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Coaches Handbook Sandwich Youth Basketball Board of Directors The Sandwich Youth Basketball Board of Directors is made up of adults who have a love of the game of basketball, and the desire to devote their time and their skills to develop a program that will provide the youth of Sandwich the avenue of which to play the game. The Board strives to improve the program, and has, over the years, modified the program to its current state. The Board continually strives to make this the best youth basketball program anywhere.
Sandwich Youth Basketball Philosophy The goals of the Sandwich Youth Basketball Program are to teach basketball skills to the youth of Sandwich; to encourage sportsmanship at all times; build character and confidence, and above all else, to enable the youth to enjoy the game of basketball. To achieve these goals, the Sandwich Youth Basketball program encourages all participants, be it players or coaches, to act in a responsible manner on and off the court. COACHES CODE OF CONDUCT Coaches will place the emotional and physical well-being of their players ahead of a personal desire to win. Expected behavior for all coaches: For coaches, the primary responsibility is to teach the players sportsmanship and the fundamental skills of basketball. Teaching the skills of basketball can encompass many difficult drills, but the Sandwich Youth Basketball program insists that all drills be conducted with the players in mind. Sportsmanship is taught through example and behavior. Through practice and games, the participants can enjoy the game of basketball, and strive to do well. Playing the game to the best of ones ability should be the primary goal of the players, and to provide an enjoyable atmosphere should be the primary goal of the adults involved. Treat all players, league officials, game officials, parents and spectators with dignity and respect. All players shall receive playing time according to the equal participation rules established by Sandwich Youth Basketball and the spirit of good sportsmanship. Encourage players to enjoy the game of basketball and provide equal opportunities to learn the game regardless of skill level, race, religion, color, sex, body type, disability or ability. Coaches must lead by example in demonstrating fair play and sportsmanship to all players. Abide by and support the rules of basketball in general and in specific the rules adopted by Sandwich Youth Basketball. Be gracious in victory and defeat. Maintain a positive, helpful and supportive attitude toward all players and coaches in the basketball program. Never forget that you are coaching someone else’s children in a youth basketball program. Always emphasis fun and participation over winning and losing. Provide an environment for your team that is free of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Provide a safe playing environment for your players at all times. Be prepared to deal with minor injuries that occur during normal practice and game situations. Demonstrate concern for the health and well being of your players. Notify the parents of any players who is injured no matter how minor the injury. Be prepared! You and your players should show up early for games and practices. Have a practice plan and execute it. Make practices fun and educational with equal emphasis on conditioning and skills. If you have questions or need assistance in running practices, teaching skills or rules of the game ask your commissioner for assistance. The SYB Board will investigate incidences of poor behavior or neglect of duties demonstrated by coaches. Disciplinary measures will be taken if necessary and may include expulsion from the program. Sportsmanship Sportsmanship is displayed through conduct and attitude. It is imperative that all participants in the SYB program, coaches, players and spectators exhibit superlative sportsmanship both on and off the court. Players Sportsmanship Any instances of un-sportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and the player(s) who exhibit such behavior will face disciplinary action including game suspension or permanent expulsion from the program. The disciplinary guidelines established for high school sports will be followed where applicable. Parents and Spectators Sportsmanship Parent and spectators are not to speak to the referees, and parents should refrain from attempting to coach their children from the stands. Parents and spectators who violate the general rule of sportsmanship will be dismissed from the premises and may be asked not to return. Referees, Scorers and Timers Sportsmanship Scorers and Timers must always remain objective to the events they are responsible for and immediate dismissal and removal from the eligibility list will result in any display of un-sportsman like conduct. As Referees, it is imperative that conduct unbecoming of the position cannot be tolerated. The Referees, be it IAABO certified or not, must display courteous behavior while objectively officiating the games. General Rules for Discipline All participants in the Sandwich Youth Basketball program must maintain a high degree of positive behavior, and any player or coach can be disciplined for the following violations or instances: Violation of the general play rules, technical fouls and game ejections. Violation of school policy - i.e. Dismissal or suspension. A player who violates the general play rules or causes problems for his team and coach may be suspended from playing in a game or games. Before any player is suspended from playing, the commissioner must be notified. The situation must be discussed with the coach(s), the commissioners, and the parent(s). If a player has been suspended from school, that player is ineligible for participation in Sandwich Youth Basketball until the suspension has been lifted. If any player is suspended on a Friday, that player is ineligible for participation in the subsequent Sandwich Youth Basketball weekend play, until the suspension is lifted, regardless of the day the suspension commences. If a player is ejected from a game for any reason, he/she is to serve an additional one game suspension from the next game the team plays. The player is required to attend the game and sit on the bench, as is the policy in high school sports. If the coach is ejected from the game he/she must leave the bench area and is not permitted to assist in the coaching of the team, any attempt to do so will cause the team to forfeit the game. A coach found guilty of not following the general play rules may be subject to a forfeit of the game played.
