Coaching Youth Basketball - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 - Choosing your team (or name your poison)
A lot of teams are arbitrarily divided up at this age, so that you don't get a choice. Think of it as drawing names out of a hat, and that's who you get. If this is the case with you, skip this chapter and go on to the next one.

Option 1 NO TRYOUTS You and the other coaches take turns choosing kids. In this situation, ask your child and other parents who are the natural athletes who are trying out. Next ask who can not walk and chew gum at the same time. Your best choice is to , DUH, take the natural athletes. This doesn't guarantee you a thing, but it let's you hedge your bet just a little bit.

Option 2 YOU HOLD TRYOUTS Being a beginning coach, this gets scary. This is your first chance to show the kids and their parents just how ignorant you really are. This is when most people go running to the library, the bookstore, or the internet. Fear not, I promise not to let you seem too ignorant.

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR TRYOUTS

At least 3 whistles that work, you'll lose 2 of them before you ever get there

Name badges that will stick to the players chest and back. Get a lot of them because the sweat will make them peel off.

At least 20 balls. (Buy, beg, or borrow them)

Enough mess bags for the balls. Most coaches forget these and it doesn't lend to your credibility to see you trying to juggle 6 loose balls when you walk in the door.

Lots of patience (Valium's not legal)

A clipboard with a legal pad on it. Even if you never use it, it makes you look official.

A better wardrobe. If you walk in with 2 different plaids on, the kids will moan about being coached by a geek. Blue cotton sweats with a white golf shirt works just fine, and they're cheap.

PRIORITIES

Now that you have your supplies, you have to make some decisions before your tryouts. You have to make the most important basketball decision of your coaching career, what are your priorities? What are you going to try to achieve with this team? Is your priority going to be just to let the kids have a good time? Is winning going to be your #1 priority? Or is your priority going to be to teach the kids enough over the years so that they have a real chance at making their high school team? These priorities can not hold equal value to you. You have to choose one over the other.

LETTING THE KIDS HAVE A GOOD TIME AS #1 PRIORITY

If this is your only goal, quit reading this now. This book is not for you. Don't misunderstand me! I believe that you can make winning or learning fun, and I will help show you how. But if that is your only goal, find someone else to coach the team because these kids may want to go a different direction later on in life than to just have fun.

WINNING AS YOUR #1 PRIORITY

This totally affects how you will substitute. If you substitute to win only, half of your team may never see more than a minute or two of playing time in a game. If you coach a varsity team, your job depends on the wins and this has to be your priority. But this book was not written for varsity coaches. This book was written for the beginning coach.

In my experience, most youth coaches start out trying to teach and have fun, but end up coaching to win. For those of you who go for the almighty win, someone once posted on Chalk Talk. a youth sports website, this reminder to coaches: 20 YEARS FROM NOW YOUR KIDS WON'T REMEMBER WHO WON A PARTICULAR GAME, BUT THEY WILL REMEMBER SITTING ON THE BENCH, AND IF THEY EVER GOT TO PLAY. The words may not be exact, but it's content is true.

TEACHING YOUR KIDS AND HAVING FUN AS YOUR #1 PRIORITY

This is what I believe should be your priority as a youth coach. My favorite line I use is Coach - Teacher. I have recently added to it, Coach - Role Model. If my team loses, it's because I didn't teach them enough. If my team loses because of bickering between themselves, then I wasn't a good enough teacher and role model. If they see me screaming at them, and the refs, or whomever, then I haven't been a good enough role model. Your kids learn something new every day, what will you teach them today?

There is a really great aspect to teaching as your #1 priority, IF YOU TEACH THEM ENOUGH, THEY WILL WIN. (Reminds you of Field of Dreams, doesn't it?)

I believe that when you coach elementary through 8th grade, your job is to be a teacher. Time for you to choose, what will be your priority?