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I hope to be a beacon of light at the end of the tunnel.  Stay the course and the phrase I hate more than any right now trust the process!!  I have coached high school for 20 years but also do elementary to build a solid foundation.  Last year I took a group of 3rd graders that had never played before we had 2 practices then began our league. We went 0-16 lost our first game 62-2 and it could have been 100 or more but their coach let up on us.  The second session we went 4-13 and won a tournament game. I continued to stress fundamentals pass, dribble shoot, and good man to man defense. I have always run the pRINCETON OFFENSE AND broke it down into its most simple parts and taught those skills needed to run  it. we do almost all drill work on fundamentals and have no set plays.  This year we went 14-4 in session 1 against many of the same teams we played last year.  We got beat in the tournament 34-33 by that team that beat us 60-2 last year.  Most of the teams run a pick and roll for best ball handler or just a clear out. I have spent a lot of time teaching how to defend it. Our guys know how to go under all screens if you lose your man get to the ball side block, they can trap the pick or hedge and recover.  I let them read and react to it. 99% of plays at this age are ran to the right side of the floor most players are right handed.  We force everything left and negate teams that are quicker.  

On offense I call no plays but might say hand-off all 5 guys get to a spot we perform a dribble hand off that leads to pick and roll layup or pull up or ball reversal. The guys have no idea that they are running an offense they just react to the situation. I call dribble at that will lead to a back door cut. Hopefully this next session I will not have to say much at all.  What I am saying do not change what you do to just fit in with the others.  Most people coaching this levels are dads that want their son or daughter to be an NBA or WNBA star (PC) They run pick and roll for their son and pat themselves on the back when the win a 3rd or 4th grade game.  The people that are doing it for the right reasons teach the whole team and will see so much growth from year to year.  In the 18 games we played this year, we had 9 or more players score in all but 2. In 6 games everyone scored. I believe that with my point guard (not my son) but our best player he could get as many points as he wanted and last year we would have won more games but because of us working on the kids and their development we would not have won as many as we have this year. Keep it fun teach the game not just the plays. In the long run your team will be much better off

 

Do not let parents pressure you into doing something other than what you believe to be best.  you are the coach.

 

PS. funny situation. We actual got a complaint this year a parent of another school went to the director of the league and said that I should not be allowed to coach since I have coached Varsity basketball and that their coach is just a guy trying to coach his son!! These are the people we are dealing with. don't give in keep positive and re ensure the kids it will get better.

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23 hours ago, Hoosierinbham said:

Just wanted to follow up with our season progression. The girls are learning and playing great man to man defense. Offense is a struggle. We unfortunately are winless.

Our league is dominated by primary ballhandlers that are fast and skilled. We don't have one of those.  I have multiple girls bring the ball up, and don't run plays as much as pass, drive, and shoot. The problem is, the teams that run plays for their best players generally win. 

Any suggestions on offensive solutions?  I want the girls to learn and have fun playing ball, but you can tell they are frustrated.  Last game we had one of our better, and more passionate,  players not want to play one quarter.  It's getting harder to try to do the right thing when coaches are calling timeouts to set up plays when they're up 20-2 in the 4th quarter. Appreciate any suggestions. 

These posts are right on the money with priorities for the most part.

I wish I had came across this thread sooner.

A couple of additional things to add that are more fitting to implement starting with the first practice at approximately the 4th & 5th grade level:

It is definitely important , and high priority to keep it fun . Still, keep the big picture in mind that these(4th and 5th grade)kids are in the years just prior to most Jr. High (6th or 7th - 8th grade) grade levels . It's an appropriate time to implement proper pre-game and pre-practice stretching. It's an undervalued habit for coaching growing children.It helps against the odds of possible leg injuries, in particular. Plus, when they get old enough to lift, it's already established.

It's also an appropriate time to focus a bit more on the conditioning aspect (specifically running). I started with "contests" personally for 4th grade, but added some good old fashioned "down  and  backs".That age range begins to get into more challenging chores at home, as well as school work and same should go for the court.

