UConn Confirms; Jana Out for 23-24 Season

[cancontent]

Perhaps it has more to do with the type of player UCONN recruits. UCONN more consistently than anyone else recruits high motor kids with elite work ethics. Geno has no tolerance for players who take a more lackadaisical approach to the game. In today's 24/7 high school bball environment, I have to think these hard working kids are more prone to injury due to overuse. The high school landscape needs to change.

It's not the high school landscape itself but the culture of competitive sports as a whole (grade school, high school, AAU, etc.). The need to specialize from an early age to get an edge is a problem. This isn't an isolated issue within basketball itself. I've seen kids in soccer, football, gymnastics and tennis go through a lot of injuries due to excessive training.

We're also guilty in helping this culture become what it is. The attitude of "no days off", "mamba mentality", etc., that is celebrated exacerbates the problem. I remember an article about Chole Kitt's early enrolment and how her father talked about how she's been taking a business approach to her development. This won't change until parents are willing to take a step back and be more realistic with respect to what their children can accomplish. There are too many examples of what burn out can do to a person, going back decades but we're not learning from it.

And let's not forget there are people profiting off of this in so many areas (trainers, recruiting services, tournament organizers, AAU clubs, AAU leagues, etc.). There's too much money being made to motivate people to change the landscape. The drive for clout and money is really the largest issue here.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I wish Geno can get a big commitment from one of the players at the fifa games. They had quite a few good players.

We know that we had a coach at the event. Was the coach merely supporting Jana or possibly recruiting someone, like Juste Jocyte??

 

[GoUconn7961]

I refuse to discuss overuse and it's a moot point. Kids are gonna play in the off season.

My heart goes out to Jana. If there's any silver lining is that Stewie had the same injury in the W and look at her now.

 

[hoopsfan22]

My main fear is that she does not come back to UConn. This injury has affected me even more than Paige's and Brady's last season. I really wanted to see the team as it was supposed to be this season, with all the players on this season's roster. Now, if she stays at UConn and I am still around next season, it won't hurt so bad. I will finally get a chance to see her play. My concern about her returning is based on whether her father still wants her to play in the United States, not her transferring.

Wouldn't worry too much about this. Dad seemed happy with just the half season she spent here, plus she is an adult (or will be in two months) and can make her own decision.

 

[Ladeeeeda]

It's not the high school landscape itself but the culture of competitive sports as a whole (grade school, high school, AAU, etc.). The need to specialize from an early age to get an edge is a problem. This isn't an isolated issue within basketball itself. I've seen kids in soccer, football, gymnastics and tennis go through a lot of injuries due to excessive training.

We're also guilty in helping this culture become what it is. The attitude of "no days off", "mamba mentality", etc., that is celebrated exacerbates the problem. I remember an article about Chole Kitt's early enrolment and how her father talked about how she's been taking a business approach to her development. This won't change until parents are willing to take a step back and be more realistic with respect to what their children can accomplish. There are too many examples of what burn out can do to a person, going back decades but we're not learning from it.

And let's not forget there are people profiting off of this in so many areas (trainers, recruiting services, tournament organizers, AAU clubs, AAU leagues, etc.). There's too much money being made to motivate people to change the landscape. The drive for clout and money is really the largest issue here.

Yes, I don't think anyone thinks it is just with basketball. People's idealogies don't change unless there is a profitable reason to do so. As long as the Mamba mentality is rewarded, it will continue to be followed. Parents aren"t going to change unless they see a reason to and very few have access to information that contradicts what society is telling them. For example, many parents think that if a program has Catapult, it must be paying attention to their athletes' body health. In reality, they should be asking programs how they analyze the data from Catapult and how that data is used in the development of team and individual workouts. Getting parents to understand data analysis in this context and be on board with that type of information takes a lot of time and education.
So I would argue that the most expedient way to change thing is through altering the high school landscape (Change the rules).....so the reward is no longer there or so the path to a reward does not require playing a sport 24/7. I just do not see another starting point that is actually possible and to be honest maybe changing the high school landscape isn't possible either. The NCAA has taken baby steps to limit recruiting and events by altering the recruiting calendar and it probably needs to do more. And of course, aau organizers are fighting this tooth and nail, which isn't helping.