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ALERT!!!
Over 4 million youth play basketball in the US. AWESOME!
On average, those players quit the game at 11 years old...
TRAGIC!
We're doing youth basketball wrong, here's how we fix it.
Time for a thread.
Over 4 million youth play basketball in the US. AWESOME!
On average, those players quit the game at 11 years old...
TRAGIC!
We're doing youth basketball wrong, here's how we fix it.
Time for a thread.
1. Bring our A-Game
Youth basketball deserves our best. The best coaching, most resources & highest standards.
Yet we give it the least. Least experienced coaches, no funding & few standards.
Time to stop half-assing this thing & give it the care it deserves.
Kids 1st.
Youth basketball deserves our best. The best coaching, most resources & highest standards.
Yet we give it the least. Least experienced coaches, no funding & few standards.
Time to stop half-assing this thing & give it the care it deserves.
Kids 1st.
2. Question everything
Youth Basketball is broken, start over.
Players are leaving the sport, parents are fighting in the stands & kids are losing self-esteem instead of gaining confidence.
Youth Basketball is broken, start over.
Players are leaving the sport, parents are fighting in the stands & kids are losing self-esteem instead of gaining confidence.
3. Establish first principles (prt 1)
Development over everything.
North America has it backward. Winning a game, making a team or getting more playing time dictates decisions.
Play the long game. Practices would be better if we didn’t care about a 4th-grade victory.
Development over everything.
North America has it backward. Winning a game, making a team or getting more playing time dictates decisions.
Play the long game. Practices would be better if we didn’t care about a 4th-grade victory.
4. Establish first principles (prt 2)
Parents would choose programs for development not clout.
Players would embrace failure instead of shying away from areas of weakness.
Don’t sacrifice long term love of the game for a W. It’s like walking past #BTC
to pick up a dollar.
Parents would choose programs for development not clout.
Players would embrace failure instead of shying away from areas of weakness.
Don’t sacrifice long term love of the game for a W. It’s like walking past #BTC
to pick up a dollar.
5. Bamboo mindset
Bamboo will grow for three years underground before it shoots up to be one of the fastest-growing plants. This MUST be the approach to youth basketball.
Parents, players & coaches must align & commit to the years-long process.
Bamboo will grow for three years underground before it shoots up to be one of the fastest-growing plants. This MUST be the approach to youth basketball.
Parents, players & coaches must align & commit to the years-long process.
6. Visual Learning
Studies show over 85% of youth are visual learners. Yet youth practices are auditory & tactile in nature.
CHANGE!
Every youth practice & development program MUST include visual learning.
It’s more fun, more effective & provides access to experts.
Studies show over 85% of youth are visual learners. Yet youth practices are auditory & tactile in nature.
CHANGE!
Every youth practice & development program MUST include visual learning.
It’s more fun, more effective & provides access to experts.
7. Teach parents.
At the youth level, no person has a greater impact on a player's love of the game & improvement than parents.
We must educate basketball parents, so they stop being the obstacle & become the way. Any youth program should have mandatory parent involvement.
At the youth level, no person has a greater impact on a player's love of the game & improvement than parents.
We must educate basketball parents, so they stop being the obstacle & become the way. Any youth program should have mandatory parent involvement.
8. Discovery method (prt 1)
Youth structure should be about discovery & constraint.
With varied games & unique problems, youth players can achieve creativity.
The secret sauce of great basketball players is cleverness and creativity.
Youth structure should be about discovery & constraint.
With varied games & unique problems, youth players can achieve creativity.
The secret sauce of great basketball players is cleverness and creativity.
9. Discovery method (prt 2)
Our youth system is not set up for that, as we put players in positions, require performance, & punish experimentation.
Set goals, establish guardrails, let them create. This is the basis for elite performance, not passing & catching w/ 2 hands.
Our youth system is not set up for that, as we put players in positions, require performance, & punish experimentation.
Set goals, establish guardrails, let them create. This is the basis for elite performance, not passing & catching w/ 2 hands.
10. Implement immediately.
Any teaching to youth players must provide space & time for them to implement right away.
