Support your favorite NBA team in one-of-a-kind style with this durable, jersey-style backpack, featuring removable name tag, side pen holder, side pocket and team name on front. 100% polyester mesh. Size: 14" x 12" x 4".There is a troubling trend developing in the world of youth basketball in our country. Kids are being quickly rushed though the most important developmental stages of learning and thrown into game environments. How do kids play the whole game when their coaches have never taught them to learn the parts. Read about how the development of the sharp and our young basketball players are the same.
Sharks develop according to the amount of space they inhabit. The more room you give them, the more they grow. Some sharks in the ocean grow up to 12-16 feet in length. A much more interesting fact pertains to a baby shark that is confined to a limited area. In a small tank a baby shark will grow only to the size of his surroundings. The baby sharp stays a baby shark without room to roam and develop.
How does this apply to youth basketball?
If we allow young players to experience the entire game of basketball they will grow and develop along with these experiences. Free play is a big part of this development when they are in elementary school. As they are old enough to play team ball in 4-5-6th grade, the team dynamic kicks in. Young players will continue to grow physically but they will NOT grow developmentally at all. In essence, their skills and understanding of the game is caged in a small tank with no room to grow!
The question is then: Are we helping young players grow into mighty sharks or stunted little sharks?
What contributes to this stunting? How do we limit our young players and stunt their growth and development?
1. By speeding up the fundamental teaching of the activity, we are leaving kids behind. Teaching dribbling, passing, shooting, and the basics of the game are the only thing that needs to be taught. When do you move by these fundamentals as a coach? When the player masters the skill according to his age level. The key is maintaining a flexible approach when coaching because of the variance in developmental growth.
Advice-Slow down and teach the basics, over and over and over. You can never spend enough time on the fundamentals.
2. Playing too many games before kids are ready. Games are a natural progression once fundamentals are mastered followed by small group competition.
3. Failing to bridge the gap between practice and 5-on-5 games. The important learning opportunities come with 2-on-2, 3-on-3, and 4-on-4 play. These small group setting allow for all players to be involved and teaches them how to play with teammates as a unit. A 3-on-3 game gives young players plenty of room to play versus the congestion 5-on-5 games create. The more congested, the less is learned by players.
4. Lack of "teaching games." This is another important bridge that can help players transfer from practice to real 5-on-5 games. A teaching game is controlled by coaches who ref games while they stop and teach during the game. There are some stops and starts during the game, but the teaching opportunity is invaluable. This is a big mistake made by many youth coaches. To expect kids to go out and start playing 5-on-5 games cold is not realistic or appropriate.
5. Defining positions too early. Positions are dangerous to the development of players because they box an individual into a spot on the floor and an assumed set of skills. Both factors, specific spots on the floor and skill groupings for that position, are limiting to young players.
The challenge is to teach slow, practice slow, and repeat skills over and over.
The progression in teaching youth basketball is as follows: CRAWL, WALK, JOG, AND RUN. As coaches, lets deal with one level at a time. If you have to CRAWL with your team, then CRAWL. Do not begin to WALK when you are not quite ready. If you do, you will fall flat on your face because you are not ready!
Remember, this experience is FOR THE KIDS, NOT THE COACHES. You have a huge responsibility as a coach and can either enhance or damage the enjoyment and learning curve of your players. Treat with care!
Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com.
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