebraun: It's not mine.
Me: What do you mean it isn't yours?? She's your gf, right?
Lebraun: Long story...
Next Day...
Me: So, tell me about this long story with your gf and the baby.
Lebraun: Oh yeh. It's not my baby.
Me: I heard you the first time. Whose is it then?
Lebraun: When I met her, she was three months pregnant.
Me: Oh.. That's nice of you to take on somebody else's responsibility.
Lebraun: Well, it ain't just that. She got a car so I'm just using her for that. That's how I get around...
Me: Oh, so you're using her for her car and she's using you to be a father. Got it.
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