THE 9th GRADE MYTH
One of my primary goals as the leader of Riverton Basketball is to give our players the best opportunities to improve as players, students, and people. We are very proud that all of our players improve their g.p.a.'s while in our program and we work tirelessly to teach them life lessons that will serve them well long after they hang up the uniform.
As for improving our boys as players, we have a very simple philosophy. We focus on fundamentals and we work very, very hard. Of course, much of individual improvement lies in the self-motivation of a player. We have been blessed to have many highly motivated young men wear the Riverton jersey.
We also are fortunate to receive great cooperation from parents in helping our boys to become better players. From financial support to emotional encouragement, Riverton basketball parents are among the finest I've been associated with--we could not succeed without their help.
There is, however, a myth that permeates the youth basketball circuit (and other sports as well) that can hurt some players. Many well-intentioned parents promote the myth and many others fall prey to it. I speak of what I have named "The 9th Grade Myth". It is the idea that a freshman who plays on the sophomore team would have been better off to not try out for the high school team and participate on the middle school team. The main reason for this belief is that a player will receive a lesser amount of playing time as a freshmen on the sophomore team. While I do agree that most freshmen will play less minutes on the high school team, I disagree wholeheartedly with the argument that it is thus better to play on the 9th grade team instead. And, as I enter my 20th year of coaching I have never been more convinced that our philosophy on this matter is very sound. Why am I so sure of myself? Once you examine the benefits of playing in the high school program versus the middle school program it should become clear to you as well.
Here are the reasons why we select several of the best freshmen every year to play in our program:
1) They will play against better players in practice and games. This is one of the best, if not the best, ways to improve skill.
2) They will practice more and practice longer. The current basketball program in Jordan School District middle schools is much like an intramural program as opposed to a competitive athletic model found in a junior high system. Despite a concerted effort to connect the middle school program to the high school, the coaching turnover is constant and practice time is very limited. The high school team practices or plays games every day except Sundays (with the occasional day off, of course).
3) They will play a longer schedule (in season and out of season).
4) They learn from a veteran high school staff of multiple coaches who put in time year round to improve their "game". Seven of my former assistants have become head coaches--I seek to hire coaches who want to become head coaches. We love and live Riverton Basketball. It's more than a part-time hobby to us.
5) They begin learning the terminology and concepts of a complicated system. There is no substitute for time and repetition in this area of learning. We don't just "go play". We run a structured system that must be learned gradually--the more exposure, the better.
6) They are automatically invited to participate in all off-season activities, games, and tournaments. This is where we really see them improve. In almost every case, this really manifests itself during their sophomore season.
7) They participate and practice with our varsity team during our state tournament preparation and participation. This is not only fun and exciting for the younger players, it is a great learning experience.
8) As sophomores, they are enrolled in our rigorous fall conditioning class during the first quarter of the school year with other returning players. The implied benefits here are obvious.
The only 9th graders I would discourage from trying out at Riverton High would be anyone who doesn't want to play for Riverton High. I realize that virtually everyone who tries out at RHS is trying out to make the team. You should know that trying out establishes UHSAA eligibility. So, if you decide later to play at another UHSAA school, you would be required to seek an approved transfer, which is not always an easy or pleasant process to endure. My advice for you is if you don't ever want to play for RHS, please don't waste your time or our time in trying out.
For those future Silverwolves who bleed purple, black, and silver, I encourage you to try out for our sophomore team as freshmen. Even if you do not make the team, you will learn from the experience and will be seen by the 9th grade coaches. They are always invited to our tryouts. And, since both of our middle schools begin tryouts after the first two days of the high school tryouts, your participation in the high school tryouts better prepares you to make the 9th grade team. We find that those boys who do try out at the high school first have a much better chance of making the 9th grade team.
It is also important to note that every season we select several sophomores who we did not select as freshmen. For these boys, playing in the 9th grade program is a very beneficial thing. We do our best to try and create a positive relationship with the middle schools. We encourage the middle schools to run a skeleton RHS system that will help the boys to have an improved chance of making the high school team as sophomores. While it is a great opportunity to make the high school team as a freshman, your future chances of playing for RHS are not totally dashed if you are not selected a 9th grader. We select sophomores every season who were not selected as freshmen.
I wish you the best of luck in your efforts to become the best player you can be.
Coach Galley