Hoops

Basketball Australia announces Under-17 Squads

153 - or better still, we could teach these kids that nothing is truly worthwhile unless given to us on a plate and you really should never put yourself forward for selection (let alone risk having a good time along the way) unless you know the outcome before you go in. *hope sarcasm is sufficiently evident*

While only 12 kids will go to the qualification games in August, there's a very strong possibility that the team for August will change significantly between August and the World's if past programs are anything to go by. Often there are some 50 players who come through the system on the way to selecting the 12 to go to the world championships. I suspect that the group will be opened up again post-qualification and players considered that haven't previously been considered. About half of the current Gems squad weren't selected for the first camp when they first started looking at players for this tournament.

I spend a lot of time coaching young people and one of the things I say most often is that its not the teams you make which will determine how successful you are as a player, its how you respond to the teams you don't make.

And if the kids want to take on part-time jobs or play at a less-intense level that's fine too, as long as its their decision and not because somebody has told them they've been screwed along the way.

Does anybody have any idea what dates the finals are on this year?

Obviously the venue and times won't be known until the day before, but dates would be a good start.

Nothing on Sportingpulse yet.