http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2004422051_bball18.html
Being a father of 3 girls around this young lady's age, I am very proud to see a female athlete excel at such a high level. All of us who continued to promote Title IX, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX , have to look at this as a great day for woman's athletics. It will always be a debate whether boys and girls should play on the same court/field, but I would think this shows not only it can be done, but they can dominate!
As a coach, the only objection I had to this story was the score of one of her games, 90-7! There is no reason in events at this level, and probably any other, for a score to get that far out of hand and no reason for the coach to seem proud of that. If there is any problem, it rests in a coach not managing the game properly. I have written about this problem before, http://playsportstvblogs.com/billsniffen/2007/12/question_for_coach_bill_1.html
But, since we like to focus on the positive, congratulations to Twelve-year-old Jaime Nared on her accomplishments and we look forward to hearing more about her in the future!
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This movie, "Through the Fire", http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457502/, chronicles Sebastian Telfair's high school career and recruiting of the high school and playground legend from Brooklyn. It is a great look into what happens in big time recruiting wars.
My favorite basketball documentary is "Hoop Dreams". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110057/ This follows 2 potential players as they grow up in Chicago and all the way through high school and into college.
Add to that list "Coach Carter", "Glory Road", and "The Heart of the Game". Check out this complete list. http://www.sandlotshrink.com/moviebkb.htm
Of course, the classic, based on a true story, is "Hoosiers", but you knew that from my favorite line, "Don't get caught watching the paint dry!"
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http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008803280401
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We just moved to Brooklyn and I am looking for a place for my 11 yr. old son to play basketball, any suggestions?
Maria
Maria,
Thanks for checking out PlaysportsTV.com and submitting your question. Generally in most large urban areas like Brooklyn, NY, you can find local recreation level sports at your local YMCA or church. Being from the NY Metro area myself, I am very familiar with the Catholic Youth Organization, or CYO, which at your local Catholic church, will have teams for all ages and skill levels. They play a competitive schedule against other teams in NYC and is a great feeder route for playing in high school and beyond. They accept a certain a number of non-catholics as well. Check out this site and see if they can help in your local community as well. Good luck and please check back to PlaysportsTV.com for updates, and click on the basketball tab for videos and a link to my blog as well!
http://www.bcba.com/
This past weekend we were playing a game and the we were on the short end of a very lopsided score, which is ok, since I know our team is inexperienced and still learning. The problem is that our opponent didn't let up in pressing until the game was way out of hand. I was so busy coaching my team and I didn't want to bother the other coach, but this could have been avoided I am sure. I coach a 6th grade team. Any suggestions?
Coach,
Most leagues now have a pressing rule based on points ahead. I would think up until the 6th grade, that once a team is ahead by 15 points, they should be made to back up theire defense to inside the 3 point line atleast. This would allow a team to get the ball across half court and get into an offense before feeling pressure. Any league below 5th grade, might not want to allow pressing at all, since most players are still learning the game and its rules. If your league does not have a rule, then you may want to speak to the other coach before the game, and ask their feelings on pressing and if your team is weak, then ask the coach to keep an eye on the score and the pressing so that it does not become a negative situation. Some coaches might say this is the only time my 2nd team can practice pressing in a game situation, since at that level, practice time is limited. If that is the case, then as long as you know in advance then that is ok as well. One time, when we knew one team was that much better then the other, we didn't keep a running score on the scoreboard, and since noone knew what was the real score, the game was still productive for both teams since we knew the outcome was already a given. Communication and common sense is the key!
]]>A few games into the season, and already I can tell that our team is going to be on the "short" side for our league, and we are going to have trouble getting our share of the rebounds. Any suggestions?
Having coach a high school team with no players over 6'1, we battled that for the entire season, but with some creativity, we worked around it. First, in practice, we started to emphasize team rebounding, with everyone playing a role. The person who is closest to the shooter is responsible for them and everyone else should then be inside the 3 second lane, with a body on someone on the other team, especially those near the basket. We would then try to gain position between the basket and the opponent. We would first practice this in the form of 1 on 1, then 2 one 2, 3 on 3, etc., drills in the form of mini games, with the defense getting one point for the rebound and successful outlet pass and the offense getting 2 points for scoring on the defense. We would play these mini games to 7 and I found them to be very spirited. Also, while working 5 on 5, we would stop the play and tell the players to freeze right after the rebound was recovered, so they could see themselves in or out of the position we wanted. We would spend an entire practice on just rebounding emphasis and see how it applied to the rest of the week's games and practices and bring it back when needed. I noticed it eventually caught on as a team goal and helped us a great deal to rebound as a team. It came in helpful against a 7 ft player, Mark Blount. Yes he dominated play at times, but we held our own when we rebounded against him as a team and he is now playing along side Shaquille O'Neill in the NBA!
]]>Which NBA players should kids watch as a way to improve certain skills?
