CHRIS LYKE'S MOTHER VANESSA LYKES TALKS BASKETBALL FROM A PARENTS PERSPECTIVE - ALL-MET ELITE

CHRIS LYKE'S

MOTHER

 VANESSA LYKES

TALKS

 BASKETBALL

 FROM A

 PARENTS PERSPECTIVE 

 ALL-MET ELITE

 

GONZAGA HS.

WASHINGTON D.C.

 

1.   At what age did Chris begin to play basketball? Chris began playing basketball at 7 years of age with the Bowie Boys and Girls Club. We decided that he needed to be involved with some type of extra-curricular activity (sport) because he was just too active and rambunctious around the house.

2.   At what age did he begin to play basketball seriously and what was the moment that you as a parent actually recognized his basketball talent? After a year of county basketball, we noticed that at round age 9 Chris picked up basketball skills very quickly. He was smaller than some of the kids, even back then, but he was fast and didn’t mind doing the dirty work. (Diving for loose balls, running down opposing team layups, and outrunning opponents). We joined a 9UAAU team known as DC Blue Devils, which later became DC Assault under the direction of Ryan Gorham and Renard Phillips when Chris was 9. It’s funny that some of Chris’s early teammates included Alani Moore, Joe Hampton, and Trevon Duval.

3.   The AAU circuit is a grind for all parents, how did you successfully navigate that grind while being a mom and also ensuring your child would be successful? Balancing AAU is certainly a huge challenge. I quickly realized that when you have kids that play basketball, the sport becomes your lifestyle. I guess that’s where the term “Ballislife” came from. As a mom, your instinct is to be a protector. But, I learned through the years, that I cannot get upset about things such as playing time, practice schedules, or starting line-ups. My job was just to celebrate the accomplishments and be encouraging. It was also very difficult to schedule activities outside of basketball because the schedule changed so often. I just accepted that this would be our “lifestyle” for years to come and made the sacrifice to focus the time, energy, and passion into this sport hoping it would someday result in something good.

4. What are your thoughts on kids re-classing strictly for sports purposes in middle school? I do not believe that kids should re-class strictly for sports purposes. There should be many factors considered and this should be an individualized decision. For Chris, he was entering a private school setting after being in a public school environment. The curriculum was more rigorous and his test scores needed improvement. Chris was also physically smaller than most of the kids he competed against. He also had a late birthday. When we spoke to Chris about his options, he was okay with re-classification. 

5. From a mom's point of view what made you believe that Gonzaga was the best school for your son both academically and athletically? My background is in Education and we’ve always placed a heavy emphasis on academic performance. Gonzaga offered the best combination of athletics and academics. We were not heavily recruited by Gonzaga, but it’s academic reputation was unmatched.  We also knew Gonzaga competed athletically in the prestigious WCAC conference which would give Chris additional exposure outside of AAU if he could do well. Additionally, Chris’s dad and I both work in DC and it was an easily commute.

6. What is one thing you really enjoyed about the D-1 recruiting process? Was there anything you did not particularly like about the process? We enjoyed meeting the head coaches, kids on the team, basketball/academic staff and visiting college campuses.  Some of the coaches were really knowledgeable about Chris and his game. It was amazing to see how much time and effort schools put into the process and what each school had to offer. The time and attention they showed Chris and our family was humbling and unforgettable. Prior to making a decision, the process became stressful. There were lots of phone calls and we really didn’t want to say no to any of the schools.

7. How much input did you and your family have in his college decision? Even before being offered a scholarship, Chris had always had his eye on the University of Miami. He admired Coach Larranaga’s basketball strategy with smaller guards. As multiple offers began to come through for Chris, we still encouraged him to give each school deep consideration and visit as many campuses as possible. But, ultimately, we allowed Chris to make the final decision.

8. Kids have practice, personal trainers, workouts at their schools and play a rigorous AAU schedule do you believe it can be too much? It can be a bit much and tiring, especially if the child is being made to do it. I remember days when I would take Chris to practices and just taking a nap in the car from being so tired. But, for us, Chris usually always wanted to go to practices and individual workouts. He would often spend hours outside practicing by himself or with his father and brother. Chris enjoys the game so much, his energy to want to play and get better, made us make the sacrifice. And now he drives, so it’s much easier. LOL.

9. What advice you would give kids and parents about effective time management while playing through a rigorous basketball schedule? I would advise parents to watch carefully and offer as much help as you can. Encourage your child to speak about his concerns and be a listening ear as much as possible. Make sure that your child is driving the desire, not you. Also be aware of when your child may need a break to catch up on school work, attend non-basketball activities with friends, vacation, or just need rest.