What 14 Basketball Games Reminded Me About Youth Basketball
The Goal Should Be Bigger Than Today’s Scoreboard
This weekend, I coached 12 basketball games.
Six 7th-grade 5v5 games.
Six 3v3 games with players from 6th through 8th grade.
Then I watched two high school varsity games.
That is a lot of basketball.
And when you spend that much time in gyms, you notice things.
Coaches.
Parents.
Players.
Competition.
Winning.
Losing.
Development.
And maybe most importantly, what we are actually trying to accomplish with youth sports.
Here are some things the weekend reminded me.
There Is More Than One Way to Coach
I watched a lot of different coaching styles.
Some coaches are loud.
They create the energy. They motivate. They push. They are talking almost every possession.
Other coaches are quieter.
They still demand a lot, but they let players play. They teach when players come off the floor and try to give them room to figure things out.
And there are plenty of coaches somewhere in between.
There isn't one perfect style.
Parents and players have to find the coaching style and environment that works for them and their family.
But eventually, the goal should be the same:
Players need to learn how to play without the coach controlling every possession.
They have to think.
Communicate.
Compete.
Make decisions.
And own the game.
We Care Too Much About Winning Youth Basketball Games
Winning matters.
I believe that.
Competition matters too.
So does keeping score.
But we are way too wrapped up in winning and losing in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
Period.
Sometimes the adults bring more intensity to the gym than the players do.
Every possession feels enormous.
Every call matters.
Every loss feels like a crisis.
And sometimes we start acting like what happens in a 5th-grade tournament is going to determine whether a player gets a college scholarship or makes varsity someday.
It isn't.
We need to be in the moment.
That is a reminder for me too.
Care.
Compete.
Want your kid to succeed.
But also let them experience the game.
Let Kids Experience Adversity
This might be one of the biggest benefits of sports.
Your player is going to get bumped.
They are going to get knocked down.
They are going to miss shots.
A referee is going to miss a call.
A coach might take them out of the game.
Someone else might be bigger, faster, stronger, or better.
Good.
That is part of it.
Every bump isn't a foul.
Every fall isn't an emergency.
Basketball is physical.
Sports are hard.
And learning how to respond when things don't go your way is part of becoming a better player.
It's also part of growing up.
We don't need to remove every difficult situation.
Sometimes the difficult situation is the lesson.
Don't Confuse Size With Being a Great Basketball Player
Youth basketball is interesting because kids develop at completely different rates.
Some are tall.
Some are small.
Some mature early.
Some mature late.
Some are extremely athletic.
Some are highly skilled.
Those things are not always the same.
A player might dominate at 12 years old because they are bigger, faster, and stronger than everyone else.
That does not automatically mean they are the best basketball player.
Eventually, the game asks more questions.
Can you:
- Handle pressure?
- Shoot?
- Finish with either hand?
- Make decisions?
- Defend?
- Understand spacing?
- Play when someone is just as athletic as you?
Size matters.
Athleticism matters.
But skill matters too.
And eventually, basketball has a way of exposing what you can and cannot do.
Players: Stop Deciding Who Is Better Before the Game Starts
Young players do this all the time.
They see the other team warming up.
"That kid is huge."
"They look really athletic."
"They look good."
And sometimes the game is already over mentally before it even starts.
Don't do that.
Step on the floor and compete.
If someone is bigger, make them prove they can guard you.
If someone is faster, figure out how to play smarter.
If someone is better, compete with them anyway.
Don't give them the game before the ball goes up.
If you think someone should beat you, there is a pretty good chance they will.
Compete first.
Figure it out after.
Easy Wins Don't Always Mean Development
Winning every game by 30 points doesn't automatically mean you're great.
Sometimes it means you need a greater challenge.
On the other side, losing every game by 30 probably means you're playing at the wrong level right now.
Players need the right level of challenge.
They need chances to succeed.
They also need situations where things are hard.
They need:
- Close games
- Pressure
- Mistakes
- Stronger opponents
- Better defenders
- Moments where they have to figure things out
That is where a lot of growth happens.
Not when everything is easy.
Players Have to Control Their Emotions
I saw a lot of reactions to officiating this weekend.
Hands in the air.
Talking to referees.
Looking at parents.
Arguing calls.
Getting frustrated.
It's wasted energy.
Officials are going to miss calls.
Coaches are going to make mistakes.
Players are going to make mistakes.
The game keeps moving.
Great players learn to move to the next play.
Basketball happens too fast to spend the next three possessions thinking about something that already happened.
Control what you can control:
- Effort
- Communication
- Decisions
- Attitude
- Response
Then play the next possession.
Basketball Is Hard
Sometimes we forget this.
Basketball looks simple.
It isn't.
To become a really good player takes a lot of time.
You need skill.
Decision-making.
Athleticism.
Strength.
Conditioning.
Confidence.
Basketball IQ.
Emotional control.
Competitiveness.
And you have to use all of it while the game is moving fast and another player is actively trying to stop you.
There aren't many shortcuts.
You need reps.
You need games.
You need mistakes.
You need somebody to expose your weaknesses.
Then you need to go work on them.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The Goal Should Be Bigger Than Today's Scoreboard
After a weekend like this, this might be my biggest takeaway.
Youth basketball should challenge kids.
Let them compete.
Let them fail.
Let them struggle.
Let them play against somebody better.
Let them get knocked down.
Let them figure some things out.
Then help them get back up and try again.
Winning is fun.
Losing hurts.
Both are part of sports.
But the scoreboard disappears pretty quickly.
What stays with players is what they learned from the experience.
Did they get tougher?
Did they become more confident?
Did they learn how to respond to adversity?
Did they become a better teammate?
Did their skills improve?
Did they learn how to compete?
Those things matter.
A lot.
Basketball is a great game.
Let's allow the game to teach.
Keep Getting Better
Development takes time.
Players need skill work.
Competition.
Mistakes.
Challenges.
Repetition.
And the right environment to keep growing.
That's what we are trying to provide at Elevate Your Game.
When your player is ready to keep working, improving, and challenging themselves, EYG is here to help.
Explore our training programs at www.eygbball.com
