Basketball and the starting 5

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The comment on perception is relevant to all school sports and a good many club sports.

The biggest factor is speed/effort or hustle. And, the time to display it is “always”. And by “always” I mean in practices and games.

You will find - your kid (and every kid at that age really) does not go all out in practice. It takes a good while for kids to “get it”. And most never do. But, to really get better you have to go maximum speed/effort in practice. “No one does that”. You are right - except for you.

Sit down and get a promise from her that for the next week she will go as hard as she can all of the time. Every drill, every practice, every game. She will get tired. Yes. And she will slow down when that happens sure. But, she will practice better, and play better. And it will take 5 minutes for her coach to notice.

The coach may look to the others to do likewise. Some may do that too - particularly the competitive ones. That will improve the team. But - she will more likely find that by going hard - all of the time - at that age she will quickly out shine her teammates. And, the coach literally will have no choice but to reward the demonstrated effort. You can’t have parents watching a kid working her ass off in a game and not benefit from putting in the effort.

This is a trait that good athletes learn over time. Your daughter is on the edge of when the dividing out starts. She may not end up a basketball player. But, the lesson on effort applies to everything. Sports, academics, music, art, etc… The old adage that you play like you practice is - in fact - true.

Thanks. This is great advice. I've listened to my son whine on 2 teams about not getting enough playing time even though he is one of the best ball handlers on the team and one of the best shooters/scorers. But, I began watching practices and I observed him standing around looking bored (hands on hips or playing with hair), walking through plays, jogging during sprints, and NOT playing aggressively during practice scrimmages. Sure, others exhibited similar behavior but they were more established on the team. I observed teammates' dad watching and coaching sons during and afterwards. I was not because I've never played basketball. But this gave me a new perspective and now I at least watch practices and pull him aside when he slacks off. I also hired him a trainer. But coach impressions are harder to reset once they form opinions of a lazy practice player.

[Anonymous]

Your DD should understand that the basketball is made up of players at different positions. The best player at each position plays. If your daughter is the shooting guard and not starting it is because there is a better shooting guard. She shouldn't compare herself to the girls in the other positions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your DD should understand that the basketball is made up of players at different positions. The best player at each position plays. If your daughter is the shooting guard and not starting it is because there is a better shooting guard. She shouldn't compare herself to the girls in the other positions.

I mean, she can. She can work on defense and driving to try and start at the 3. She can work on her handle and try to get the start at the 1. DD's team basically has 2 positions- big and small. Even there, the bigs who can handle to ball often end up acting like a point guard and some times there are 5 smaller players on the court. Basketball is moving to a much more position less game, the kids who can play anywhere are usually better off and teams who have kids that can play multiple positions have an advantage.

[Anonymous]

Is there a benefit to playing the 1 or the 3? I swear I don't understand basketball. It's a team but yet so much fanfare seems to be given to certain positions and who starts and who doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a benefit to playing the 1 or the 3? I swear I don't understand basketball. It's a team but yet so much fanfare seems to be given to certain positions and who starts and who doesn't.

Not really. There is a big benefit to being able to play both, but I don't think there is any benefit to being able to play one as opposed to the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The comment on perception is relevant to all school sports and a good many club sports.

The biggest factor is speed/effort or hustle. And, the time to display it is “always”. And by “always” I mean in practices and games.

You will find - your kid (and every kid at that age really) does not go all out in practice. It takes a good while for kids to “get it”. And most never do. But, to really get better you have to go maximum speed/effort in practice. “No one does that”. You are right - except for you.

Sit down and get a promise from her that for the next week she will go as hard as she can all of the time. Every drill, every practice, every game. She will get tired. Yes. And she will slow down when that happens sure. But, she will practice better, and play better. And it will take 5 minutes for her coach to notice.

The coach may look to the others to do likewise. Some may do that too - particularly the competitive ones. That will improve the team. But - she will more likely find that by going hard - all of the time - at that age she will quickly out shine her teammates. And, the coach literally will have no choice but to reward the demonstrated effort. You can’t have parents watching a kid working her ass off in a game and not benefit from putting in the effort.