This should be a practice and play structure. When your practice looks like play & your play looks like development, that's youth basketball done right.
Any teaching to youth players must provide space & time for them to implement right away.
This should be a practice and play structure. When your practice looks like play & your play looks like development, that's youth basketball done right.
11. Play games
More about practice and play. The majority of youth practice should be games.
Threes
's
1. keep them short
2. don’t teach until after
3. use constraints to direct desired outcomes
More about practice and play. The majority of youth practice should be games.
Threes
's1. keep them short
2. don’t teach until after
3. use constraints to direct desired outcomes
12. Play the right games
Youth basketball should prioritize movement, ball touches, scoring, learning & FUN!
The right games are 3v3 FIBA style. Small-sided games in practice.
Skill games every day.
Youth basketball should prioritize movement, ball touches, scoring, learning & FUN!
The right games are 3v3 FIBA style. Small-sided games in practice.
Skill games every day.
13. Explore the edges of the sandbox
Encourage the crazy. The game changes. Usually at pro-level with youth basketball being 20+ years behind. Instead, youth basketball should be at the forefront of the movement. There is no place better to experiment with style & skills.
Encourage the crazy. The game changes. Usually at pro-level with youth basketball being 20+ years behind. Instead, youth basketball should be at the forefront of the movement. There is no place better to experiment with style & skills.
14. Intrinsic motivation
Most practices I’ve seen has a coach constantly yelling & telling players to move faster, care more, do a thing.
Coach motivation is a hell of a drug….creating addicts for life. We don’t want addicts. We want athletes — self motivated.
Most practices I’ve seen has a coach constantly yelling & telling players to move faster, care more, do a thing.
Coach motivation is a hell of a drug….creating addicts for life. We don’t want addicts. We want athletes — self motivated.
15. Autonomy
Players care more about what they choose. In a given practice, game or training, let them choose their position. Let them choose the game, the score, or color of their jersey.
Practice autonomy in youth basketball and they will build a career on self-governance.
Players care more about what they choose. In a given practice, game or training, let them choose their position. Let them choose the game, the score, or color of their jersey.
Practice autonomy in youth basketball and they will build a career on self-governance.
16. Give advantage
Basketball's hard. It takes a long time to get good. We like things we improve in. Youth basketball needs advantages, not obstacles. 10 ft goals, big heavy balls, 94 ft courts & lots of people make it hard. Give kids a chance.
Build-in advantages.
Basketball's hard. It takes a long time to get good. We like things we improve in. Youth basketball needs advantages, not obstacles. 10 ft goals, big heavy balls, 94 ft courts & lots of people make it hard. Give kids a chance.
Build-in advantages.
17. No excuses
Youth basketball is full of excuses, often modeled by adults. Make it a no excuses space. These excuses are often a result of wrong-minded goals.
Change the goal from a status-driven one to a development driven one and watch the excuses will evaporate.
Youth basketball is full of excuses, often modeled by adults. Make it a no excuses space. These excuses are often a result of wrong-minded goals.
Change the goal from a status-driven one to a development driven one and watch the excuses will evaporate.
18. Level Up
Competitiveness is a skill to grow. Even more so than technical skills. Measurement is magic. Measure everything. Keep score. Test and test again. Recognize and reward them as they level up. Video games should be more addicting than basketball.
Level Up.
Competitiveness is a skill to grow. Even more so than technical skills. Measurement is magic. Measure everything. Keep score. Test and test again. Recognize and reward them as they level up. Video games should be more addicting than basketball.
Level Up.
19. Challenge
European premier league soccer clubs found resiliency a greater indicator of elite success than any technical skills.
This must be a priority for youth basketball.
Dose youth players w/ appropriate challenge. Attainable but not easy. This grows the resilience.
European premier league soccer clubs found resiliency a greater indicator of elite success than any technical skills.
This must be a priority for youth basketball.
Dose youth players w/ appropriate challenge. Attainable but not easy. This grows the resilience.
That was a lot.
There's definitely more.
What would you add?
There's definitely more.
What would you add?
