Announcement
|
(KB - 03/08/10) OK, what's the story with the Comets this year? Since the summer of 2008, this once dominant franchise has abandoned its historical player development techniques and has adopted the recruit-the-latest-and-the-greatest strategy of other teams. How has this worked out? Well, lets look at the facts. The Comets started out as a 10U team known as the Cool Waves. They had Brooke Thomas, Briyanna Blair, Jacky Nikic, Denisse Marquez and several other notable local players. They dominated the state up until 2003, when they were forced to reckon with the upstart Orlando Lightning and the Clearwater Heatwave, who'd merged in an effort to take down the queens. Political infighting on that Lightning/Heatwave team undermined their efforts however, and their coach called Comets Coach Jack Givens about yet another merger. From this merger the Comets picked up Krystal Thomas, Asia Wilson and Sthefany Thomas. These players made the regionally dominant Comets into a national power. By 2006, the Comets were National Champions. I would argue that the Comets were even better in 2007. They added Kelsey Assarian, Jennifer George, Ashley Jones, Andrell Smith, Andrea Smith, Cassie Peoples, Chandler McCabe and Erin Knight to a roster that returned Alexa Deluzio, Brooke Thomas, Sasha Chaplin and Jordan Coleman. Every single one of these players signed with major D1 schools, something that's never been accomplished by any team in Florida. If not for Jenn George's season ending injury, I think this team could and should have won both AAU Nationals and Nike Nationals. Since then, though, the Comets have struggled at the national level. They have no significant wins against their primary state rivals--Team Breakdown and Tallahassee Essence. Last year the Jacksonville Rams dethroned the Comets as state AAU champs after a 10 year run. The Comets have been unceremoniously dismissed from Nike Nationals without any hardware for two consecutive years now. What has changed? Has the talent dried up? Has the coaching become tepid? Certainly the loss of Cassie Peoples and Ashley Jones in 2008 contributed to a weak travel season. And the loss of Alexis Prince and Kayla Brewer in 2009 further dissipated the team. One can argue that these critical personnel losses are due to recruiting oversights by the coaches. I submit that the Comets have stepped away from their bread and butter. The dominant Comets teams from the past were built in the younger age groups. They were not built by a player cattle-call tryout, a month's worth of practices, and a trip to Boo Williams. As I have said repeatedly, what the Comets are doing now is a recipe for failure. Mediocrity is the best outcome from the current plan. Even if it were possible to recruit and keep the best players coming out of Orlando, national calibre teams are not built in three months. National calibre teams are created by playing against FBVA boys and older girls teams AND LOSING. The experience gained is invaluable. The current Comets Red 16U hasn't done that. And they won't. Not this year, anyway. The Comets Red 15U have a good solid chance though. Those girls have been playing together since they were 12 year olds playing for the Edge and Dee Brown. None of them showed up for the Comets tryouts last weekend. They made it plain the team didn't have any spots open for new members. Looking over their roster, I have no doubts that the 15U team can beat the 16U team, based on sheer chemistry. What will happen next year when the 15U team becomes the 16U flagship team? Will Al Honor cede his charges to Jack and Garfield? Why? Wouldn't that, too, interfere with team chemistry? The resurgence of the Comets Red 15U gives Jack and Garfield the chance to return to the Comets' roots. Take over the 13U Comets, Jack and Garfield. Build a champion from the basics instead of cobbling together some disparate 16U talent and hoping for the best. The results from the past two summers isn't going to change without a fundamental change in the process. |
