Coaching a Youth Basketball Team

[Barkeep49]

I was "convinced" to coach a High School league basketball team. This was a league I played in back when I was in HS and is competitive, but obviously does not feature the level of play you would expect of a real high school team.

Anyhow the father of a friend of mine was coaching two teams and convinced me to take over one of the teams. And they are BAD. They lost their first game by 28 points. I know a couple of the kids on the team, who I think are fairly decent players, so maybe they're not really that bad.

However, I would love to hear any suggestions you all might have, since I figured there have to be some experinced coaches out there.

[ice4277]

Get them hookers and coke. It seems to work for the NBA.

[The_herd]

Along the same lines, check out this thread:

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?threadid=17591

If that doesn't work, I got nothing.

[The Afoci]

I coached a really bad team. They had a good post play, but no point guard at all.

If you have guards, then, just have them push the ball. If you have posts get your best ball handler and have them bring it up and slow everything way down. We were able to win a few games by slowing it way down and winning 30-25 or so. If you can get some discipline in them to just try to frustrate the other squad, that works good at that level.

Sorry for babbling a little.

[Noop]

INTRODUCTION

Subject
Basketball is a sport that is played through out the world by people of all ages. Using a round 29 ½ to 30.7 ball, depending on the level you’re playing at, on a 94’ x 50’ court.(USA) The number of players can vary to 1 on 1, 2 on 2, on up to the traditional 5 on 5. The process of running a training camp youth includes getting the word out about your team, meeting the parents, workouts, and working on fundamentals.

Audience, Purpose
This paper was written to explain the process of running a training camp for kids between the ages of 5-16, intended for people with a general knowledge in basketball.

Scope
This paper explains the steps of running a basketball training camp.

COLLECTED DATA

Getting the word out
This is one of the most difficult parts of running a training camp. Simply, if you don’t have anyone to train you don’t have a camp to run. First, if you are a coach with previous experience coaching a team. You can call players from the year before to let them know that you will be running camp and would like if they informed friends of the camp. Next, you can print up flyers handing them out to current players, youth centers, and local schools. (With permission)

Parents
Convincing parents to allow their child to play a physical sport can at times be a frustrating ordeal for any coach. This is where being a good communicator can really help you to explain the whole idea behind the camp. Sometimes you may have a willing parent who doesn’t have the necessary funds to pay for the camp. This problem is easily solved if he/she allows you to take their child to a car wash where the money will be used to play for their camp. However, it is very important that they have insurance or at least purchase the camp’s insurance, to avoid costs in case of injury. Also in courage parents to visit camp and watch the progress that their son or daughter is making.

Workouts
I think this is the part where the participants start to grumble about the camp being to much about workouts and not about basketball. When you hold your first practice it would be wise to have the team do light exercise consisting of jogging, twenty sit-ups, two sets of push-ups and a short drill where you have them run around the court dribbling a basketball. Gradually increase the workout as your campers get acclimated to the routine. After you feel certain that they are ready for a set daily routine which they can perform before practice. Have them do three laps around the court, stretching, and whatever drill you ask them to perform last. Here is a basic guide you can follow:
1. Warm-up 5 to 10 minutes to increase blood flow and lubricate the joints.
2. Flexibility exercises to slowly stretch muscles and tendons that cross and surround the joints.
3. Strength development to increase muscular power and force.
4. Endurance work to increase and maintain a high level of cardiovascular conditioning and interval workouts to increase speed and stamina.
5. A cool-down period of 5 to 10 minutes after the exercise has finished letting the heart rate return to normal and facilitate the return of blood from the extremities.
6. Post-exercise flexibility exercises of 5 to 10 minutes to prevent muscles from shortening. (Lindsay)
from the principal)

Fundamentals
This is the part where the learning of basketball actually happens. The first thing you must do is assess each camper and try to group him or her with campers of similar ability. The reason for this is because you don’t want to teach an advanced kid something they already know, where they might get disinterested and lose focus. After you have separated the campers based on groups, you can then work on each individually.

