My 12 year old son plays for Torrimar and over he last two weeks we have played teams which we beat by a combined total of over 60 points! To make matters worse the best kids on the team only get to play together for one quarter as the leagues require substitutions in each quarter. I continue to be amazed that parents allow some of their kids to play year round in the cycle of bad basketball.
I do not fault the clubs, nor do I fault the people operating the leagues. These leagues were not created to develop elite talent and do a great job at provided kids with an opportunity to stay productive and learn the game at an entry level.
Take a close look at Canada and now the DR and watch what they have done and are doing to develop elite players. The days of PR teaching the rest of the region about the game are a thing of the past and if we are not careful and focus on how to develop our elite prospects we will find PR Basketball falling out of the upper echelon of teams in the Americas.
Lets get the best kids to be coached by the best coaches with the best young referees all in one gym! Lets eliminate substitution and minimum player requrements and allow the best kids to play as long as they can without fouling out.
Lets take our best kids to compete at the biggest and most competitive tournaments and showcase events around the world.
This will help not hurt Little Lads, ACB and the Federation leagues! It will bring more parity to a lopsided league where only the teams from the biggest clubs win championships. There are so many kids playing basketball in PR that many clubs have an "a" and "b" team. So the argument used presented by many is untrue and inaccurate!
Lets get the club presidents in a room and focus on introducing a new league which would start in August 2010.
