The fates of Renardo Sidney and thousands of other once-aspiring hoopers did not call for the stardom that James Harden accomplished.
The story of Renardo Sidney is an unfortunate tale. A 6’10” big man and high school teammate of All-NBA superstar James Harden, Sidney was on the fast track to NBA success. Sidney was a 5-star prospect and recruited by nearly every major NCAA Division 1 school. Yet when it came close to signing day and his decision to choose a college loomed near, almost all of the schools that recruited him retracted their interest amid concerns over his poor academics. Sidney had placed so little emphasis on his academics in high school as he concentrated on basketball that his grades scared off universities where student-athletes only need to maintain a C-average to maintain their eligibility. Sidney ended up attending Mississippi State University, a program with little basketball tradition, and after 3 lackluster years–including a one year suspension and making national news for physically fighting a teammate–Sidney declared pro so he could finally realize his life-long dream of playing in the NBA. However once draft day came, Sidney’s name was not called and his dream was put on hold until (hopefully) a team would call to sign him as an undrafted free agent. That call never came, and Sidney was forced to moonlight in the Mexican basketball league until his job there came to an end. At 24 years old, Renardo Sidney is out of basketball as he now must redirect his life completely.
I played on one of the top teams in the country as a 12 year old so as a former regular of the youth basketball club circuit, I was often surrounded by the hype of certain peers at games and tournaments. I remember the frenzy after my team finished in 4th place at AAU Nationals, and parents and peers rushed to the computer to check the tournament message boards for player rankings and round up reports. My teammates and I were sixth graders, yet it seemed like life for a few of us was already figured out, as 3 of my teammates were ranked in the top 10 in the country for our age. These 12 year olds, peers of mine, were set on the path to basketball specialization, and they and their parents bought into it wholeheartedly.
I also remember learning about the Texas Titans–who featured a player named J’Mychal Reese whose college recruitment process ultimately netted his father a job at the university he committed to, only until Reese was kicked off the team after his suspension-marred freshman year–while watching them play at Nationals. The Texas Titans were famous in the youth basketball universe, and the stands for their game were packed. Though the team was located in Texas, they recruited select players from around the country–often flying kids in for tryouts, workouts and exhibition games. Players selected to the team were encouraged to adopt basketball as a way of life–there was no room for anything else. If you weren’t in the gym, you were wasting away your shot at glory. But the true ordeal lies in what they perceive as greatness. Young athletes are led to believe that greatness lies in being the best in one thing, whether that’s basketball, softball, chess or hunting. However, this logic is truly flawed.
As author Anthony Trollope illustrates, virtue is not found in specialization. Rather, virtue is based in worldliness. Trollope’s gentleman does not dedicate himself to just one sport. Rather, he is an earthly human being–not a specialist in any sort, but a jack of all trades. The gentleman does not isolate one sport as his area of expertise for this specialization compromises the value of the craft. Being too devoted to a certain sport demeans success in that sport because anyone, according to Trollope, can be successful in something if they dedicate their entire existence to it. It is more impressive to steer clear of specialization and still excel in numerous sports, then it is to excel in only one. People should strive to be like Swiss army knives–able in multiple facets of life.
The problem isn’t just an American one either. European soccer clubs (or football as they call it across the pond) are famous for their strict youth academies. European soccer clubs basically have their own schooling system where teaching football is first priority. These academies not deemphasize the importance of a multi-subject education. These young athletes, whose lives exhibit such promise, fall victim to chance–they put all of their eggs in one basket, per say. They have no backup options in their quest for soccer glory–no education or skills besides their sport to fall back on. Besides the plain unlikeliness of any one individual becoming a professional athlete, a single injury can completely ruin their chances of reaching the greatness they desire.
Why must kids jump wholeheartedly into just one sport?
For every LeBron James, there is a Renardo Sydney, a J’Mychal Reese, and thousands others. The current youth athletic culture in America is flawed and misguides our youth. These teenagers are left with nothing to fall back on. All they know is their one sport that their lives have been based on. They have sacrificed their education and social lives in the hope of reaching the highest level of their sport. They are left with nothing to show for their athletic prowess except knowledge of how close they were. Now, they lack skills and are limited in their knowledge of the world outside their sport. They are left as misguided twenty-somethings and teenagers in search of a new career, and a new path in life. There should be no rush to force kids into a certain career path. Today’s youth should explore various activities and different facets of life–not just one.
Touchdown Theory 
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