Getting by giving

Amid all the posturing, one-upsmanship and other outlandish and obnoxious behaviors displayed by some coaches in the spring and summer youth basketball sector, what unfortunately gets submerged is this fact: there are also those serving as mentors whose sole goal is the bettering of kids in both in basketball skills and as individuals.

The latter doesn't make the headlines but it's critical work and often performed in near anonymity.

For example, take Randy Bessolo of the Bay Area Warriors and also University High.

His guys aren't going to hear their names called on NBA draft night and his ego is fine with that. The hoops recruitment analysts at Rivals and SCOUT don't have his phone number on speed dial and that's no big deal. That's because he's in it for the kids and his actions reinforce that mantra.

In his typical self-effacing manner, Bessalo answered the query of why he is where he is with, "If you can't play, you coach."

But that's not getting anywhere near the complete story.

Bessolo did indeed play for Columbia, members of the Ivy League. But a torn ACL ended his junior year and career so he began coaching, first as a volunteer assistant coach as a Lion senior. He also volunteered at various charities and with the Catholic Big Brother program.

(a younger Bessolo)

After earning a Harvard Business School advanced degree, he worked in finance and then real estate. But he also stayed involved with aiding the disadvantaged, tutoring in the Cabrini-Green housing project and the Mercy Boys Home which also offered a Sunday basketball program.

Involvement with the Illinois Warriors, a much-heralded basketball program in Chicago headed by Larry Butler came next because "someone was needed to coach the 14U, 15U and 16U teams." That was a five year stint with Bessolo directly mentoring guys such as Chris Singletary who starred at Kent State, Willie Walker who was a 1,000 point scorer at DePaul and Demetri McCamey who starred at Illinois. There was also Jon Scheyer who performed on the hardwood for Duke and now coaches there, plus North Carolina guard Bobby Frasor.

In fact, a demonstration of the tight connection Bessolo forged with his guys is the fact that he will soon be attending the wedding of one of his former proteges, Aaron Johnson, whose 7.7 assists for UAB led the nation during the 2010-11 season.

But after a period of time in Chicago, home began calling.

"I grew up in San Francisco and Marin County and I returned when I turned 40."

In 2005, the head basketball coach at University opened up and Bessolo was hired.

Simultaneously, "the [University] junior varsity coach, Evan Jones, had started the Bay Area Warriors and I partnered up with Evan for nine years."

Between University and the Warriors, Bessolo coaches around 100 games year round. Most high school coaches might reach a third of that total.

"I have a strong passion for basketball and working with young men and kids."

He noted that "AAU is bifurcated with different levels because of the shoes sponsorships. I want to do a great job servicing the community and I love it when academics is combined with athletics." He recalled former Warriors such as Samson Donnick who will be a freshman at MIT, Jack Gale who is heading off to Middlebury College in Vermont, Columbia's Noah Springwater who is entering his senior year plus Reggie Wilhite who finished up at Yale in 2012.

[With the Warriors], "we have a good mix of kids from the San Francisco Academic League, the West Catholic Athletic League and the Oakland Athletic League."

What many do not know is the colleges with strong academics "can struggle to find good players. They don't have a big recruiting budget so we have an ongoing dialogue with the better academic schools."

Bessolo advises prospects to "manage the process. Determine what schools you are interested in and get in touch with them to see if you are good enough. Be proactive and take care of academics."

He added, "I think it's around 37 guys (25 back in Chicago and 12 here) get DI scholarships and most would not have gone to college otherwise."

He also speaks up for the JUCO route if need be. "It's been something like 20 guys doing that" with the most notable being De'End Parker. "I coached him since he was 15." Parker generated offers from Cal and UCLA when he completed his time at City College of San Francisco.

Bessolo also stressed that a number of others are important figures with the Warriors program, including the aforementioned Jones, Jeff Facter who is also the head coach at Gateway High, Oakland High JV Coach Will Lew and Josh Keough, who assists with the Warriors.

Both Bay Area Warriors teams, the 17s and the 16s, will play in the following July events:

* July 12-13 in the Hoop Review Nor Cal Classic at CCSF
* July 18-19 in Pangos Cream of the Crop Classic in Los Angeles (Garden Grove)
* July 24-27 in the Bigfoot Las Vegas Classic

Here's a link to all the Bay Area Warrior alumni.