General Play Rules and Information If any questions or situations arise, contact the appropriate commissioner for resolution. If the commissioner cannot resolve the situation, the commissioner will present the situation to the Board for resolution or clarification. Under no circumstances will coaches bypass the commissioners and approach the Board directly for resolution to any situation.
Grade 3 At the 3rd grade level each team will have a Clinic/Game each Saturday. Two teams will share a gym and have a 30-minute practice using half of the gym. A game will be played during the second half hour. Student refs will assist the coaches with practice and officiate the game in the second half hour. Playing Time ALL PLAYERS MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF 2 FULL QUARTERS PER GAME. 6-MINUTE RUNNING TIME PER QUARTER WITH 1 MINUTE BETWEEN QUARTERS. NO RUNNING SCORE IS TO BE KEPT DURING ANY GAME. PLEASE DISCOURAGE THE KEEPING OF THE SCORE BY THE PLAYERS OR PARENTS! MAXIMUM PLAY TIME FOR ANY PLAYER IS THREE (3) QUARTERS! Substitutions 2. 1. The “TOP 5” players are to be chosen by the coach at the beginning of the season. This “TOP 5” rule is strictly enforced, as both teams “TOP 5” will play against each other. The Commissioner must approve changes to the designated “TOP 5”. The “TOP 5” and the “BOTTOM 5” players will rotate the start of each game as follows: odd weeks the “TOP 5” will start the game and even weeks the “BOTTOM 5” will start the game. 3. The remaining players of the team play together in the first half. If Team A has less than 10 players, the coach from Team B will select the player(s) to make up the 5 players on the floor from those player(s) who played in the 1st quarter. 4. There is no “TOP 5” rule for the 3rd and 4th quarters. Free substitutions can be made as long as the number of minutes of play for every player is upheld. The Referee will halt play in the 3rd and 4th quarters, as close to the halfway point as possible for player substitutions only. Substitutions will be made at this time only. Defense 1. MAN TO MAN, NO double-teaming is allowed. 2. NO FULL COURT DEFENSE AT ANY TIME. Defense begins at half court. 3. NO STEALING OFF THE DRIBBLE AT ANY TIME. This rule includes the deliberate attempt to force the dribbling player to lose his/her dribble by the defensive player. Making contact with the ball with any part of the defensive player’s body in a deliberate fashion will constitute a violation of this rule. The coaches are to maintain order during games; players not in the game are to remain on the bench. Games must end on time to maintain the schedule for the entire day games. If your game seems to be running long the referee may end the game prematurely. Grade 4
Playing Time ALL PLAYERS MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF 2 FULL QUARTERS PER GAME. 12-MINUTE RUNNING TIME PER QUARTER WITH 5-MINUTE HALF TIME. NO RUNNING SCORE IS TO BE KEPT DURING ANY GAME. PLEASE DISCOURAGE THE KEEPING OF SCORE BY THE PLAYERS OR PARENTS! MAXIMUM PLAY TIME FOR ANY PLAYER IS THREE (3) QUARTERS! Substitutions
Substitutions in the 1st Quarter A. A late arriving “TOP 5” player B. An Injured Player C. An obvious disciplinary requirement D. Ejected player Defense
The coach is to maintain order during games; players not in the game are to remain on the bench.
Grade 5 & 6 Playing Time & Rules 1. ALL PLAYERS MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF 2 FULL QUARTERS PER GAME. NO PLAYER MAY PLAY MORE THAN 24 MINUTES IF THE TEAM HAS 6 OR MORE PLAYERS. 2. 6 MINUTE STOP TIME PER QUARTER WITH 5 MINUTE HALF-TIME. 3. Four (4) Time Outs may be called at any time. In the event of overtime, one (1) time out will be awarded to each team and any unused time outs can be carried over to each overtime. 4. Overtime will commence immediately at the end of the 4th quarter with a jump ball at center court. The overtime length is three (3) minutes and only one (1) overtime will be played. 5. MAXIMUM PLAY TIME FOR ANY PLAYER IS THREE (3) QUARTERS which is 18 minutes!