This is a trait that good athletes learn over time. Your daughter is on the edge of when the dividing out starts. She may not end up a basketball player. But, the lesson on effort applies to everything. Sports, academics, music, art, etc… The old adage that you play like you practice is - in fact - true.

NP here,

This is really interesting. My kid was on the starting 5 for most of the season this year for school. I haven't watched practice, but I've seen him and friends on the team in pick up games, and it kind of baffled me, because some of those kids looked better. They certainly had more experience. So, I'd think -- I'm super biased and I wouldn't have chosen him to start, what gives?

But my kid is all about the hustle. Every coach he has in any sport comments on his work ethic. And he's got good conditioning. Maybe those two things push him over the edge?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a benefit to playing the 1 or the 3? I swear I don't understand basketball. It's a team but yet so much fanfare seems to be given to certain positions and who starts and who doesn't.

Not really. There is a big benefit to being able to play both, but I don't think there is any benefit to being able to play one as opposed to the other.

Are they better positions than the 4 or the 5?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The comment on perception is relevant to all school sports and a good many club sports.

The biggest factor is speed/effort or hustle. And, the time to display it is “always”. And by “always” I mean in practices and games.

You will find - your kid (and every kid at that age really) does not go all out in practice. It takes a good while for kids to “get it”. And most never do. But, to really get better you have to go maximum speed/effort in practice. “No one does that”. You are right - except for you.

Sit down and get a promise from her that for the next week she will go as hard as she can all of the time. Every drill, every practice, every game. She will get tired. Yes. And she will slow down when that happens sure. But, she will practice better, and play better. And it will take 5 minutes for her coach to notice.

The coach may look to the others to do likewise. Some may do that too - particularly the competitive ones. That will improve the team. But - she will more likely find that by going hard - all of the time - at that age she will quickly out shine her teammates. And, the coach literally will have no choice but to reward the demonstrated effort. You can’t have parents watching a kid working her ass off in a game and not benefit from putting in the effort.

This is a trait that good athletes learn over time. Your daughter is on the edge of when the dividing out starts. She may not end up a basketball player. But, the lesson on effort applies to everything. Sports, academics, music, art, etc… The old adage that you play like you practice is - in fact - true.

NP here,

This is really interesting. My kid was on the starting 5 for most of the season this year for school. I haven't watched practice, but I've seen him and friends on the team in pick up games, and it kind of baffled me, because some of those kids looked better. They certainly had more experience. So, I'd think -- I'm super biased and I wouldn't have chosen him to start, what gives?

But my kid is all about the hustle. Every coach he has in any sport comments on his work ethic. And he's got good conditioning. Maybe those two things push him over the edge?

LOL--they probably do. Mine is a starter and is not a good player lol but they hustle and are at practice early and attend every extra opportunity presented. I don't think it matters who starts as much as people claim it does on here...could be wrong though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a benefit to playing the 1 or the 3? I swear I don't understand basketball. It's a team but yet so much fanfare seems to be given to certain positions and who starts and who doesn't.

Not really. There is a big benefit to being able to play both, but I don't think there is any benefit to being able to play one as opposed to the other.

Are they better positions than the 4 or the 5?

I personally don't think so unless the 5 is a less coordinated exceedingly tall kid. The position that gets the most fanfare is usually the position with the best player on a given team, it can be a really dynamic 1 who scores a ton of points and is great with the ball in their hands, it can be a highly athletic 5 who can score at will

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The comment on perception is relevant to all school sports and a good many club sports.

The biggest factor is speed/effort or hustle. And, the time to display it is “always”. And by “always” I mean in practices and games.

You will find - your kid (and every kid at that age really) does not go all out in practice. It takes a good while for kids to “get it”. And most never do. But, to really get better you have to go maximum speed/effort in practice. “No one does that”. You are right - except for you.

Sit down and get a promise from her that for the next week she will go as hard as she can all of the time. Every drill, every practice, every game. She will get tired. Yes. And she will slow down when that happens sure. But, she will practice better, and play better. And it will take 5 minutes for her coach to notice.

