Skywalking: How Ten Young Basketball Stars Soared to the Pros

Bob Forsey is the education officer at the Newfoundland Museum in St.
John’s.

In this era of skyrocketing salaries for professional athletes, many
parents, players, and coaches are wondering what it takes to succeed in
a sports career. Jeff Rud provides precise answers in his profiles of 10
basketball stars (eight men and two women) who recently began careers in
either the National Basketball Association (NBA) or the Women’s
National Basketball Association (WNBA).

To excel in any sport, the author says, it is vital to start young,
practise often, get good coaching, and face progressively tougher
competition. Rud focuses on rare character traits that, when combined
with the sport’s basic demands for size, strength, coordination, and
speed, help produce an elite athlete capable of succeeding in the NBA or
WNBA. These traits include commitment to a goal, a strong work ethic,
and a positive, resilient spirit that powers through obstacles.

The athletes Rud profiles started playing early. Chamique Holdsclaw
(Washington Mystics) began at age 4; by 11 she was playing eight hours a
day. Other players, such as Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Vancouver Grizzlies)
and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), had fathers with professional
basketball experience who coached and inspired them. College and
professional coaches praised the outstanding work ethics of Steve Nash
(Dallas Mavericks), Dawn Staley (Charlotte Sting), and Kevin Garnett
(Minnesota Timberwolves).

There is no sure-fire route to becoming a star in the NBA or WNBA.
However, the insights Rud distils from these profiles will help any
parent, coach, or player learn how to devise a better career strategy.