Lets Get Back to Basics

    I recently went to a basketball game with a friend of mine and his young son (aged (nine). The boy is involved in a youth basketball league and his dad, who has no experience with basketball, was asked to coach. We discussed my helping him but I have some reservations about he other people involved. It seems they are trying to run set plays and playing zone defenses. I won't be involved in a program for this age kids run that way.

    First of all no nine year old should be playing zone defense. They should also avoid running set plays. Instead they should play man to man, be taught to pass and cut, maybe some screening, and learn to dribble properly, pass effectively, pivot, and shoot the ball with proper mechanics. They should also learn some basic defensive footwork, to stay between their man and the basket, and to box out. If you can effectively introduce these skills to players at this level you have accomplished a hell of a lot. If you are more interested in winning or showing off your "knowledge" of the X's and O's of basketball, don't coach this level. The kids are better off on their own than with people like that coaching them.

     I started playing organized ball  the age of 9 and we played man to man, didn't run set plays, and focused on the fundamentals. Several all state and Division I players came out of this program and several high schools in the area want to the final four of the state tournament (including an Illinois state championship). During my career I have had the great fortune to learn from some of the top coaches in the country. They are in 100 percent agreement upon these points. Fundamentals must be mastered first, don’t over-coach, make sure they have fun, let everyone play, and remember that it is not about you. It is not what you know that is important, it is what they learn.

    It is unfortunate that this is not universally practiced and it shows how sick sports and our society have gotten when you see what is happening with youth sports. We need to get back to the basics and remember the purpose of sports for kids. If these coaches who want to relieve their own past glories or make up for their own past failures let them play in an adult league or try fantasy leagues. Leave the kids to those who know how to coach kids and if you want to coach kids but don’t know how learn from someone who does know> Don’t fake it.

 

 

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Submitted by ppablo8 on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 22:08.

Tom and anyone else please read and comment on my post about subs and following shot.  I agree with Toms analysis of M to M defense and I also like to have young people in small groups of 2 on 2, 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 and insist that they not commit a lot of fouls, pass and cut, set screens and learn a good v-cut, block out and agressive rebounding.  If you have 4 or 6 goals have them "back the ball out beyond the foul line" when they get a defensive rebound but continue to play if they get an offensive rebound. * USE 8 FOOT HIGH GOALS FOR YOUNG PLAYERS AND PERHAPS A GIRLS BASKETBALL TOO!  HELPS THEM FROM GETTING INTO BAD HABITS.  LOTS OF DRIBBLING AND PASS -CATCH DRILLS WITH MORE THAN ONE BALL WHEN  AFTER THEY BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH ONE.  Jump rope everyday, ball handling drills (everyone has a ball) everyday too and have them learn to juggle and dribble with opposite hand.  Practice juggling skills in a corner with something in the corner to catch the small ball or bean bag so they don' have to spend a lot of time chasing or retrieving he ball or object used to learn juggling!  Assign basketball homework (work on a particular skill or their weaknesses)!

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Submitted by dpaul on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 22:41.
I have been coaching Jr Boys off and on since 1983 and can't agree more than to not, not introduce set plays, and zone defence at that age. I coaching 13-14 year olds even try to stick with a simple offence that has many play options as long as the players see the floor. It is based on setting proper picks, V-cuts to the hoop. I beleive that fundamentals are paramount even at Jr Boys, as I have kids that play U14 provincial bball and kids in their first year in organized ball. I play them all. We are currently fighting consistency and positional play issues, but again, experience with running the play and seeing the floor are things 13-14 year olds need time with to get better at it. My practices, I consider are well laid out to encompass conditioning, shooting, dribbling, defence and offensive play. Even after 2 hours, players stay behind to ask questions or shoot more. Our record is not that impressive with more losses than wins, but it is the overall improvement of each player and that of the team that I stress and see improvement on the most. Wins will come...