What should I look for in a youth basketball coach for my son?

If your child is just playing in a rec league, you generally have no choice on who is coaching them. Everyone volunteers their time and generally they try to divide teams to make sure that all teams are somewhat equal. If your child is playing in a more organized setting, like a school team, travel team or AAU, here are a few things to find out up front. What is the coach’s philosophy on playing time, and how is it earned? What kind of experience do they have coaching this age level, ability level and sex? For the first 20 years of my coaching experience, I only coached boys, and only when I started coaching my daughters did I realize the differences.

Posted by Bill Sniffen at 06:07 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

My 8-year-old son has just taken up basketball, and I want to teach him the right way to shoot the basketball. What are the keys to having a good shot?

Just like Coach Thom covers in our segments on shooting, we want to make sure the player knows it is a one-handed shot, form an “L” with his shooting arm, put the ball on your finger pads and reach up and follow through, all while maintaining a good base with his feet. Just watch our segments and you will see all the building blocks of a good shot.

Posted by Bill Sniffen at 11:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I’m going to be coaching a youth basketball team of 9-10 year olds for the first time. Are we better off playing man-to-man or zone defense?

I may be in the minority, but as a former high school coach, I say both! First, you must teach the basics of man-to-man; defending the dribbler, one pass away and two passes away. Then you should apply those techniques to zone as well. When we teach man-to-man we use a drill that looks like a zone anyway, so why not use it in game situations. My advice is, at minimum, have one quarter of the game used for zone defenses.

Posted by Bill Sniffen at 08:04 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

We’ve purchased one of those adjustable baskets that can be set lower than 10 feet. Is my 6 year old’s shooting at lower than regulation baskets OK, or can it produce some bad habits?

Until your child can reach the 10-foot basket, feel free to lower it to 8-foot. What is important is developing good habits, such as form, hand placement and leg positioning. We want your child to know that the shot is a one-handed shot and that his legs will ultimately be the trigger for shooting from further distances.

Posted by Bill Sniffen at 04:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)