Basketball New Zealand’s (BBNZ) preferred supplier of recruiting services for players seeking exposure in the US College system has closed due to financial difficulty.
Custom College Recruiting (CCR), Founder, Shane Howard, sent Basketball New Zealand and a number of its clients an email yesterday announcing the organisation would close.
The US based company worked with Basketball Federations around the world, across a number of sporting codes to help young athletes into US College athlete-scholarships.
CCR were the preferred recruiting service for a number of Australian basketball organisations which led to BBNZ working with them.
Basketball New Zealand Chief Executive Iain Potter says they did not have any commercial association with CCR as a supplier..
"CCR provided a service to Kiwi players and families that had been of benefit to many young athletes. Our sympathies go out to the young athletes and families who signed up with CCR, had paid a fee and were relying on this service,"
Potter says any players who are currently in the US on scholarship, and those who have signed scholarship agreements with a college won't be affected by CCR's closure.
A statement released on the BBNZ website this morning said;
“We believe CCR did provide a great service during their four years of activity in New Zealand. We have heard only good things from many families who worked with CCR and are very sad to hear of CCR’s financial difficulties. Coach Howard and his staff are passionate operators and I’m sure they only wanted the very best for the young athletes on their books,”
Basketball New Zealand endorsed CCR as a preferred supplier as more young Kiwis were travelling to the US in search of College opportunities.
Looking for opportunities abroad, without research and good advice, could see families and players travelling completely unprepared. Mr Potter says having a knowledgeable intermediary was very useful.
"You should know what to expect and who to work with, otherwise your trip might be expensive and you could come home without being any closer to your goals. If you are serious about getting exposure abroad in the hope of a college scholarship, it's important you seek the right advice.
There is a lot of misinformation in the community about scholarships and the U.S. basketball scene. There are people who claim they can offer exposure to scouts abroad by taking young kiwis to tournaments or camps in the US. But these can often be expensive and not provide real opportunities for a scholarship. Families can invest a lot to send their children on these trips and then get frustrated when they return none-the-wiser and without a scholarship offer."
Potter says CCR's absence does leave a gap but Basketball New Zealand is working on other ideas. Potter says a training camp in April involving NCAA coaches "will now have to accelerate, with this news."
"For those players in our New Zealand age-group teams, they will get great exposure. The FIBA tournaments are closely watched by US scouts. The players we worry about are those just outside of that group who are seeking the US scholarship route. There are the likes of Division II, III and Junior colleges that may suit those players, but getting there is not so simple."
Potter also points out the many NZ players who have already gone through the US College system, of which there are currently over a hundred, are another source of information for families and players, "they offer a really good grounded advice on what to expect and how to get there, so momentum is growing and it's disappointing to lose this service, but it's not the end of the world," says Potter.
Additional reporting by Basketball New Zealand.