I might sound partial in this answer, but I think many people would agree with what I have to say. My first scrimmage as a high school varsity coach, the opposing coach asked me if he could try-out one of his younger players on both the JV and Varsity that day to see how he fits in. During the JV scrimmage, this player was much taller then all of the kids, but seemed to be "soft" during warm-ups. He won the opening tap, went down the court and they threw him a lob and he dunked it in. Then, he was the point man on their press and even handled the ball against my JV team's press as well. The varsity coach quickly pulled him out and was now going to try him later in the varsity scrimmage. In that game, against stronger and taller players he did the same and dominated on both ends of the floor and he was only a freshman. This kid worked so hard on his defense and his positioning on offense, that you could tell he was something special at 14. After the game, he shook everyones hand, including the officials and thanked everyone for opening the gym on a Saturday for his team. Who was this kid? Only Elton Brand! His work ethic in games and in practices is legendary. Watch him as he positions himself on offense, gets ready for an offensive rebound and is always there to be a force on defense. Sure he can score 20 points a game, but it is all the other stuff he does that makes him my favorite to watch in the NBA. Throw in his off court efforts of generosity to his hometown and high school, and he really makes up the complete player in my eyes!
]]>This weekend is our first practice for my son's rec team and even though I played in high school, I haven't been around an organized basketball practice in a long time and forget how to run a practice, etc. Any suggestions?
Coach,
My first thought is to send you to our website and watch any of the videos posted there by the coaches. They really give you great examples of simple drills to teach ball handling, shooting, etc. I just had my first practice last night with my kid's team and we had to get to know each others names, so one of the things we do is get in a circle, and pass the ball to each other and we call our each others names as we catch and pass the ball. Another thing we emphasized was pivoting. To often kids travel because they don't know how to keep their pivot foot. So, have them practice doing fakes with the ball while they pivot, so they get to use to that. Don't jump into scrimmaging so fast. Try building up to it, by doing 2 on 2, 3 on 3, etc., and show them how they can screen for one another and plus it helps them understand how to pass to someone when they are being guarded. As always, keep if fun and make sure you work in some shooting drills where one group goes against the other.
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First of all, being someone who shared those same dreams as your son has now, I can appreciate his zest for the game. But here are a few ideas. First, he needs to take the initiative here, not you. Try to explain to him that he is the new kid on the block and he will have to still prove himself for awhile and the first step in doing that is having your son go to the coach and asking him, based on what he saw from his play in the fall, what are the things he should concentrate on improving on in the next month leading up to tryouts. Next, have him ask the coach what type of things he is looking for in tryouts that will set him apart from players with similar abilities. Right now his goal is to make the team and get his foot in the door. Then, any good coach will see in the day to day of practice what kind of player each kid is. Game experience is great, but once you get to high school, coaches can see who can do what very quickly and after a few scrimmages and games, if he really is as good as you think he is, he will get his playing time. But let him fight this battle unless the coach is doing something deliberately to block his progress. If the coach blows him off when he goes to him for advice, then maybe you can talk to the coach, but make sure you do it at a time that is convenient for the coach, and a time when other players or your son are not around. The minute anyone sees you in his office, you son will be labeled in the ways you fear. Even if he gets cut from a team, you have to turn that into a positive as well. We as parents are biased and we sometimes see thing in tunnel vision, but most of the time that is really our way of showing them how much we love them. The odds of basketball being the end all for anyone is less then 5%, but that doesn't mean it cant be a part of your life. I played on a team that was 1- 19 in high school, but yet went on the coach high school teams that were ranked in the top 5 in NY State. My own girls will never be basketball players at a level higher the recreation, but they all enjoy watching the games, keeping score and being a part of the team. Basketball might be his dream for now, but just remember, Michael Jordan got cut from his first high school tryouts and he turned out OK as well. Bottom line, and I know I have my parents to thank for this, let him fight his own fight, in the long run, he is the one that will benefit the most.
Good luck,
Bill
My family and I just returned from a fun filled day in Hershey Park, but leave it to me to find something basketball to show them all. On March 2nd, 1962, even before I was born, Wilt Chamberlin scored 100 points in a professional basketball game versus the NY Knicks while he was a member of the Philadelphia Warriors. Back then, before the NBA was as popular as it is today, the teams would often meet on neutral sites in an attempt to gain fans in their outer lying communities. It was basically at the end of the barnstorming era for many professional sports. In the rest of the 1960's. the Boston Celtics helped make basketball more popular, which led to rivalries with the Knicks, Lakers and others. The site of Wilt's scoring barrage was not in NY or Philly, but in the home of chocolate, Hershey, PA! The old auditorium is still in use for some events, but they have now built a modern arena adjacent to the park. But on the outside of the arena, near the park entrance, is a plaque commemorating Wilt's achievement. In an NBA or professional game, a player scoring 50, 60 or more points in a game usually happens once a year or so, and even if they score 100, it really is amazing, but since it is professional game, and it is a form of paid entertainment, from a sportsmanship side of things, it is OK that one player is allowed to dominate. But in the amateur level, it is not. Nothing is gained when one player does more then half the scoring in a game. So many times we read or hear about players scoring outrageous numbers and don't we worry about what their teammates must think? Especially in one-sided games, coaches have to be careful in letting a player show up another and if taking them out of the game is the only solution, then do it and let the player know how great they did, but now you need their teammates to show they can contribute in some ways as well. And if you need to keep that "scorer" in the game, just tell them their job is now to make sure everyone else scores. Sure there will be times when one player will need to score a lot for your team to stay competitive, but in the long run of a season, the more that player learns that when they are double teamed that they have someone always open. Later on in Wilt's career, he learned just that and once led the league in assists and eventually that is what led to him winning a championship!
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