Playground All-American's

"Don't waste away on the playground!"

Sports fans all over the world become fascinated with the talents of professional athletes like LeBron, Kobe, Carmello and most importantly Jordan in his prime. The rest of the world had to wait until  those guys burst unto the college or professional ranks to get a glimpse at their unbelievable talent. People living in the ghetto see it everyday right out of their kitchen windows. In the hood they’re called Playground All-American's!

There are guys right now playing in cages all over the country that have the talent to make any NBA roster in the league. The problem is, they didn't handle their business and got left behind. In order to make it to the next level a kid has to go to class and make the grades in order to become illegible to play so that they can be seen. Unfortunately, not everyone has the discipline or the support system to make that decision.

I don't know what it is but some kids can look at their circumstances and make the decision early on that they are not going to live the rest of their lives in poverty. Then there are others that don't find the circumstances all that bad and never do anything about it. That's why it's so important for kids to have support systems to help them understand that they have the talent and the opportunity to make something of themselves. The supports system consists of not only parents but coaches and administrators at the school to recognize the raw talent and act on it. That goes for non-athletes as well.

I'm not talking about just making it to league bruh. I'm talking about using sports to be able to go to college for free which opens up all kinds of opportunities. Once a kid is in school he/she is exposed to all types of coaches and administrators that will be able to guide them into a new world. However, the challenge is getting the kid off of the playground and into the gymnasium to start the process. Otherwise, they'll waste away on the playground.

The And 1 Street Ball Series was a great window into the world of the Playground All-American that we've known to exist for years. I'm always saddened to know that there are guys with the talent of Lebron playing in the projects for free everyday. For whatever reason some kids choose to take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. While others aren’t be able to overcome the cards they were dealt. Let's keep it real! It all comes down to grace and mercy.

Nobody gets to choose their parents or the level of their parent’s education. Nobody gets to choose the neighborhood that they were raised in or the influences good or bad that they were raised around. More often than not socioeconomics and Big Momma will be the deciding factor. Socioeconomics puts the ball in play and many times will determine how fast it moves and then there’s Big Momma doing all of the praying. With that being said, we need more daddy’s praying and participating to help lower the roster of Playground All-American‘s across the country.

Believe me bruh, it doesn't pay to be known as a playground legend because hood status doesn't change your address. It's cool to be like "Cheers" where everybody knows your name but why not change your circumstances while everybody screams your name?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter:@jaygravesreport