Anonymous wrote:Tryouts are over.

Did your kid really steal the ball from his teammate at tryouts?

Not everyone on this board lives in VA. It is a vast and beautiful planet

Anonymous wrote:Aggressiveness in basketball is highly valued. It also can't be taught. During tryouts nobody is a teammate. Your kid should be doing everything he can to get his hands on the ball and scoring points. Unless he is a giant of course.

A lot of lack of aggression is based on fear of contact. Whacking kids a ton with karate pads can solve that.

Some other ways to teach aggressiveness/comfort with contact:

-NBA drill: three kids under each rim grouped roughly by height. Play until 2 kids from the group reach seven. One point per basket, and they can only shoot in the paint. No OOB and no fouls called short of throwing punches. Low scorers from each group run sprints.

- Scramble drill. Kids line up baseline in two line. Coach rolls out a ball, and when it gets to half court tells “go.” Next two kids race for the ball. Winner has to dive on it. That kid is offense, other kid is defense. Kids get one point for scoring. Losers run.

- Line ball handling drill: kids make two lines 15 feet apart. One kid dribbles, another defends. Goal for dribbler is to get over a line, goal for defender is to stop him. If the ball is poked away or stolen, dribbler gets it back and keeps trying. This is tough for bad ball handlers but will motivate them to practice.

Tryouts are over.

Did your kid really steal the ball from his teammate at tryouts?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you live? High school tryouts are long over by early December.

That isn't really helpful?

It’s a legitimate question. Are tryouts over, your kid didn’t make it, and you’re blaming another player?

Stealing the ball from someone in the same side of a tryout scrimmage is not good. That’s terrible advice. Did your husband play team sports?

That said. The coaches see it, but they pick the players that can best help the team win. If he’s a good coach, he coach the ball hogging out of the kid, if not he’ll let the kid hog it all season and the team will under achieve. Basketball is a game best played with ball movement. James harden is a disgrace to the game.

It's kind of hard to say without actually seeing what happened.

I've seen cases where players and parents complained that there were too many ballhogs and their player wasn't getting the ball. But at the same time their player would always be standing around and not in the right/good places. And when the ball does go to them, it either falls at their feet or go right by them. And when there are players on the floor that do know how to play, the players accused of being ballhogs have no issues in giving the ball up to them.

But it could very well be while the player you're describing has the skills and aggressiveness, may not have developed the court vision or awareness.

Either way, stealing a ball from a teammate is a bad look and I wouldn't recommend. You can suggest your kid to be more vocal for the ball. As well as always trying to put themselves in position for the ball. ie if they can get a turnover or rebound, they'll get a chance for the ball. Or during inbounds play they can stay close and keep asking for the ball even if the "ballhog" is there waiting for the ball too.

Aggressiveness in basketball is highly valued. It also can't be taught. During tryouts nobody is a teammate. Your kid should be doing everything he can to get his hands on the ball and scoring points. Unless he is a giant of course.

Tryouts are supposed to be relatively weighted towards individual skills. Giving kids opportunities to demonstrate their skills. Seeing what their range shooting, what kind of post skills they have what kind of handles they, defensive stance etc.

Oftentimes there will rounds of cuts. Later rounds will probably be more about coachability, team chemistry, decision making etc.

There are five teammates on the floor. Post players and spot shooters, wing slashers for example will often have to live by getting open and getting passes. So, it shouldn't be a big deal.

I don’t know about what the coaches think but I do know your husband gives bad advice!

Anonymous wrote:Where do you live? High school tryouts are long over by early December.

That isn't really helpful?

Games have already started in Virginia

Where do you live? High school tryouts are long over by early December.

Depends on the coach.

If the kid seemed talented and is naturally aggressive I'd think most coaches would assume they could instill a sense of teamwork and correct that immaturity. It's harder to teach aggression and you can't teach talent.

Wut

DS trying out for HS basketball. Tryouts have been going very well except for today's scrimmage where on his team was a kid, not a very seasoned player but aggressive, who refused to pass, made dumb plays but also handled the ball a ton. Resultingly, DS didn't touch the ball nearly as much as he could have. DH is telling DS he should have stolen from his teammate, but regardless - will a coach look favorably (aggressive) or unfavorably (not a smart team player) on a player who doesn't pass?