Substitutions 1. The “TOP 5” players are chosen based upon prior year coach’s evaluation. The teams are created based upon these evaluations in order to ensure that the players of equal ability from each team are competing against each other. This “TOP 5” rule is strictly enforced, as both teams “TOP 5” will play against each other. The Commissioner must approve changes to the designated “TOP 5”. The “TOP 5” and the “BOTTOM 5” players will rotate the start of each game as follows: odd weeks the “TOP 5” will start the game and even weeks the “BOTTOM 5” will start the game. Inform your commissioner who your “TOP 5” and the “BOTTOM 5” players are. Any changes after the season begins must be approved by your commissioner based on odd and even weeks, and “TOP 5” & “BOTTOM 5. 2. The remaining players of the team play in the 2nd Quarter. If Team A has less than 10 players, the coach from Team B will select the player(s) to make up the 5 players on the floor from those player(s) who played in the 1st quarter. 3. If teams have a different number of players: Team A has 10 players, Team B has 9 players or less; Team A players must play a minimum of 1.5 quarters, All team B players must play a minimum of 2 quarters. If both teams have less than 10 players, all players must play a minimum of 2 quarters. 4. There is no “TOP 5” rule for the 3rd and 4th quarters. Free substitutions can be made as long as the number of minutes of play for every player is upheld. 5. The Referee will halt play in the 3rd and 4th quarters, as close to the halfway point as possible for player substitutions only. Substitutions will be made at this time only. 6. A late arrival of a “TOP 5” player during the 1st quarter MUST be placed into the game immediately and will replace a player who is not normally a “TOP 5” player. A “TOP 5” player cannot play in the 2nd Quarter unless chosen by the opposing coach. Substitutions in the 1st Quarter A. A late arriving “TOP 5” player B. An Injured Player C. An obvious disciplinary requirement D. Ejected player 7. An injured player may re-enter the game at any time replacing the player that substituted for him/her. 8. A player taken out of a game for disciplinary reasons cannot re-enter the game in the 1st quarter, and will only play in the 2nd quarter if selected by the opposing coach. 9. Any time a team has three (3) fewer players than the other team, the “TOP 5” player rule is waived. Both coaches make selections for the 1st and 2nd quarter as they see fit as long as all players play in the first half. No substitutions in the 1st or 2nd quarter except. At half way point of play late arrival rules are still in effect. 10. Any team that only has 6 players each player must play a minimum 18 minutes. **ANY PLAY TIME MISSED DUE TO THE ABOVE REASONS COUNTS TOWARD TOTAL PLAYING TIME. Defense 1. MAN TO MAN, DOUBLE TEAMING OF THE BALL INSIDE THE 3 POINT ARC ONLY. 2. FULL COURT DEFENSE ALLOWED IN THE LAST 2 MINUTES OF THE 4TH QUARTER & ENTIRE OVERTIME, UNLESS THE DEFENSIVE TEAM HAS A 12 POINT OR GREATER LEAD.
Grade 7 & 8 Playing Time & Rules 1. ALL PLAYERS MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF 2 FULL QUARTERS PER GAME. NO PLAYER MAY PLAY MORE THAN 21 MINUTES IF THE TEAM HAS 6 OR MORE PLAYERS. 2. 14-MINUTE STOP TIME PER HALF WITH 5-MINUTE HALF TIME. 3. Four (4) Time Outs may be called at any time. In the event of overtime, one (1) time out will be awarded to each team and any unused time outs can be carried over. 4. Overtime will commence immediately at the end of the 4th quarter with a jump ball at center court. The overtime length is three (3) minutes and only one (1) overtime will be played. Substitutions 1. Substitutions will only be allowed every 3 ½ minutes. 2. If teams have a different number of players: Team A has 10 players, Team B has 9 players or less; Team A players must play a minimum of 1.5 quarters, Team B players must play a minimum of 2 quarters. If both teams have less than 10 players, all players must play a minimum of 2 quarters. 3. ANY TEAM WITH ONLY SEVEN (7), EIGHT (8) OR NINE (9) PLAYERS, THE MAXIMUM PLAYING TIME FOR ANY ONE PLAYER IS TWENTY-ONE (21) MINUTES. 4. Any team with 6 players each player must play a minimum of 21 minutes. Defense 1. ANY DEFENSE IS ALLOWED, INCLUDING FULL COURT DEFENSE, AT ANY TIME. 2. NO FULL COURT DEFENSE FOR ANY DEFENSIVE TEAM HAVING A 12-POINT OR GREATER LEAD.