Beginning Players
For the group that is just learning to play have them work on the basics, such as weak hand lay-ups, boxing out on rebounds, understanding defense; meaning explaining where they should go for each defense. At this stage in the process it would be in your interest to teach the right and wrongs of basketball. Because they are starting to learn the game you can instill good habits such as careless passing, taking wild shots and other bad habits that may a rise. “Players who practice bad habits should be corrected immediately.” (Lindsay)

Advanced Players
For the more advanced group working on dribbling in one on one situations. Where you have them work against another camper, as they attempt to score a basket. For the camper playing defense this allows you to teach them how to play defense by teaching them to get low, shuffle their feet, and keeping their hands constantly moving as they play the ball. As you get more comfortable with the learning process displayed by the campers you can then start to implement different scenarios.

Scrimmage
"While you may not be able to scrimmage much during the first week, candidates of dubious ability should scrimmage full court as often as feasible…”. (Lindsay) You should be able to have at least three or four 5 on 5 scrimmages. This presents a unique chance to teach as many as ten players at a time. Pointing out mistakes while you officiate the game, providing immediate correct to any mistake. At the end of camp you should hold a final scrimmage where you invite the camper’s family to watch. This final scrimmage should be treated as a game to try and simulate a real game scenario. Be sure to give awards to the most outstanding players of the camp, like most value player, most improved, etc.

Evaluation
This should be done at the end of the summer camp. Call each camper one by one in your office and go over their entire camp. Explain their entire camp, praise the good but tell them what they did wrong and how they can improve over the rest of the summer. Hand each camper a full evaluation sheet detailing everything from shooting to attitude.

CONCULSION
Running a basketball camp can be a very rewarding experience for anyone who puts in work to see the fruits of their labor. Watching the kids slowly be molded into fine basketball players is the real reward. There are so many advantages to running your own training camp. The first is you get to teach something the children will keep for the rest of their lives and you get a leg up on other staffs by identifying the talent and recruiting them to your team.


:)

noop

[Noop]

Best Site (http://www.guidetocoachingbasketball.com/index.htm)

[Barkeep49]

Originally posted by The Afoci
I coached a really bad team. They had a good post play, but no point guard at all.

If you have guards, then, just have them push the ball. If you have posts get your best ball handler and have them bring it up and slow everything way down. We were able to win a few games by slowing it way down and winning 30-25 or so. If you can get some discipline in them to just try to frustrate the other squad, that works good at that level.

Sorry for babbling a little.

You didn't babble really at all. I was thinking the same thing about a slow it down game.

Thanks Noop for that site. It looks great.

I decided to turn this into a dynasty which I have posted over here (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17717)

[mckerney]

3 passes before they shoot. An little to no shooting in practice, you know they can shoot. They need to be in the best physical shape of their lives, no team of yours is going to run out of steam before their opponents do. With only 6 players you can't afford to.

Oh, and the town drunk makes a great assistant coach.

[The_herd]

Originally posted by mckerney


Oh, and the town drunk makes a great assistant coach.

Only if his son is named Jimmy Chitwood.

[Ben E Lou]

Convince the worst two Seniors on the Varsity team that it won't be any fun to be a Senior and get virtually no playing time, when they can come play for you and start every game. :D

There are gonna be some mad people when they see the team I've assembled this year....

[mckerney]

Originally posted by The_herd
Only if his son is named Jimmy Chitwood.

But Shooter wasn't Jimmy's father...

...I'm not sure being I don't have the movie with me, but wasn't he Rade's dad?

[The_herd]

Ahhh yeah, you're right. I need to watch that movie again. I don't even feel like a sports fan for missing that one.

Having Jimmy Chitwood on his team though still wouldn't be a bad thing.

[The Afoci]

SkyDog, running the dirtiest Christian Youth Basketball Program in America!

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by The Afoci
SkyDog, running the dirtiest Christian Youth Basketball Program in America! :D

[The_herd]

You could always threaten to have Skydog show up in his patriotic speedo if they don't win.:D

[Radii]

Has anyone coached really young kids? I'm coaching 6 year olds at the Y this year, and pretty much have no idea what I'm doing.

[Ben E Lou]

Dola...

It isn't really "dirty," and of course I exaggerated a bit. The two guys I'm speaking of mentioned to me that they were considering playing on "The Ankle Breakers" (the independent team I coach in the church league), rather than riding the pine on the Varsity for their Senior season, which undoubtedly would have been the case. Both guys are on the football team as well, so they wouldn't have been able to begin basketball for a while (maybe Christmas break) anyway.

