A Very Positive Step Forward for American Basketball....iHoops

For Coaches who have followed the Basketball Highway over the past 12 years you are well aware of our commitment to the goals to educate, inform, and provide an important communication "train station" for basketball players, coaches and professionals around the world.  That has and will never be a commitment toward self focus, breast beating, or the Highway's importance to the development of the game.  For those of us who grew up on a snow covered concrete basketball court playing in sub-zero weather and almost any type of conditions with any type of ball, it isn't about standing first in line or a mind set that anyone in this game is bigger or better than the game itself.  In Dr. Jerry Krause new book titled Guardians of the Game (from Ascend Media Publishing ISBN 10:9817166-0-1) we are reminded from front cover to the notes that basketball has and continues to be a game perpetuated by people of great character, contributions, and invention.  We are all contributors to the growth of the game of basketball, and consequently have a responsibility to protect the game, contribute to it's growth, and support the positive influences that sustain it's growth to the next generations of kids and coaches coming up behind us.

This week an important press conference was held in Orlando at the NBA Finals which included NBA Commissioner David Stern (also speaking for NCAA President Miles Brand), Duke and 2008 Olympic Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Kevin Weiberg (new CEO of iHoops), presentatives from adidas and Nike, and board members to announce iHoops as the new corporate name given to the NBA-NCAA Youth Basketball Initiative first announced by Commissioner Stern during the 2008 NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.  The importance of this news conference shouldn't be underestimated.  American basketball and it's leadership under the direction of David Stern, Miles Brand, Jerry Colangeo and other powerful leaders has taken a significant step toward providing a cohesive structure and order to our beloved basketball development system for all players and coaches.  America has and continues to be a leader in Basketball in the world on many levels.  But American Basketball has for the past 100 years been a obtuse amalgamation of many different entities that have controlled various aspects of the game often with diverse goals and personal interests (Read Coach Krauses' book to get the big picture of our history).  This diversity has brought about a prolific system of player and coach development and "our" game to wonderful heights.  With this growth however, has come opportunity, and in some cases actual steps, toward self- canabalization of the game due to the competing interests between these governing entitites.   The good news is that finally some of games best, most experienced, and educated leaders in basketball are taking steps to develop a system that includes everyone and promotes the best of the many faceted contributors for the good of the game.

With the introduction if iHoops (iHoops.com) there is now an official name and face to a Youth Basketball Initiative which look to jointly (NBA, NCAA, USA Basketball and others stakeholders) promote three important goals; 1) to positively influence all boys and girls who play the game, 2) continue building the base of those who do play the game, and 3) help all players personally who play the game.  These are lofty goals for this very young initiative (6 months old) but none-the-less extremely important to the future development of Basketball in America.  It is our hope that with time, and through the educational processes being set up by CEO Kevin Weiberg, these unifying goals for youth basketball development can be achieved.

There will be naysayers who will deride many of the steps along the way.  But trust that the leadership in place to direct this inclusive initiative for the development of basketball know what they are doing, are striving toward clear cut objectives, and for the overall positive and constructive growth of basketball in America.  In any steps towards signficant change there will be those who question any initiatives effectiveness.  In my office I have a saying picked up somewhere in my reading that I have pinned to my wall.  It says "small steps lead to giant leaps".   Throughout the 12 year history of the Basketball Highway I have always attempted to remind myself that every day positive small steps toward adding to the overall growth of the game eventually allow this effort to become a major contribution to the game.  I think people will see that iHoops will take small but significant steps toward unifying the education and development of youth basketball in America, and it is an extremely important step in the history of American Basketball.  Everyone who cares about the good and growth of the game should stand behind this initiative and iHoops.  It will take many small steps but it can and needs to be done.