The coach may look to the others to do likewise. Some may do that too - particularly the competitive ones. That will improve the team. But - she will more likely find that by going hard - all of the time - at that age she will quickly out shine her teammates. And, the coach literally will have no choice but to reward the demonstrated effort. You can’t have parents watching a kid working her ass off in a game and not benefit from putting in the effort.

This is a trait that good athletes learn over time. Your daughter is on the edge of when the dividing out starts. She may not end up a basketball player. But, the lesson on effort applies to everything. Sports, academics, music, art, etc… The old adage that you play like you practice is - in fact - true.

NP here,

This is really interesting. My kid was on the starting 5 for most of the season this year for school. I haven't watched practice, but I've seen him and friends on the team in pick up games, and it kind of baffled me, because some of those kids looked better. They certainly had more experience. So, I'd think -- I'm super biased and I wouldn't have chosen him to start, what gives?

But my kid is all about the hustle. Every coach he has in any sport comments on his work ethic. And he's got good conditioning. Maybe those two things push him over the edge?

I have one kid who is all about the hustle and get told time and time again about it. Every practice, drill, game there is a level of intensity there. It carries them, and coaches will reward that because they want that in all of their players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here--only two players on our team don't get subbed much unless they request a break. They are part of the starting lineup. The other players get subbed in and out through the game. My DD is on par with these players but claims is better than some of the starters and this is the issue for her. It's souring the experience.

This is indulging a bad attitude. You support the idea that a 13 year old has an objective assessment of basketball skills, when she herself is one of the athletes being measured? No. Her attitude is souring the experience. Whining about playing time or starting is a nonstarter in my house.

No it’s not. Players want to play not sit on the bench.

Agreed. And the solution is to view it as an opportunity to improve, not to whine about the coach’s decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a benefit to playing the 1 or the 3? I swear I don't understand basketball. It's a team but yet so much fanfare seems to be given to certain positions and who starts and who doesn't.

Not really. There is a big benefit to being able to play both, but I don't think there is any benefit to being able to play one as opposed to the other.

Are they better positions than the 4 or the 5?

At the younger ages, definitely, becauae they handle the ball a lot more. No 10 year old wants to get stuck at the 5.

[Anonymous]

She worries so much about starting, but if the coach doesn't have her on the floor at the end of the game, then she might not be as good as she thinks she is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your DD should understand that the basketball is made up of players at different positions. The best player at each position plays. If your daughter is the shooting guard and not starting it is because there is a better shooting guard. She shouldn't compare herself to the girls in the other positions.

I mean, she can. She can work on defense and driving to try and start at the 3. She can work on her handle and try to get the start at the 1. DD's team basically has 2 positions- big and small. Even there, the bigs who can handle to ball often end up acting like a point guard and some times there are 5 smaller players on the court. Basketball is moving to a much more position less game, the kids who can play anywhere are usually better off and teams who have kids that can play multiple positions have an advantage.

If you are the OP it seems you are the one who can't accept DD is not starting. She is not a preferred player, no one knows why but the coach. If she wants to start she needs to figure out what she is coming up short on. It could be her hussel, speed, ball handling, shooting. She may think she is better than some of the starting 5, and maybe she is at some things, but the coach feels she is not starting material. Another coach may feel differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your DD should understand that the basketball is made up of players at different positions. The best player at each position plays. If your daughter is the shooting guard and not starting it is because there is a better shooting guard. She shouldn't compare herself to the girls in the other positions.

I mean, she can. She can work on defense and driving to try and start at the 3. She can work on her handle and try to get the start at the 1. DD's team basically has 2 positions- big and small. Even there, the bigs who can handle to ball often end up acting like a point guard and some times there are 5 smaller players on the court. Basketball is moving to a much more position less game, the kids who can play anywhere are usually better off and teams who have kids that can play multiple positions have an advantage.

If you are the OP it seems you are the one who can't accept DD is not starting. She is not a preferred player, no one knows why but the coach. If she wants to start she needs to figure out what she is coming up short on. It could be her hustle, speed, ball handling, shooting. She may think she is better than some of the starting 5, and maybe she is at some things, but the coach feels she is not starting material. Another coach may feel differently.