General Information for ALL Grades Coaches must remain in front of and within the length of their bench. Coaches are responsible for their players after practice and games to insure the players are picked up and will be taken safely home. If a team has more than one on the bench; only one coach may stand at a time, the second coach must sit. Canceled games due to inclement weather If the community school programs are cancelled for any reason then games will also be cancelled. Should any scheduled game be canceled due to inclement weather, the decision to cancel the game will be made by the President of the Board. Announcements will be made on radio stations WQRC 99.9 and WCIB 101.9. It is the Board’s intent to play all games as scheduled. Canceled games in the early AM will not necessarily cancel all games scheduled for that day. Canceled games WILL NOT BE MADE UP unless at the end of the season, that game will have a decided effect in establishing playoff situations in the 5, 6, 7, and 8 grade levels only. Coaches of the canceled games will be notified by telephone by their commissioners. Coaches are then responsible to call their teams. If the commissioner does not call, the games will be played as scheduled. Canceled Practices If school or community school programs are canceled for inclement weather, practice times for that day are also canceled. Practices are permitted on early dismissal days, and vacation days, but not on Holidays. Should any situation be encountered during the regular season that requires intervention please contact the commissioner for your age group to resolve the situation. Should the commissioner not be able to resolve the problem, he/she will contact the President of the Board who will attempt to resolve the situation or will call a Board meeting to do so. Team Practices The following is a guideline for conducting practices. Available gym time is limited, so it is important that practice time be utilized as efficiently as possible. It should be stressed to the players that they should practice their skills on their own if they want to improve. The practice times are usually set up so the same sex and grade levels practice together to enable controlled scrimmages to be run. Communicate with the other coach that will be using the gym at the same time to agree on a specific time to run the scrimmage. The first practice should include a parental meeting. At this very brief meeting, the Head coach should provide handouts of the schedule (both games and practices) and player rosters with phone numbers. The coach should also explain his/her basketball philosophy to the parents and allow the parents to ask any questions or submit input. The coach should also ask the parents if any of the players have any medical situation that the coach should know about. Planning a Practice Due to the number of players in the program and the limited gym space, all 4-8th grade teams are allotted one (1) hour of gym time per week. This hour should be used constructively and efficiently. If possible, utilize all the baskets on the half of the court the team is using. Have a practice plan each week, below is a typical practice plan. Fill in the blanks…
2. Stretching the muscles. Start with the largest muscles (back, thighs) and work through to the smallest muscles (arms, hands). Follow with another warm up drill. 3. Dribbling and shooting drills. 4. Offensive techniques. Depending upon the grade level, this time could possibly be a basic instruction of holding the ball for proper release during shooting, or teaching the pick and roll. 5. Defense techniques. Teach the basics of man-to-man defense or the fine points of a full court press. 6. Scrimmage for last 10 – 15 minutes with other team. Let the kids have some fun and the parents get to watch a little as they come to pick them up. Be on time and ready to commence your practice when your scheduled practice time is to begin. Leave the floor promptly after your allotted time has completed, if you have to meet with your player s before they leave do it in the hall. Do not overlap your practice into the time for the next teams practice. Many excellent Books on Coaching Basketball are available, here is a sample
By: John P. McCarthy Jr.
By: Jerry V. Krause/Don Meyer/Jerry Meyer
By: Sidney Goldstein, Dale Brown
By Howard Markus
By Burral Payne & Patrick Payne Many web sites also cater to Basketball Coaches. There is a great deal of helpful information available. Take a look at these - www.bbhighway.com , www.powerbasketball.com COACHES MANUAL This manual will help new youth basketball coaches begin to understand their roll as coach and mentor to the players on their team. Please take the time to read these pages and I strongly encourage you to seek additional sources of information on coaching youth basketball to insure that you will be the best coach possible. THE BASICS: Knowledge of the basics in any sport can never be under emphasized. Every young athlete should learn the basic principles and techniques about the sport they are playing early on in their experience of playing that sport. Before the player begins to excel at his or her sport, while the sport is new and they are unsure of themselves they should be taught the basic skills that will stay with them throughout their athletic career. The fine points of shooting a basketball, good defensive positioning, a proper chest pass. All these things must be learned early on or they may never “really” be learned at all. 1. RUNNING A PRACTICE Perhaps the most common dilemma for new coaches in any sport is “How do I start?” and “How do I run a practice?” The short answer is to have players pass, defend, dribble and shoot basketballs until their arms fall off. The long answer follows.
IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS Five Key Goals for Practices 1. Get the players in shape. 2. Understand each player’s potential 3. Work on individual skills and position skills 4. Work on making them a team with sharp execution of plays and defenses 5. Motivate, Communicate, Lead Note: Coaches of grades 3 and 4 should not focus on offensive plays. Encourage good ball movement and basketball skills during games. Let them have some fun! FIRST GOAL; GET THE PLAYERS IN SHAPE Conditioning is more important in basketball than any other major sport. Frankly, it doesn’t take much to get grade school or high school kids into shape; and there is just no excuse when they aren’t. Do: Warm Up Make sure players warm up before practice. Early in the season the large muscles high on the inner thigh and groin area and the shins are vulnerable. Ankles and knees are cold if the kids just came in from outside. Tell your players that muscles are like bubble-gum. Unless they stretch slowly, they will tear. A half dozen laps around the gym at a slow pace should break a sweat and warm up major leg muscles. Tell them to run backward and shuffle-step part of the time. Lay-up lines do the same. Do: Start on Time! You only have one hour per week to work with your team, take advantage of every minute. DO: End on Time! Leave the floor immediately when your hour is over. Do: Monitor Your Players Be aware of the progress of your players and communicate with them and if necessary their parents if you have concerns about the health or mind set of a player. Don’t: Do Wind Sprints, Until the End of Practice Wind sprints require the loosest muscles, so they should normally be done at the end of practice. The suicide drill is a great sprint drill for ending practice. The kids start at an end line, sprint to the top of the key, touch the floor, and sprint back and touch the floor. Then they sprint to half-court in the same manner. They finish up with the down court key and finally a full court sprint. The whole exercise involves eight sprints. Time them! Tell the players to teach out in a long stride. Do some backward and some sideways. Finish practice with a few half-court races. Wind sprints are essential for endurance and leg strength. If they are waiting for their parents, remind them that foul shots are hardest to shoot when very tired, and the best time to get a few in is after sprints. SECOND GOAL; UNDERSTAND EACH PLAYER’S POTENTIAL You need to figure out what each player can do, so he can concentrate on developing the specific skills needed in his position. Generally bigger kids play underneath, and smaller kids are guards, but not necessarily. Some big kids have remarkable ball handling and passing skills, and these should be developed. Some average-sized kids have great leaping ability and have a knack at getting into position for rebounds. So, keep an open mind, and figure out what players you need to move around a bit. I’ve seen many coaches decide too quickly who plays where and then never change it. While it’s important to get things set early in order to concentrate on the special skills required by each position, you should allow every player a chance to play multiple positions on the floor. Keep Track of Players’ Strengths: Run sprints to see who your fastest players are. Who can accelerate the best, that is, has the best short-distance time? Who are the most agile? Who are the risk-takers, the fiercest defenders, the strongest players. Who has the best hands. Who wants the ball the most? Who are the natural leaders? Who has a three-point shot, a jumper, a great foul shot percentage? Who can dribble, pass, follow play patterns to the letter? THIRD GOAL: WORK ON INDIVIDUAL SKILLS Each week introduce a new skill and run drills that put that skill into practice. Example; setting a pick, boxing out, rebounding, left hand lay ups. FOURTH GOAL: TEAMWORK Organize 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 games during your practices. Direct the players to run screen roll plays and finding the open player on offense, and work switching on defense. Scrimmages are fun for the kids, and even 10 minutes at the end of practice is a good idea. However, in the first weeks of preseason they have much to learn, and there will be little time for anything extended. FIFTH GOAL: MOTIVATE, COMMUNICATE, LEAD Many coaches seem to spend a lot of time hollering, trying to motivate players, and to get them to increase their concentration. Frankly, whereas energy is sometimes great and you have to yell to be heard, the screamer routine is often quite overdone. Furthermore, there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and that is humiliating a player. The idea is to be firm, to let players know that they can do better if they focus a bit more. Ask yourself what your ultimate goal is. To help a young boy or girl learn how to face challenges, then try the positive reinforcement methods. Coach a kid according to his needs—some need caring, some need a gentle boot in the can, some need patience. Most importantly, reward good effort. Praise good hustle. Yell out, “That’s basketball!” It can get infectious. You are the leader of the team, the most significant person out there. What do you want their memory of you to be? THE PRACTICE PLAN Each practice should follow a written practice plan. It just takes a few minutes to think through what you want to accomplish, and it does wonders for efficient use of time. A practice plan follows a general routine. It varies somewhat in the proportion of time spent on areas as the season moves along, and the actual drills used (mix them up for variety). During the first weeks in the season, your plan should focus on (1) conditioning, (2) individual skills development, (3) evaluating your players and (4) “homework” time spent looking at play patterns. Then the plan’s focus shifts to team dynamics and specialty plays. 2. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COACHING DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR PLAYERS If your players—or your son or daughter—are very young (less than nine), then it will be a few years before the more technical parts of the game will be understood well enough to routinely occur on the court. But all of it, including the more complicated concepts such as continuous patterns, pick and roll, fast break—all of it, should be taught, or at least covered, at all ages. Don’t underestimate your players. Some of them will grasp these concepts. The basics, especially dribbling, passing and shooting, should be emphasized right away before bad habits form. However, a lot of the refinements such as defending the screen, multiple fakes and switching take time and maturity. It’s your job to get them started. Someone has to start so the next year’s coach can build on it. Maybe if parents and coaches set the stage in the very early years, refinements could happen in grade school. But if your players are green, don’t worry about it, concentrate on the basics, cover the advanced stuff, but don’t expect too much too soon.
