Now that all the state champions have been crowned, we’ve officially reached the travel ball season. While each entity is different, Phenom Hoops is slated to have events nearly every weekend over the next six months. Due to the excitement spring/summer ball seems to elicit in individuals, this article will aim to help players, coaches, and spectators. In addition to highlighting our rules, we will look at some general guidelines on what to expect and what to avoid when attending a Phenom Hoops event…
Rules
Below are the rules for Phenom Hoops’ events. While every player, coach, and parent would be wise to familiarize themselves with these, we will highlight a few of the more impactful ones. Once a team reaches a 20-point lead, the clock will constantly run (timeouts aside) until the trailing team gets the deficit under 15 points. Each player receives 6 fouls before fouling out. Overtime/sudden death: whichever team scores three points first wins. It’s also important to identify the age restrictions for each age group and how Phenom Hoops differs from the default rules of AAU basketball. Again, these are just a few of the several listed, but it never hurts to be informed prior to attending an event.
Officials/Referees
Unsurprisingly, we continue to revisit the same discussion surrounding referees. There are several things to remember. First, the officials have no vested interest in either team winning or losing. It’s genuinely bizarre to think a referee is intentionally trying to tank either team for their own personal gain. Second, every person who officiates a high school-aged game is high school certified, meaning they are the same exact individuals who serve as referees during the school season. Consider the contrast in coach/player/parent behavior towards officials in the high school season versus the travel ball season. They are the same officials…yet somehow warrant far more emotion during the spring/summer months. Why? If you would not speak or act similarly at your local high school, then it might be time to reevaluate things. Furthermore, there are several college referees who officiate these travel ball events–simply proving that folks will find a problem no matter how qualified the individuals are. Look at every level of basketball. No one is satisfied with how games are managed. However, kids should carry themselves like individuals who want to be recruited while parents/coaches should act like adults with humility and respect for others. We are all passionate about the game of basketball, but setting a positive example for the youth is more important than winning a travel ball game in March.
General Behavior
It’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, it’s basketball. Given how much travel sports have expanded, many of these kids are aiming to have fun and compete with their friends. Those in serious pursuit of a collegiate career should already know about the challenges, expectations, and how to conduct themselves in a professional manner. We are not living a warzone and do not need to treat things with such intense seriousness all the time. Additionally, as mentioned with the officials above, we have no vested interest in any team winning or losing. It plainly does not matter. Let’s not forget the original purpose of these events: to put prospects in a position to develop and get seen by college coaches. Anything outside of that sentiment can be discarded.