Hardwood Happenings

First of all, let me say how much I am going to enjoy writing or blogging about basketball. I love the game of basketball and it possesses so many life lessons good and bad. I will try to post once a week and please feel free to comment on any of my posts. I have been coaching basketball for a long time and love to hear different perspectives about the game.

My first topic I would like to discuss is the fundamentals of basketball and how I feel it is losing ground to winning at all costs attitudes. As a high school coach we stress fundamentals on a daily basis, but unless taught at the elementary age we as coaches are fighting a losing battle.

I have seen this first hand in the recent weeks watching my son play on an AAU team. The good thing is that my son’s coaches are doing this the right way by teaching the kids how to play the game. They are a very good team of third graders that have not lost to other third grade teams in two seasons.

Now, don’t get me wrong it is a pretty talented group of young boys, but they stress fundamentals at every opportunity they get. We recently returned from a tournament in Bedford, Indiana (home of former IU star Damon Bailey) in which we brought home the hardware. I was amazed at what I was seeing from these teams not just the third grade teams but even older groups.

The Mercer Cyclones were the only team that played man to man defense. How can you play a zone if you have not taught man defense? I was proud of our kids in the fact they are taught to point their pistols at their man and the ball. This is not an easy task to teach, we still struggle with this at the high school level. Tubby Smith would be proud of the Cyclone coaches and the ball line defense that they are teaching.

It is sad in the fact that winning at such an early age has taken over teaching the game the correct way. If I have any advice to little league coaches it is to start with the basics and go from there. No zones, use your off hand, keep your head up, learn to pass and my biggest pet peave at an early age is NO three pointers! This creates terrible habits in the correct shooting form. I would also advise to not let your kids watch NBA games, in my opinion that is not basketball. When is the last time we won an Olympic gold or other games where they supposedly put together the best team in the world! Go back to playing the College kids. If you want your son to find a role model to watch, check out the way Derek Jasper plays and handles himself on the court. If your daughter needs a basketball role model go to a UK game and watch Carli Olmerod play, now that is what I see as a fundamentally sound player.

As you can read, I like fundamentals and like players who have used what they have been taught. I agree it is not easy to teach and with most little leagues, there are not enough gyms or gym time to teach what needs to be taught. It is essential that players work at home on their own. We always tell our young players at our summer camp that you won’t get better just by what we teach you in one week, the only way you get better is to take what you have learned home and apply it. I tell my high school players at the end of every season that players are made in the off season.

In closing, three pointers and dunks are highly overrated. Teach the game of basketball at an early age. Turn off the Play Stations and get a ball and hit the courts. If you would like a good movie to watch, rent the movie about Pistol Pete!! He was the master of fundamentals.

Until next week keep your head up and play with confidence.