IT TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE Believe me when I say there is no magic age. Look at kids mastering moves in gymnastics, soccer and other sports at seven and eight years old. It’s not that younger kids can’t learn. They just need someone who understands refined concepts and has the time and ability to teach them. It largely depends on how much time you have to practice, and unfortunately that’s the biggest problem. We all have many obligations, and youth sports usually can’t be practiced every day. Do what you can! Just start somewhere, and the kids will absorb as much as you have the time and patience to teach them. Some skills will take a few sessions, some require much more, some will take years, but it will happen. Like learning how to whistle, suddenly one day it’s there, and you sense it was always really simple to do. THE COACH-PLAYER RELATIONSHIP The relationship between a coach and a player is a powerful one. You are not only a father (or mother) figure but you are the final authority in what is, in his or her mind, the most important thing in life. Through his athletic experiences, a kid finds out things about himself—good and bad—and he will always associate those things with you. Coaching is an awesome responsibility. You may want to ignore this larger picture, but sticking your head in the sand does not change what’s really going on. This manual provides many tools you can use to help you make the experience a good one, whether you win or lose as a team, but in the final analysis it comes down to whether you really give a darn enough to accept the larger role of being both a coach and a friend. Most of your players will never make cuts at the high school level, a few may play in college, but you will probably never coach a future pro basketball player. However, every one of your players will become an adult someday with the responsibility of a job and probably a family as well. The whole idea of youth sports is to provide valuable life lessons. It is doubtful that they will remember much about this season twenty years from now, certainly not the scores of various games. But I guarantee you one thing. They will remember you for the rest of their lives. The memory of my coaches is etched clearly in my mind. I remember them vividly, for good or for bad. You may not remember all of the kids you coached, particularly if you do it for a number of years, but every one of them will remember you. How do you want to be remembered. ON WINNING Feelings on the importance of winning run strong. As with religion and politics, everyone thinks they are right. Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Packers football team, once said, “Winning isn’t everything—it’s the only thing.” There are still coaches who will tell you that, if you are going to keep score, you should try to win. Let’s face it, if you tell kids winning is no big deal, they may blankly nod, but they won’t buy it. They know about winning. They know the guys on the other team will gloat and taunt them back at school. They know about trophies and news articles. They hear the empty silence after a loss, the lectures from the coach: They feel the pressure. Well, the truth of it is somewhere in between. Kids talk about winning, but I believe that, down deep, they care as much or even more about how well they are doing personally. Many of you will remember in your playing days, a game where the team won but you didn’t contribute. Was that satisfactory? Or how about a game where the team lost, but you had a super day? How did you feel? Sure you wanted to win. Sure it’s a team sport. But the personal satisfaction went a long way toward easing the pain. All right, winning is important in the pro’s. Maybe it becomes important even for some kids in high school, since scholarship money rarely looks at anybody on a team with a 3 to 26 record. But in youth basketball, it’s just not as important. Parents and coaches may think it is, but the kids often forget the game and certainly the score as soon as they get home. What they will remember however is how they feel about themselves, and how you reacted. Practical advice? I tell my kids something they can believe, that winning is never important in youth basketball, but that it is always fun to win. That’s the truth. They can relate to it. I tell them what’s important is how they handle victory or defeat; that it’s important to try to be as good as they can be, to help each other and to try to do their best. We try to win, but all we can really control is how hard we try. BALANCE YOUR NEEDS At the heart of how good a coach you will be is how well you balance your need to win with the need to develop healthy young people. This balance will affect your every action, your relationship with each player and the atmosphere on the court. It will characterize the memory of your coaching experience for many years to come. Striking that balance involves a continuing struggle between the passions fired up by competition and the caring you feel for your players as a responsible adult. A basketball game will stir up some powerful emotions. It’s said that winning builds character, while losing reveals it. Competitive fire can quickly melt an otherwise cool, calm, collected attitude.
