Managing playing time rules in first-year rec-league basketball

[Anonymous]

You know, it's not trophies for participation that lead to failure--it's coaches like me who push kids to get better and to support the stars - yes I get it that your way leads to failure.

[Anonymous]

I don't really get why you can't coach all kids and not just your superstars. Your superstars probably already have dads who coach them and are born with sports genes so I can't credit you with their talent. If you were a great coach you wouldn't need an internet chat board to help you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know, it's not trophies for participation that lead to failure--it's coaches like me who push kids to get better and to support the stars - yes I get it that your way leads to failure.

Great...go coach a travel/select team.
But as long as you're coaching rec, get your head out of your ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you all think you can coach, then GET OUT THERE AND COACH!!! With all the time I put in, I've earned the right to coach the team as I see fit. And obviously it's worked because I've won a number of 8-12-year-old rec league championships.

And for those who say nobody cares because it's not in the Post--tell that to the two HIGH SCHOOL athletic directors who had me as runner-up to coach their FRESHMEN teams!!!

If you understood your role as a Rec Coach you would be telling us about the players you developed and how they later blossomed as basketball players. But no, you think winning some Rec league championship and being asked to coach 6th grade means you have some kind of "program"

Exactly what is your development curriculum that is fail safe in the competitive world of rec basketball?

Those who can't coach, complain.

My players, the ones who are good, wind up playing key roles on high school and AAU basketball teams. They know how to win because I TAUGHT them to win. They also know how to use their teammates because I gave them the chance to do so. And they know how to be the MAN because I let them be the MAN.

The "try hards" are kids you respect for filling out your team. But when you look at a bunch of 8 or 9-year-olds, you know full well which one or two kids are going to be legitimate players in high school. What you have to do is direct everyone's efforts toward being sure those kids help the high school win in 8 or 10 years. That means learning to win now and shaping the team to develop their talents.

WOW, that could not be more wrong. All you did was spot the bigger faster 8 year old and determined who was worth your time. You have NO CLUE at 8 or 9 years old how any kid will turn out.

Stay out of coaching!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did I read that double-teams are prohibited? If so, then that's your answer.

When you only have one good player on the floor in the first quarter, on defense you play your good player against their tallest player to start. At age 8, let the other kids shoot and be sure you have your good player in position to get rebounds. It's a make-miss league; if they sink their shots then tip your cap to the opposing coach.

But generally they'll miss, and at some point you'll rebound or the ball will fly out off them. So then you have your good player take the ball up the court. So long as he makes forward progress he can take the ten seconds to cross midcourt, and there should be no backcourt defense at this age level. Then he can cross midcourt against one defender with a head of steam, so have him continue all the way to the hole for layup after layup as one-on-one will be cake for him.

What about the other kids, you say? If it's a rebound you tell them to stay in the defensive half of midcourt. No double-teams, remember? Then as I note above, bet on your son to beat his opponent down the court to the hoop. Even if he misses he can follow his own miss with abandon, as his teammates are all back the other way and can get in the way until he catches up.

If you have to in-bound from midcourt so your players are supposed to all be in the offensive end, then just line them up along the left sideline bunched against the baseline. That will leave 8 kids effectively out of the way in the corner, while your son can go one-on-one with the sole defender. What's more, you probably won't have the absolute best defender on your kid in the first quarter since scouting isn't really done very much at the 8-year-old rec league level.

Look, it's not like your son and the other good kid are missing out on team play. The other poster mentioned clustering your good players in the fourth (all) and third (the two good ones) quarters. That's where they learn about using their teammates, passing, and whatnot. Plus the other team will come out of halftime thinking you're a one-on-one team, and all of a sudden they'll get rotated and pick-and-rolled to death.

