Club Vs High School

[The Old Guy]

I would.love to hear what some coaches opinions are on this subject and how they think the rise of club play has either helped or hindered the game. When my son played there were no clubs and the best you could do was be in the provincial finals or get picked for a provincial team. Now my grandson plays both and whole I think there are advantages for the serious players o wonder about the influx of Commercialized clubs and owners tilting the odds for their own advantage.

[HoopsHarbinger]

Club:

Pros:

• Lots of opportunities for kids to play from u10 to u18 year-round. You can still find a team to play on even if you don't make the cut for your high school team.
• Different tiers of competition (gold, silver, bronze divisions).
• Some very good, full-time coaches - this is crucial for athletes who attend schools without strong basketball programs.
• Clubs compete with each other to develop and attract top talent.
• Top level club play is generally higher level competition than top level high school ball as clubs essentially create regional all-star teams.
• Players and families have choice over where they play.
• Many clubs provide opportunities to play against US/international competition.
  
• Provides more opportunities to be scouted by university coaches.
• Creates bonds and friendships for athletes who attend different schools.
• For-profit tournament system allows for things like purchasing a pass for livestreamed games so family outside BC can see their kids/grandkids play.

Cons:

• Too many games, not enough practices. 
• Some not-so-good, full-time coaches. Some clubs rotate coaches so often that the coaches barely know their players' names.
  
• Some clubs use unethical methods to poach talent from other clubs. 
• "Pay-to-play" system which makes holding players accountable challenging. There is an expectation of playing time since fees are being paid despite a player having missed practices or having a bad attitude. Players often jump ship between clubs as soon as they don't get their way.
  
• Not much "culture" around club games - winning a club tournament is nowhere near as prestigious or memorable as winning a major high school tournament.
• No fan base - some average high school teams will have 500+ fans in attendance for big games, creating a fantastic atmosphere and experience for everyone involved. Two top level club teams with the best players in the province might play a tournament final in front of 30 parents.
• For-profit tournament system creates a bit of a money grab feel: having to pay a $10 door fee to see your 6th grade kid play in an elementary school gym.
  

• Very little downtime for athletes - this year there was overlap between the fall club season and the start of the high school season. This is harmful for the players as it increases the risk of injuries and mental burnout. It also creates tension between clubs and schools and puts players in an awkward position of trying to please their club and school coaches. BC School Sports should be working with the clubs to create clear time frames for the club and high school seasons.
  
• Decrease of multi-sport athletes: players are specializing in sports (not just basketball) at younger ages instead of playing 2/3/4 sports until age 16-17. There are arguments to be made both ways here but there is an overwhelming amount of peer-reviewed academic research that outlines the benefits of being a multi-sport athlete.

High School:

Pros:

• Some top-level coaches coach high school but not club - the late great Goulet, Dockendorf, Chambers, Ebe, etc.
• Certain high schools create incredible basketball programs from grade 8-12, with a ton of pride involved in putting on your school jersey.
• Coaches are more able to hold players accountable athletically and academically. Players have to learn to push through adversity and are not able to easily jump ship if they are pushed hard or don't get along with a coach.
  
• Players form tight bonds with their school friends from playing together for multiple years.
  
• School culture and fan bases create amazing atmospheres, especially in zone playoffs and at the provincial championships.
• Fantastic rivalries over the years, such as Steveston-Richmond-McNair in the 80s and 90s, Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge in the Goulet and Dock era, Argyle-Handsworth in the 2000s, Oak Bay-Dover Bay when they were both AAA island powers, and of course Saints-VC.
  
• Certain tournaments have storied histories and some provide post-secondary scholarships to graduating student-athletes.
• The BC Provincial Championships are the largest high school sporting event in Canada, with over 7000 fans in attendance at last year's 4A final.
• Four tiers of play, single A to 4A. I personally preferred the old three-tier system as it was more competitive but I understand the reasoning for more tiers.
• Media coverage in local newspapers and Howard Tsumura's varsityletters.ca. Club basketball rarely gets media coverage outside of Instagram.
  

Cons:

• Not all schools have strong basketball programs; some schools barely field a basketball team.
• If you're at a school that doesn't have a strong program, it's difficult to switch schools - at the minimum you have to sit out a year of athletics unless your family actually moves addresses. There is good reason for this, as many players would end up switching schools in their grade 10 or 11 year to stack their senior teams with their club teammates and create superteams. However, the downside is that you can have a great player who wants to take basketball seriously but is handcuffed by his/her postal code.
• A distinctly inequitable playing field between public and private schools, which deserves it's own conversation and to which I've outlined some key points below. 

Public vs Private schools:

• This has been a hot topic on this forum and throughout our province for the last 20 years or so, perhaps longer.
• Private schools have clear advantages over public schools with access to resources, no catchment zones (anyone can apply regardless of postal code), and their ability to recruit coaching staff. Private schools like Van College, St. George's, and more recently St. Pat's have built consistently successful programs but also attracted plenty of criticism over the years.
  
• Public school programs are entirely volunteer-run, and as such, the strength of their programs comes and goes with their volunteers.  
• Public school boards are not allowed to ask a teacher in a job interview if they'd be willing to coach a sport - this is against BCTF regulations as it is said to put unfair pressure on new teachers to commit to volunteering hundreds of hours a year in order to land a full-time job. Many new teachers are not volunteering their time to coach compared to the past - this is likely partly due to the rising cost of living and perhaps also a cultural shift for a new generation of teachers.
• This contrasts sharply to private schools, many of whom explicitly seek out sports coaches as part of their hiring process. Despite what many seem to think, very few private schools actually pay their coaches a coaching salary but rather integrate coaching into their teaching/administrative workload. Regardless of pay, the ability to hire teaching staff because of their coaching skills is a significant advantage.
• Public school administration changes every few years, and some principals are more/less supportive of athletics than others.
  

This is my two cents - I'd like to hear what others have to say on the subject as well.

[coachebe]

Very good summary HoopsHarbinger. You have provided great information for people to think about. 

[Tom]

I like the comment about some players "move" to a new school to avoid sitting out the year. I thought that was a requirement regardless? And what is required to prove that you actually moved vs. just used someone else's address? I know of a few kids who "moved" to play at a different school.