Omari Grier: Brief Doherty note
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 8:27 pmhttp://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 00369/1002
Grier turned 15 during the summer, and over the months he said he's grown up a lot. He's used to being in the spotlight; Grier has been a regular at the Tar Heel camp at the University of North Carolina playing against top talent across the country for years. On the family's refrigerator hangs a picture of Grier with UNC legend and former coach Matt Doherty, and he still e-mails back and forth with some of the big names he's met.
This summer, Grier was invited to the elite Five-Star camp, one of the country's biggest showcases for high school talent. Among the alumni of the Five-Star camp: LeBron James, Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony.
Is there a danger, when kids this young get so much hype and exposure? Sure. By its very nature, when youth sports get too competitive they get exploitative.
Sneaker companies are prowling for the next Michael Jordan. Sonny Vaccaro, Reebok's senior director of grassroots basketball, created Camp Next for eighth- and ninth-graders and told the Boston Globe: "We're going to find them, expose them, and get them used to the grind at an earlier age."
No age is young enough to escape scrutiny. Hoop Scoop, an elite scouting service subscribed to by colleges and shoe companies alike, ranks players nationally as early as the fifth grade. Staying grounded
Through the craziness, those close to Grier say he's kept his head on straight. He remains grounded by his family's deep faith -- preferring to give credit to teammates and coaches at every turn. His father attempted to keep him insulated from as much of this as possible, and preaches the same mantra to Grier at every turn:
"Those who humble themselves will be exalted."
"He's a great kid," said Polk, who watches for any sign Grier is getting his head turned by all this. "He's honest, to a fault. Very sincere, very intelligent. He's the kind of kid you want."
"He doesn't make more of this than it is," Raymond Grier said. "When he's off the court, he's into his video games, he's calling his friends and he's done with this thing until the next day."
At the Rutgers-Camden camp, Grier works out alongside young kids who hope one day they'll be good enough to attract the same kind of attention. After a summer when Grier said "I felt like I was already old" and laughed out loud when asked if he was happy it was over, he knows what kind of advice he'd give a kid who might find himself in a similar situation:
"Just be humble and work [deleted] your game," Grier said. "It gives you more motivation to be at the top level.
"You've just got to think of it as finding the school that's the best fit for you -- the best background, the best educational setting. It's an opportunity. You've got to choose the school where you can be successful." Reach Kevin Roberts at [email protected]
Grier turned 15 during the summer, and over the months he said he's grown up a lot. He's used to being in the spotlight; Grier has been a regular at the Tar Heel camp at the University of North Carolina playing against top talent across the country for years. On the family's refrigerator hangs a picture of Grier with UNC legend and former coach Matt Doherty, and he still e-mails back and forth with some of the big names he's met.
This summer, Grier was invited to the elite Five-Star camp, one of the country's biggest showcases for high school talent. Among the alumni of the Five-Star camp: LeBron James, Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony.
Is there a danger, when kids this young get so much hype and exposure? Sure. By its very nature, when youth sports get too competitive they get exploitative.
Sneaker companies are prowling for the next Michael Jordan. Sonny Vaccaro, Reebok's senior director of grassroots basketball, created Camp Next for eighth- and ninth-graders and told the Boston Globe: "We're going to find them, expose them, and get them used to the grind at an earlier age."
No age is young enough to escape scrutiny. Hoop Scoop, an elite scouting service subscribed to by colleges and shoe companies alike, ranks players nationally as early as the fifth grade. Staying grounded
Through the craziness, those close to Grier say he's kept his head on straight. He remains grounded by his family's deep faith -- preferring to give credit to teammates and coaches at every turn. His father attempted to keep him insulated from as much of this as possible, and preaches the same mantra to Grier at every turn:
"Those who humble themselves will be exalted."
"He's a great kid," said Polk, who watches for any sign Grier is getting his head turned by all this. "He's honest, to a fault. Very sincere, very intelligent. He's the kind of kid you want."
"He doesn't make more of this than it is," Raymond Grier said. "When he's off the court, he's into his video games, he's calling his friends and he's done with this thing until the next day."
At the Rutgers-Camden camp, Grier works out alongside young kids who hope one day they'll be good enough to attract the same kind of attention. After a summer when Grier said "I felt like I was already old" and laughed out loud when asked if he was happy it was over, he knows what kind of advice he'd give a kid who might find himself in a similar situation:
"Just be humble and work [deleted] your game," Grier said. "It gives you more motivation to be at the top level.
"You've just got to think of it as finding the school that's the best fit for you -- the best background, the best educational setting. It's an opportunity. You've got to choose the school where you can be successful." Reach Kevin Roberts at [email protected]