I've coached all my boys to championships in rec league for ages 8 through 12; after that they were just too busy with travel basketball and travel lacrosse. Yes, I've had lawyer, doctor, lobbyist parents complain to me about how I run my program. I tell them look, I run a landscaping business so that I can be with my kids. You can't run away from your kids all day to work in your high-powered job, and then expect me to fix your relationship with your kid. If you're gonna impose a kid who can't play or just isn't getting better onto my team, and then push through fair time rules and stuff, then I'm gonna do what I need to do to build a program of success.

Bullshit you say this to them.

That will come back to bite you in the ass one day, when your kids could use a mentor in something other than throwing a ball around. Parents don't forget coaches like you. Dont fuck with other people's kids, and certainly don't criticize parents' relationships with their kids. They will be fine it itceintvebdcat all well for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did I read that double-teams are prohibited? If so, then that's your answer.

When you only have one good player on the floor in the first quarter, on defense you play your good player against their tallest player to start. At age 8, let the other kids shoot and be sure you have your good player in position to get rebounds. It's a make-miss league; if they sink their shots then tip your cap to the opposing coach.

But generally they'll miss, and at some point you'll rebound or the ball will fly out off them. So then you have your good player take the ball up the court. So long as he makes forward progress he can take the ten seconds to cross midcourt, and there should be no backcourt defense at this age level. Then he can cross midcourt against one defender with a head of steam, so have him continue all the way to the hole for layup after layup as one-on-one will be cake for him.

What about the other kids, you say? If it's a rebound you tell them to stay in the defensive half of midcourt. No double-teams, remember? Then as I note above, bet on your son to beat his opponent down the court to the hoop. Even if he misses he can follow his own miss with abandon, as his teammates are all back the other way and can get in the way until he catches up.

If you have to in-bound from midcourt so your players are supposed to all be in the offensive end, then just line them up along the left sideline bunched against the baseline. That will leave 8 kids effectively out of the way in the corner, while your son can go one-on-one with the sole defender. What's more, you probably won't have the absolute best defender on your kid in the first quarter since scouting isn't really done very much at the 8-year-old rec league level.

Look, it's not like your son and the other good kid are missing out on team play. The other poster mentioned clustering your good players in the fourth (all) and third (the two good ones) quarters. That's where they learn about using their teammates, passing, and whatnot. Plus the other team will come out of halftime thinking you're a one-on-one team, and all of a sudden they'll get rotated and pick-and-rolled to death.

I've coached all my boys to championships in rec league for ages 8 through 12; after that they were just too busy with travel basketball and travel lacrosse. Yes, I've had lawyer, doctor, lobbyist parents complain to me about how I run my program. I tell them look, I run a landscaping business so that I can be with my kids. You can't run away from your kids all day to work in your high-powered job, and then expect me to fix your relationship with your kid. If you're gonna impose a kid who can't play or just isn't getting better onto my team, and then push through fair time rules and stuff, then I'm gonna do what I need to do to build a program of success.

Bullshit you say this to them.

That will come back to bite you in the ass one day, when your kids could use a mentor in something other than throwing a ball around. Parents don't forget coaches like you. Dont fuck with other people's kids, and certainly don't criticize parents' relationships with their kids. They will be fine it itceintvebdcat all well for you.

"itceintvebdcat"??? Speak English, pal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: On my third grade rec league, VYI, our coach puts two of his best players together every quarter (or so he thinks these 4 are the best--he has coached them before and does not give the other kids a chance!).

If you are VYI for third grade, there is apparently a new AAU club starting up at this age group. Sounds like you should encourage your coach and his 4 best players to go play there instead. Then they'll be the kids who never touch the ball or get a chance to play and get a taste of their own medicine.

[Anonymous]

I fervently hope my kids never ever get a coach like you. And I have one of each - my son is a fantastic athlete and my DD is, as you say a "try hard" kid.

[Anonymous]

If this is first-year basketball, all the coaches are dealing with this issue (some good, some not-so-good players). Have you thought about talking to other coaches and playing an "A" team for the first quarter and a "B" team for the second quarter? Would allow you to have your good players be able to play with each other and learn the game, and would allow the B players have a shot at making some plays if they are playing a B defense too.

