During a conversation with a friend last week, it was brought up that a friend of his was coaching his son’s 5th grade team. Naturally, I asked how the season was going. He went on to tell me how the program director for the school his team fed into was coming down on him for not getting enough wins nor placing an emphasis on winning.
My concern with youth basketball is that adults are placing too much emphasis on winning without thinking of the big picture. If a 5th grade team goes undefeated, does that guarantee future success? Is it a good indicator of improvement at the fundamental skills? Does it necessarily mean that the coach did a great job of teaching the kids?
I’m not an old timer in the sense that I can remember a time when all players were solid in the fundamentals by the time they reached a certain level of play. I can always remember teammates and opponents who had serious deficiencies. (Let’s not even bring up my lack of skills)
However, I know that there is a consistent problem with incoming freshman being able to do the basic individual fundamentals, let alone have a decent understand of a team concept. These are even kids who played on the so-called best team in the city as 8th graders.
While there is no quick fix to this, as coaches who work with young athletes, we can continue to do our jobs of teaching the basics, regardless of how boring or unappealing they may be. Competition has it’s place and is a great thing, but without teaching fundamental skills, we are doing a disservice to our kids.
I enjoy getting to practice early. My habit of sweeping the floor is one that I seem to enjoy. It allows for me to prepare mentally for the day and think about the key points that need to be made for each drill. Being at practice early also gives me a picture of what players do to prepare for practice. If practice is used to prepare you for a game, then preparing for practice efficiently is vital.
List all of the characteristics of a leader that you can think of.
Done? I bet you missed the 2 most important ones. 
I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the 
I spend a lot of time thinking about developing mental toughness. The thought of a players mentality holding them back from playing up to their full potential bothers me, especially when that player does all of the right things to improve but simply cannot break through mental barriers.
Players will miss shots. They will turn the ball over. Defensive responsibilities will be neglected. Careless fouls will be committed. 
If you watch Steph Curry play, you quickly realize that he gets a good amount of shots up throughout the game. You also realize that Coach Mark Jackson encourages that. And there is a definite reason for that. The guy is a great shooter. He has the green light. Want to know the secret to becoming a great shooter? 
The NCAA Tournament is in full swing, meaning there is no shortage of games on TV. For basketball fans, this is the best time of the year. From the cinderella stories to the friendly competition of bracket pools, we can easily become consumed during this tournament. It is easy for even those who usually don’t follow basketball to become fans for a few weeks.
But what if you are striving to become a great player? Part of maturing as an athlete is becoming a student of your sport. The older and more serious you get about basketball, the more important it becomes to be a student of the game. This involves placing value on more important things than dunks, blocks, and crossovers. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the highlights, but it is beneficial to your growth as a player to look for the details of the game.
Spring break is only a week away. And next season is only 8 months away. It’s time to start formulating a plan to improve as player and help your team improve. 
