When a recent blowout in a girls' high school game made national headlines, that age-old question popped up: When is enough, enough? Coach C gives you the lowdown, and more.
In Texas, a girls' high school beat its opponent 100-0. To make matters worse, the winning team was shooting three pointers late in the game. Should the coach have called off his team? Should you say something if your child isn't getting enough playing time? How early can you start getting serious training for your child?
From fundamentals, to training tips, and recruiting advice, our On Court Player Development® guru Kevin Cantwell shares his insights on all things basketball. The Coach is on the clock.
Q: I'm a middle school coach and our team is much better than the others. We are always jumping out to big leads and every game is a blow out. What is the proper way to handle this? Do I pull my players back or continue to have them compete? Coach C: The big problem in youth sports today, especially if you know you're that much better than the other team, is to know your limits. You cannot be doing full court pressure or shooting three-pointers when you're up big in a game. You have to understand the self-confidence and self-esteem of the other team. You have to feel for that. Winning by two, 10, 12 or 14 points is all you need. You don't have to blow people out by 30 or 40 points and keep pressing. It's just not the way to do things. To stop it is very easy. You just stop. No more pressing. No more shooting. You might even tell them you want 15 passes before you shoot the ball. What you want to do is cut the minutes of the game down – slow it down. Running up the score is a big thing in youth sports. It's not helping anybody – not the team you're beating, not your team. The best place to teach basketball is in a half court setting. So if you are that much better than the other team, play a half court game.
Q: My daughter has been working really hard at practice on her high school team and has received more playing time. But after one of the parents complained about her daughter's playing time, that player is getting more. It doesn't seem fair. What should I do? Coach C: First of all, you don't make a phone call to your daughter's coach and start complaining. This is a thing that happens. Your daughter is just going to have to play through it. Hopefully she's young enough that she's going to have a few more years left. Just have her keep practicing hard and be so much better that the coach won't be able to make that decision. In the end, your daughter is going to play more because she's that much better than everybody else.
Q: My 8 year old really loves the game and I want to get him more instruction. Is he too young? What's the right age to think about more serious instruction? Coach C: When you're talking about serious instruction, are you talking about three to four times a week or spending a lot of money? I would say no. It's too early. The fifth grade is usually when you want to look into this because they can comprehend what you're teaching and they can stay focused a little longer. As far as getting instruction, go ahead and get it. But don't spend a lot of money because it's still supposed to be fun at that age. OC
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