Then second half, mix and match as you see fit.

Just an idea. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If this is first-year basketball, all the coaches are dealing with this issue (some good, some not-so-good players). Have you thought about talking to other coaches and playing an "A" team for the first quarter and a "B" team for the second quarter? Would allow you to have your good players be able to play with each other and learn the game, and would allow the B players have a shot at making some plays if they are playing a B defense too.

Then second half, mix and match as you see fit.

Just an idea. Good luck.

Another idea is to focus on the practices as a method by which you weed out the losers. At least in Arlington County a monitor from Parks and Rec shows up at each gym to keep an eye on things and make sure each kid gets a fair shake. But they don't go to practices.

So get together with another team, preferably a really good one in another division or in a "one-year-up" age group, and practice at the same time. Run demo drills using only your best players, except for pick and roll drills put in the kids you want to quit as the ones who get slammed on the "pick". Then scrimmage the last 20 minutes of the hourlong practice, but use your best players for all but the last couple of minutes. That way your good kids get just as much focused practice time as in a "fair" program, while the losers just sit around for an hour. Tell the parent that you need to maximize practice time, but the kid will play in the game "when it matters". Then you tell your good players to run pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop iso work in the games, so that the other kids never touch the ball.

The end result is that the losers have a miserable time. You get one or two to quit, and you're down to say seven players instead of nine. As you only have to play the stiffs a couple of quarters, you can max out the time your good kids play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is first-year basketball, all the coaches are dealing with this issue (some good, some not-so-good players). Have you thought about talking to other coaches and playing an "A" team for the first quarter and a "B" team for the second quarter? Would allow you to have your good players be able to play with each other and learn the game, and would allow the B players have a shot at making some plays if they are playing a B defense too.

Then second half, mix and match as you see fit.

Just an idea. Good luck.

Another idea is to focus on the practices as a method by which you weed out the losers. At least in Arlington County a monitor from Parks and Rec shows up at each gym to keep an eye on things and make sure each kid gets a fair shake. But they don't go to practices.

So get together with another team, preferably a really good one in another division or in a "one-year-up" age group, and practice at the same time. Run demo drills using only your best players, except for pick and roll drills put in the kids you want to quit as the ones who get slammed on the "pick". Then scrimmage the last 20 minutes of the hourlong practice, but use your best players for all but the last couple of minutes. That way your good kids get just as much focused practice time as in a "fair" program, while the losers just sit around for an hour. Tell the parent that you need to maximize practice time, but the kid will play in the game "when it matters". Then you tell your good players to run pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop iso work in the games, so that the other kids never touch the ball.

The end result is that the losers have a miserable time. You get one or two to quit, and you're down to say seven players instead of nine. As you only have to play the stiffs a couple of quarters, you can max out the time your good kids play.

You understand that this is rec right? You are just as awful a human being as the original poster and the original poster defender.

It is called travel if you want competition. Rec is intended to expose kids to a sport and teach them the fundamentals. If the kids are so awesome, then they should go and play travel, becasue Rec is not for them.

[Anonymous]

Question! My boys are 10 and 7 and don't know how to play basketball. According to your coaching philosophy, is it basically too late for them? What age, in your opinion, is too late? Because if you can't start in rec league then where exactly can you start?

[Anonymous]

Yo have 7 players . The best are A, medium B, try yards are C

AABBCCC

q1: AABBC (Gould players start, period, that is a lesson)
Q2: ABCCC
Q3: ABBCC
q4: AACCC (sub with some B's if you need to instruct a C)

[Anonymous]

OP and 17:49 -- in what leagues do you coach?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP and 17:49 -- in what leagues do you coach?

It is irrelevant what I coach. As a rec coach I think you simply fail to understand your role. You are an ambassador and teacher of the sport. And that means it is your job to teach the sport to the best of your ability and to the ability of the all the kids on your team. Winning at rec, or coaching to win at rec, especially at this age, is NOT your job.

If you want to win then you are coaching at the wrong level.