Ramblings on spring and summer ball

There are so many geneses for the clubs and teams that make up spring and summer basketball so let's try and outline the variations:

There's the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland "let's put on a show" element whereby a coach or father puts together a team, oftentimes including a son or two regarding the latter, for a certain event and then disbands soon after. Calling them vanity projects is too harsh but the purpose is solely to participate or compete in a local or regional tournament but sometimes these actually operate for a season or two.

Another is high school teams who play as a squad or sometimes it's a combination of players from different high schools coming together. This allows for some off-season competition which hopefully will show up as an improved win-loss record the coming winter.

A third is the one holding tryouts, followed by the selection of certain players as team members. This usually requires some form of payment for this participation to whoever is managing the enterprise.

Then there are the few sponsored squads whereby Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Under Armour spread cash around to both coaches (and certainly sometimes players) with the ultimate goal of inducing high school (and college) talents, once they turn professional, to stay loyal to the brand that supported them. The ultimate end game is to influence consumers that they must be seen wearing the latest footwear and other assorted items from the line of this or that NBA star.

Call this one an underwritten business enterprise as shoes, gear and sometimes more are exchanged for future loyalty.

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Exposure is obviously the number one goal for all, which has qualification as both a blessing or a curse depending obviously on how someone performs. Kids want to be witnessed on the courts by as many college coaches as possible, thereby increasing the odds of offered scholarships. But if you are worth seeing, then the eyeballs in the stands will be generated. There are no secrets anymore, if there ever was.

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So is the club whose jersey is across your chest holding practices or is it a matter of just getting together on game day and winging it? If it's the latter, this situation doesn't hurt the top talents because coaches will still sell their first born to be in the running for a perceived difference maker. It's the second, third and fourth tier prospects who need to be careful because what else is happening involving them enhancing and increasing their basketball assets?

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But the most important element of all connects to the third prototype above due to practicing both individually and as a team as means for getting better. Because that is what spring and summer is for -- skill advancement.

Simply put, the bettering of skills creates exposure. Word gets around.

Now being with a sponsored team may win individual bragging rights and prestige at the time but college coaches typically could care less which squad so-and-so is playing for*. There's also the element of playing a short number of minutes say on a sponsored team versus a larger amount of court time and a greater role on a so-called lesser team. Think long and hard on this.

* Although Nike (especially), Adidas, Reebok and Under Armour sponsored proprietary squads seemingly have an 'edge' in having player A sign with a college program also underwritten by that same shoe and gear benefactor.

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Ultimately, there is so much to consider. But ultimately those best off are the ones who check their egos at the door, be it player or parent or coach. Take that high road because, as is often quipped, it's less traveled.