In all my years as a Youth Basketball coach I have found that there are three areas in which I must possess an understanding of if I want everything else to run smoothly.

These three areas are:Patience, Proper Technique, and Parents.

In the realm of youth sports it is a must have. Without patience, your time as a youth coach will be a miserable one. I know……I’ve been there. Most never realize when they first begin, the amount of patience that is required to be a Youth Basketball coach.Youth Basketball is no different than any other sport. It takes time to find out what works, and to see results. But you will, if you love it, and you are patient.We have to be patient with our players. It will be very knew, and rather overwhelming for many of them. They need time to learn the basics. Without it, they will not be proficient at anything else you give them to do.When it comes to a young person’s performance…..the less stress, the better.Next, you have to be patient with yourself as a coach. You may very well know the game, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily know how to apply it to teaching kids. It took me two years to learn this…..The hard way!Be patient and allow yourself to learn just as your players learn. We will always learn much more from them than they ever do from us.

This one is short and to the point. We are basically speaking of fundamentals here. All else will be in vain if you lack understanding of its importance.Here at Simply Youth Basketball we believe it is imperative that your players have a firm grasp of this before moving onward.Athleticism means nothing when a basketball player doesn’t know how to shoot a lay-up, or dribble. And make certain that you’re the experienced players level of fundamentals are consistent with the system you want to run.

This one could also be called Public Relations. Because any coach, at least any coach I have ever known, has at one time or another been confronted by an angry parent. It is the sincere hope of Simply Youth Basketball that we can give you a leg up in this area. We will give you a list of things a coach should do to make this part of the job easier. We will not go into great detail with each point, because most of them will be fairly self explanatory.

Get to know the parents/guardians.Get to know your players. You are more than a coach, remember?

From the word go:Explain your plans, and hopes for the team, to them.Let them know who you are, and where you stand (how you do things).

Let them know what to expect from you.

And definitely let them know what you expect from their child!

Play no favorites!

Invite them to discuss with you any issues that concern them, but do not allow the parents to make your decisions for you. You ARE the boss.

Treat the players fairly, and respectfully, and make certain that the parents know you will demand respect from their child. No exceptions!

If you follow these simple rules at the beginning of the season, the rest will probably go much smoother for you. If you don’t, then it probably won’t matter what you do, someone will give you trouble.

Simply Youth Basketball wants to tell you:

Master the three P’s, and the rest will be alright!

Thanks,

Coach Tim