The funny thing about church ball in Tucker is that there are at times more students at the church league games than there are at the school's Varsity games. So, for the kids who are switching over, there isn't really much of a loss of "glory."

That being said, I must admit that once football season is over, we'll have a lot more talent, by a fairly wide margin, than any other team in our league.

[The Afoci]

Originally posted by Radii
Has anyone coached really young kids? I'm coaching 6 year olds at the Y this year, and pretty much have no idea what I'm doing.

I have coached 6th grade ball before. What we did was a really basic compact 2-3 zone. Made teams shoot from the outside on us. For offense, we ran a 4-high flex. Pretty easy to learn and effective for getting close shots.

[The Afoci]

Originally posted by SkyDog
Dola...

It isn't really "dirty," and of course I exaggerated a bit. The two guys I'm speaking of mentioned to me that they were considering playing on "The Ankle Breakers" (the independent team I coach in the church league), rather than riding the pine on the Varsity for their Senior season, which undoubtedly would have been the case. Both guys are on the football team as well, so they wouldn't have been able to begin basketball for a while (maybe Christmas break) anyway.

The funny thing about church ball in Tucker is that there are at times more students at the church league games than there are at the school's Varsity games. So, for the kids who are switching over, there isn't really much of a loss of "glory."

That being said, I must admit that once football season is over, we'll have a lot more talent, by a fairly wide margin, than any other team in our league.

So what you are saying is you bribed them by saying would you rather play for Tucker or Jesus? ;)

[GoldenEagle]

Skydog cuts kids from his church league basketball team....shameful :D

[The Afoci]

I heard rumors that SkyDog once told a kid that he would spend an eternity in hell after he missed a wide open layup that would have won the game for them.

[korme]

My brother coaches our team.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by GoldenEagle
Skydog cuts kids from his church league basketball team....shameful :D I've never cut a kid. I didn't flesh it out very well. This team started because several kids wanted to play together, but weren't all connected to the same church. They formed the team, and asked me to coach it. When kids graduate and there are spots to be filled, the kids invite other kids to come play on the team, and of course they don't invite TOO many because they want a good bit of playing time. (We've never had more than 10 on the team.) As I said, it is an "independent" team, in a church-run league. In other words, we're not affiliated with any one church. (Most of the kids I know best aren't regularly involved in any church.) There are two such "independent" teams in the league. The other one is essentially the JV team from St. Pius X, a Catholic High School. The only rule in our league is that no varsity players are allowed to play.

[GoldenEagle]

Heh at my chruch we had two teams when I was groiwng up. All the good kids were put on one team and the rest were put on the bad team. Hey, we have to show those Baptists up in church basketball.

[Ben E Lou]

Bump....

Not surprisingly, we won the championship game tonight.

[korme]

7-3, just dropped one. We are the best in the league by far, just shaky play.

Tourney starts Saturday for us, and this being senior year, this is the last shot I get at a championship, and my last run in organized basketball for the forseeable future.

I really want to win.

[Vince]

Shorty, what position do you play? 1, 2?

[korme]

Both, but through the years I prefer to be the 1. I am usually the 1, as we really only have 4 guards including me, and only one other (our best player who puts in 17 ppg) can be trusted with the ball each time down the court.

I suck at free throws, but this year I am proud to be second on the team in shooting at 73%, heh. If it were tracked, I'd say I was probably rather high on the FG% list as well.

[Vince]

Nice :) My intramural team (which is sucking ass this year, sadly) runs me as the 1 or 2, and we play a 3-2 usually on defense. Lately, however, our team is the smallest by far, and we have to switch to a 2-3. Since I'm one of three players on the team who knows how to box out, I have to play down low. It's really annoying because it really kills my greatest strength, which is on-the-ball defense. If only we had one big man...

EDIT - The ludicrous part of me being down low is that this is College intramurals, and I'm only 5'10", 190. Sure, I can almost dunk...but that doesn't mean that I can box out a 6'6" 225 pound guy consistently...thank god for the over-the-back foul.