I've coached several Jr. High teams, but also a 4th grade team that had only 7 players , and the 4th grade team won all but two games with fundamentals, and being in a bit better shape than basically everyone we played.. In the later parts of the games, I noticed opposing kids started grabbing their shorts and bending. let them understand that it lets them turn it up a notch late and helps late game execution a ton when the legs start to tire out more.. A lot of kids come into the middle school level unprepared to outwork other players. Some come from such a focus on fun that the kids who are in better shape literally run them out of the gym in tryouts. Plus, a sudden change to more running ,for more organized levels,  makes it feel less natural and more of a punishment out of nowhere. I'm not saying make them run 10 or 20 killers or use up practice running miles, but it expands on teaching them to go full in drills. Most coaches ask for effort at any  level, but the kids who put in just a little more frequent conditioning can wear down the vast  majority of opponents in that age range with only mild focus on it. Consistency matters most of all.

Put that with the excellent priorities outlined above, and you not only have a better chance to overcome more skilled teams, but it prepares them for the game "getting real" on them should they end up trying out for middle school teams in the subsequent couple of years.

Awesome thread going here!  Best wishes to your team. You sound like someone I would want my child to play for! :) 

 

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4 hours ago, jblaz13 said:

These posts are right on the money with priorities for the most part.

I wish I had came across this thread sooner.

A couple of additional things to add that are more fitting to implement starting with the first practice at approximately the 4th & 5th grade level:

It is definitely important , and high priority to keep it fun . Still, keep the big picture in mind that these(4th and 5th grade)kids are in the years just prior to most Jr. High (6th or 7th - 8th grade) grade levels . It's an appropriate time to implement proper pre-game and pre-practice stretching. It's an undervalued habit for coaching growing children.It helps against the odds of possible leg injuries, in particular. Plus, when they get old enough to lift, it's already established.

It's also an appropriate time to focus a bit more on the conditioning aspect (specifically running). I started with "contests" personally for 4th grade, but added some good old fashioned "down  and  backs".That age range begins to get into more challenging chores at home, as well as school work and same should go for the court.

I've coached several Jr. High teams, but also a 4th grade team that had only 7 players , and the 4th grade team won all but two games with fundamentals, and being in a bit better shape than basically everyone we played.. In the later parts of the games, I noticed opposing kids started grabbing their shorts and bending. let them understand that it lets them turn it up a notch late and helps late game execution a ton when the legs start to tire out more.. A lot of kids come into the middle school level unprepared to outwork other players. Some come from such a focus on fun that the kids who are in better shape literally run them out of the gym in tryouts. Plus, a sudden change to more running ,for more organized levels,  makes it feel less natural and more of a punishment out of nowhere. I'm not saying make them run 10 or 20 killers or use up practice running miles, but it expands on teaching them to go full in drills. Most coaches ask for effort at any  level, but the kids who put in just a little more frequent conditioning can wear down the vast  majority of opponents in that age range with only mild focus on it. Consistency matters most of all.

Put that with the excellent priorities outlined above, and you not only have a better chance to overcome more skilled teams, but it prepares them for the game "getting real" on them should they end up trying out for middle school teams in the subsequent couple of years.

Awesome thread going here!  Best wishes to your team. You sound like someone I would want my child to play for! :) 

 

Appreciate the input and kind words. Love the idea of sneaking in some conditioning with fun and competition. 

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Talking about perspective as a youth coach. My oldest son is now playing colkege baseball but i think he a better basketball and football player but...

Coaching him in youth i was very critical and wanted him to always be his best. I don't have any regrets because he had the opportunity to pick which of his 3 sports to continue playing i hope that i had something to do with that.

My youngest son Ayden is just thrilled to be on the team and to be part of it all.  Obviously i have coached to 2 some much differently.  It has helped me as a coach to see the big picture.  There will come a day and i dont know when thst sports will no longer by an option for him. At thst point i will retire until i have grandkids to coach. But as long as Ayden is physically able and wants to play i love coaching these kids.

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