Youth Basketball Coach

As a youth basketball coach, you have one of the most important and exciting jobs in the world!

You'll be teaching habits that will stick with these kids for the rest of their lives. And whether you like it or not, you'll be setting an example and teaching kid's lessons about life (good and bad). Kids are impressionable. They pick up on things. You have an obligation and responsibility to teach them the right things - in both basketball and life. When you think about it, teachers would do anything to get the enthusiasm that you get from your players. Kids actually like and want to play basketball. Your players look up to you. They listen to you. And you have an amazing opportunity to make a POSITIVE impact on their lives! You have a very important and rewarding job!

The legendary coach John Wooden says, "A leader's most powerful ally is his or her own example." 

As a coach, it's easy to lose sight of what is truly important. It's not about the X's and O's. It's not about winning. It's not even about putting the ball in the basket or teaching fundamentals. 

The most important thing is to teach players about life. Teach them how to be happy and successful. Teach them how to be a good friend and teammate. Teach them how to live with integrity and confidence. 

All coaches have a tremendous impact and influence on their players (whether they know it or not). Some of these players will remember what you do and what you tell them for the REST OF THEIR LIVES. I will never forget my playing experiences and things that my coach told me. 

You have an amazing opportunity to have a positive influence on the lives of your players. You have an opportunity to improve their lives and their future. 

The Ultimate Compliment for a Coach 

John Wooden is arguably the best coach and most influential man in the history of basketball. He won 10 college national championships, yet he is said to be no different now than before he won a single game. Personal integrity is Coach Wooden's highest goal! 

Bill Walton said, "To play for John Wooden was the greatest thrill of my life. In four years, Wooden taught us everything we'd ever need to know. Not about basketball, about life." 

To me, that's the true indication of a great coach and the ultimate compliment. This is what all coaches should strive for and what all coaches would hope players say about them. 

F-A-S-T

Drill Purpose:

This fun drill is great for developing player skills such as speed dribbling and catching. You also develop some dodging skills.

Instructions

Each person is given a basketball and is in a small circle in the middle of the court. The coach is to stand in the middle. With a soft skin ball in your hands, call the name of a player and throw the ball into the air. The player will then leave their basketball and runs to get the soft skin ball. Every other player then dribbles as fast as they can away from the person in the middle. When the player catches the ball and yells "stop", everyone must stop immediately and set their balls down beside them. The player in the middle with the "soft" ball may take three steps toward the nearest student and attempt to throw the ball at them. If the target is hit with the ball, that person must give their basketball to the player that got them out and go to the center of the court. If the person throwing the ball misses or the ball is caught by the target, the original person stays in the middle. Everyone then returns to the middle and the ball is thrown in the air and a new name is called.

Teaching Tips

Remind players that they must push the ball out in front of their bodies to speed dribble effectively. 

Variations:

• The number of steps taken to get close to the target may be changed depending on the size of the gym.
  
• The circle in the middle can be close to the person throwing the ball or it can be moved away form the middle, depending on the gym size.

Little League phasing out 13 year olds

Little League Baseball is altering it's rules to slowly eliminate older players. After the change, 13-year-olds will be phased out by the year 2018.

The rules were posted to the league’s website on Wednesday. They come in response to concerns from parents and coaches.

The changes in eligibility dates ensure that no player 13 years of age participates at any time in the league.

Currently a child can play if he has a birthday before April 30, but that age range means that some kids will have reached 13 before the season ends. But starting in 2018, the new rules will move the birth-date limit to August 31.

They ignored the fact they screwed up the age change last year, moving from 4-30 to 12-31 and that this band-aid fix isolates and impacts two small groups of kids: May through September '05 kids lose their 12 year old season in 2018. And the May through September '06 kids who went from league age 7 to league age 9 last year will never get that year back while most of their friends and teammates go back to being league age 9 again this year. They should have tried to make the rules begin with T-Ball and progress accordingly. Absolutely ridiculous that they implemented this change knowing that they were robbing a small group of kids. 

“This change will make the Little League Baseball Division, also known as the Major Division, truly a 12 and under program,” the statement reads, “ensuring that no child playing in the Little League/Major Division will turn 13 years old at any point during their final season in that division. The same will be true with the upper age limit at all teenage divisions of Little League Baseball.”

In it's statement, the league said that the change comes as a result of a “very detailed participation research” project that revealed that parents wanted the change.

With the research, Little League said, “we learned that parents, players, and volunteers wanted to see Little League become, as a whole, a younger program, and give children an easier way to play Little League with their classmates. Since the research concluded, Little League revamped its Tee Ball program, established a Coach Pitch Program, and changed its residency requirements to allow children to play in the league where their school is located. Adjusting the Age Determination Date will help us achieve the goal of making Little League younger. And, making the date August 31, the same that many schools in many states use for student registration, allows Little Leaguers to play with their classmates.”

The league denies that the age change seeks to weed out the powerhouse players, many of whom were the older kids.

Quick notes: 

If Little League want to keep changing things it need to be the field dimensions. Switch to a 50/70 field. 

In all honesty the Easton mako series is what's leading the HR spike as the bats are rocket launchers. Pitchers are in danger with a 46' mound and this bat especially with the "up the middle" hitting approach. 

RB sideline running drill

Purpose:

Usually you tell your running back to step out of bounds just before taking an unnecessary blow when running along the sideline. But sometimes he just needs to stay in bounds to make that crucial first down or touchdown. And then it comes very handy if he’s got his automatics down, and knows how to take on a sideline tackler to make that most needed extra yards. This sideline running drill helps to develop these automatics.

Description:

1. Have 2-3 players with shields line up 3 yards from the sideline and five yards apart.
2. Have a back run (can catch a pass) and work upfield near the sideline.
3. The defenders will each give a high or a low blow delivery.
4. The runner, against a low blow delivery, will:
   • Keep toes pointed upfield
   • Give with his hips
   • Plant sideline foot upfield and explode
   • Field foot must not cross over
5. The runner, against a high blow delivery, will:
   • Utilize shoulder-arm strength
   • Put weight on sideline foot
   • Push inside to give blow do defender (rip technique)
   • Plant field side foot upfield – near cross over

Coaching Points

• Ball security
• Violent running
• Going for every yard – never run out of bounds

Equipment

• Shields
• Sideline

Offensive line blasts block footwork drill

Purpose:

To get into pass set

Description:

Just like the stance drill, just on a given cadence the players explode from their stance and freeze after their first step

Coaching Points:

• push off explosively on playside foot
• backside foot can drag
• set in pass position
• butt down
• hands in front

QB read progression drill

QB read progression drill

Purpose:

The purpose of this Drop and QB Read Progression Drill is to teach and improve the footwork of the QB during drop back and going through the progression.

 

Description:

QB executes drop for play called

Coach calls out # in progression

QB turns to throw and sets feet for each target in progression.

Coaching Points:

Emphasize quick movements – Getting hips and feet aligned with target. Two hands on the ball until throw.

Angle of initial “set”

Comfortable in pocket.

QB two knees drill

Purpose:

The purpose of the Quarterback Two Knees Drill is to warm up the arm and, at the same time, teach concentration on target and ball release.

Description

• 2 Quarterbacks pair off about 10 yards apart directly in line with each other, kneeling on both knees.
• receiving Quarterback will hold both hands up, giving the throwing quarterback a target to throw to.

Don’t throw hard and concentrate on target.

Coaching Points:

• correct arm movement,
• high release
• follow through.