ON MOTIVATION Coaches need to rely on more than speeches to motivate their team. Sure, some coaches have that charismatic quality and can motivate a team just by the sheer strength of their personality. Indiana coach Bobby Knight is perhaps the best example. However, the rest of us “mere mortals” need to consider motivational techniques that can help us get the job done. The “secrets” of good motivation are easily found in the growing science of sports psychology. Once considered mere gobbledygook, the mental aspect of competition is now a cornerstone of athletic development at the highest levels of amateur and professional sports. Many teams, including the U.S. Olympic program, have employed full-time sports psychologists. Some of the emerging motivational techniques that seem to work best include the following. Attaboy! There will never be a better tool than frequent positive reinforcement for young athletes. It is essential to liberally give out some attaboys (or attagirls) for good effort. In Kidsports: A Survival Guide for Parents (Addison-Wesley, 1983), Dr Nathan J. Smith, a consultant for the American Board of Pediatrics, studied two groups of coaches. He found that “the single most important difference in our research between coaches to whom young athletes respond most favorably and those to whom they respond least favorably was the frequency with which coaches reinforce and reward desirable behavior.” A pat on the back, a smile, clapping, praise, a wink and a nod, as well as tangible rewards such as mention in the newspaper article, more playing time—all go a very long way toward motivating high performance. I would add to this concept that the rewards are even more effective when they emphasize outstanding effort as opposed to a great result. An athlete has complete control over the amount of effort he puts into his game. The result, however, is dependent on many things, many of which are beyond the individual’s control. Even corrective action, pointing out mistakes, should be sandwiched somehow within some positive comments; e.g. “Good try, Jack. Next time get a better shot—you can do it!” Don’t Be A Coach Who Loses It Coaches spend a lot of time hollering, trying to motivate players, trying to get them to increase their energy level and to develop that all-important desire to perform. However, we often see coaches lose it, and cross the line of tolerable motivation. The idea is to be firm, to let players know that they can do better if they reach deeper into their gut. I like to ask players if they gave it their best. “Was that your best effort? Is that all you have to give?” Focus on the Effort Let a player know what you think about his effort, not himself. Don’t personalize it—the kid is a decent person. Focus on the effort during practice. A kid can relate to trying harder, but he can’t relate positively to your telling him he stinks. Explain the problem with fundamentals or forms so he understands the concept. Take the time he needs to get the idea. Most importantly, reward good effort openly and liberally. Praise a good steal. Recognize hustle. Yell out, “That’s basketball!” It can get infectious. Having one set of standards for everyone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t handle players differently. Some kids respond well when you correct them in front of their peers. Others are devastated when you get on them. Take these kids aside, sit down with them, and find out what’s going on in their lives; see if you can learn what the problem is. We Are Family! I’ve read the autobiographies of many great coaches. One constant in all of their stories is their ability to relate to the different individuals on their team, to create a family-type environment. Each kid is different, and each one needs a personal approach. Most importantly, even the lowest substitute should be treated with equal respect to the best players. I used to start each season with a team discussion on what it means to be on a team. One thing I would tell the players is that for the rest of the season they are all friends. They are all in a special relationship with each other. I tell them they should say hello in the school hallways, and help each other off the court, if needed. I never tolerated criticism of a teammate on the court, and would quickly bench any offender. Kids were expected to urge each other on, to quickly tell a teammate to put a mistake behind him. I promoted team dinners and outings, and moved to break up cliques. Team building is a proven ticket to success. The concept is widely used in all walks of life, and is a staple of Japanese and American business organization. It doesn’t just happen because a bunch of kids are on a team. It happens when coaches work at it. Team building is actually quite easy to get done; just put it in the practice plan, talk to your assistant coaches about it, and opportunities to promote teamness will present themselves in abundance. Set Realistic Goals It may seem trite to say, but setting realistic goals is essential to proper motivation, for the team and for each individual. With specific goals, a kid has something clear and achievable to work on, something she can set her sights on. She is not responsible for the whole team, not for winning or losing. She is not overwhelmed and defeated by unrealistic expectations.
ON PARENTS As you know, parents can be a great help in youth sports; however, interfering parents can be a major problem for coaches. This is especially true in basketball because parents are usually right on top of the team, so their complaining is more visible. There is no problem with parents who, after the game, want to talk to the coach and find out whether there is some problem they need to be aware of. But often they are argumentative, and sometimes downright insulting. Of course, you don’t need to take any gas from a pain in the neck. But before you get too defensive, think about what’s going on. Parents Feel for Their Kids Most parents literally die a little bit when they see their child going through a bad time. Maybe she is not playing much, having self-doubts, and acting out at home or school because of it. Parents feel the pain along with their kids—it’s tough for a kid, or anyone, to find out she’s not good enough. Offer SuggestionsHear parents out! Give them some ideas to help understand what the problem is, and perhaps you can focus them on things they can do to help at home. Tell them you are “on” the kid because you think he can do better, and you are trying to arouse his potential. Maybe, in return, you can get some insight into what is troubling the child. Maybe, just maybe, you are dead wrong; and you need to give the kid another look. Tell the parents you will do that. I’ve seen kids sit on the bench as a sub for half a season, suddenly come alive, and wind up as starters. Be UnderstandingMost of all, keep in mind that she’s their kid! They may feel a bit threatened by your control over their child. As a parent, I have had uneasy feelings about coaches: It’s quite natural. A little patience on your part can defuse some strong emotions. You can turn a potential feud into something that helps the child and, ultimately, the team. Don’t Tolerate AbuseA major problem is the parent who abuses his child during a game. He scorns his son or daughter for missing a shot or bad defense. It’s the worst thing in sports to see. You do not have to put up with this! Talk to the parent and ask him to keep quiet. If he doesn’t, remove him from the gym. While I was coaching baseball, one parent threatened me with removing his son as well. My response was merely that I hoped he wouldn’t, but that not playing was probably better than what was going on and that it would not continue under my watch! That parent stayed home, the kid played.
