Middle School Athletes Vie to Gain National Rankings

Critics warn trend is too much, too soon.

San Diego

It’s a late-summer afternoon, and Dylan Admire is in another hotel lobby. Just a few weeks ago, he played Vegas, showing off his basketball moves at a Nike-sponsored camp. Before that, he packed his bags for Houston. Now he’s on the road again, here in San Diego, for an invitation-only “Jr. Phenom” camp hosted by Adidas.

Dylan is 12 years old.

The 6-foot-2 7th grader may not be able to drive a car, but he logs plenty of miles traveling the nation with a club-basketball team from Kansas called Kansas City Blue. A national scouting service has already ranked the Pleasant Ridge Middle School student as the 23rd best player for his high...