Fantastic questions Regan.Feel free to search my post history if people don't believe I've said this... But training is always about sustainability and planning.Being the previous U21 coach many seasons ago, I would have loved for everyone with a prospect to just pump the skills as high as possible. But the risk with that is the manager ends up with a player they cannot afford and would be left with no choice but to sell the player or bankrupt themselves. That is not sustainable and a stepping stone towards team success. It also leads to attachment, refusing to sell that player even if he, alone, can't get you any further. Thus stalling the team.I have always put the needs of a team ahead of the needs of the U21 team. I think it is easier for division III teams to train U21 calibre guards and small forwards, but not bigs. Yet it still happens, and as long as those managers are made aware of the options available to them if they wish to take that path, then we have done our bit.I don't want 150k monster bigs in division III, cause it just doesn't work.As long as people understand that we are trying to get the best out of their player in line with their team then it will lead to better participation, especially when success follows. If we put the needs of the nation first, we will end up with half baked players who end up overseas and never trained again.I believe people need to have a plan with training. Know how you're going to train and know when the players are going to peak and become better than the league you're in. By knowing that, you'll know when it's the right time to make a massive push into the next division.Helping managers train their rookies isn't the end game. It's about managing their team around their future franchise player. Getting them to understand how to train correctly in alignment with their team's success, and not ending up a mid table team for the rest of their Buzzerbeater life.
Someone criticised the ABBL for not having any candidates but I must point out that there are a LOT of ABBL managers training Aussie talent for either the U21 team of the senior team. Probably 2/3 of the ABBL actually. I would suggest that is higher than any other league out of the 85 in Australia. Naturally we have the financial resources to do it. But training and playing in the ABBL isn't always so easy but out of the Great 8 Slam ! is the only team without an Aussie they are training or looking after.