3. BASKETBALL POSITIONS
Basketball terminology Look at the "half-court" diagram below to define areas of the floor.
"Low post" area is the area near the "block" on either side of the lane (or "paint" area), to about half way up the lane toward the free throw line. "High post" is that area along the free throw line, and both "elbows". The "point" is out front, and the "wings" on either side. The "short corner" is between the corner and the basket, about 12 feet out. "Ball-side" refers to the side of the floor where the ball is. "Weak-side" is the opposite side away from the ball. Players cutting on the weak-side toward the hoop, are using the "back-door". "10 second line", or half-court line, is the line down the center of the floor. It divides the "full-court" (entire playing area) into two "half-courts". Your "fore-court" is the half-court with your basket, and the "back-court" is the half-court with the opponent's basket. Once a team gets possession of the ball, it has 10 seconds to get the ball across the half-court line into its fore-court. Once across this line (all three points - the ball and both feet), they may not pass or dribble the ball back across this line, or step on the line (while having possession) or the "over and back" violation occurs. The offense may retrieve the ball without penalty if deflected across by a defensive player. Numbering players, offensive terminology. Years ago, numbers were not used. You usually had two "guards" who played the "perimeter" and brought the ball up the floor. The "center" usually played around the high-post area, and the two "forwards", started in the short corner to corner areas, extending out to the wings. Now, most coaches use a numbering system, as the old definitions often do not apply any more, with players playing in multiple offensive formations. Using a numbering system makes it easier for coaches and players to understand plays, sets, and know their roles. Different numbering systems exist and coaches have their own favorite ways of doing this.
"Pick and roll" -- a play where an offensive player sets a "screen" ("pick") on a team-mate's defender, thereby freeing up the team-mate, after which the screener moves, or "rolls" off the screen to the hoop, or an open area for the return pass (see Setting Screens). "Give and go" -- a very basic play where after passing to a team-mate, the passer quickly cuts toward the basket, and receives the return pass back from his team-mate for the lay-up (see "Play 23"). "Reverse the ball" -- this means to quickly move the ball, by passing, to the opposite side of the fore-court, either by a series of quick passes, or by means of a "skip pass" (a pass directly across court, thereby "skipping" one or more offensive players in the succession around the perimeter). "Post up" -- offensive move wherein a low post player positions himself, and "seals" his defender off so that he can receive the pass down low on the block, where he can use a "post move" for a score, or quickly pass the ball back outside to an open team-mate for a three-pointer (going "inside-out"). Generally in basketball the taller players play underneath the hoop or along the baseline, at the center or forward positions, and shorter players fill the guard positions, where speed is more important. There are usually one center, two forwards and two guards on the floor. Forwards are sometimes called power forward or shooting forward depending on whether they are generally called upon, the plays selected by the coach, to play close to the hoop (the former) or to shoot from the outside (the latter).
4. SHOOTINGShooting Can Be Learned The good news is that shooting can be learned. Sure, naturally talented kids will learn a lot faster and shoot with a higher percentage, but all kids can learn to shoot.. It takes thousands of shots to significantly raise a shooter’s percentage, but remember it really doesn’t take that long to shoot a thousand shots! ABOUT OUTSIDE SHOOTINGIn practice, give your kids a chance to show what they have. And stress to them that an outside shot, in particular, is not developed during team practice. A player must do that on his own time. It takes ten thousand shots to develop consistent outside shooting. The Mechanics of Outside ShootingThe Triple Threat StanceThe triple threat stance is a multipurpose position from which the player can shoot, dribble or pass in any direction, and fake. The weight is forward on the balls of the feet. The feet are balanced under the shoulders and pointed toward the basket. The knees and waist are bent, ready to move in any direction; head and shoulders are square and level; head and chin are up; the ball is up in front of the chest; elbows are out to protect it. Fake Moves Open Up ShotsA fake move is used by a closely defended shooter to throw the defender off balance and open up an unobstructed shot. Usually, a faked dribble or jab step will get a young defender to move to the side or to back up a bit. As soon as the shooter gets the ball, she jab steps st |
