Simply Youth Basketball: Getting To Know Your Players

You are their guide to the wonderful world of basketball

Does this mean that you have to know all the personal details of their lives’? Not at all! It isn’t any of our business anyway, unless they voluntarily confide in us.

But what you should do is take the time to learn and understand what it is that makes each one tick. This goes hand in hand with what you will find on Recognizing Potential . Some young people are aggressive, and some are passive. Some have strong family backgrounds, and some do not. Some are more mentally mature than others, and can deal with stress and pressure much better.

What does this mean for you? It means that although you should always treat your players fairly, and be equal in your expectations concerning effort, you have to be able to make the distinction about how you deal with them.

Many of us who coach are very passionate about what we do. At Simply Youth Basketball we believe passion is a good thing! Many kids and teams alike feed off of this, and it makes them better and more confident!

But how one kid reacts to you style may be totally opposite to that of the one beside him or her.

Some young people you can come down pretty hard on. Some you cannot. It is only right to demand respect from all, and let all know what you expect. Only your approach may have to be adjusted. We will cover this in more detail in our Motivation, Encouragement, and Expectations section.

One child may see it as a challenge when you’re up on them pushing them to their limit. Another will find this much too stressful, and won’t be able to function at all. In this case you may need to take a more laid back, one on one approach.

You may catch them off to the side and say something like:

“Hey man, I know you can do this. I believe in you! You need to believe in yourself! You know what I expect from you guys, and I wouldn’t ask you to do it if I didn’t think you could. You are capable of anything you set your mind to. Now I don’t want you to think that I expect you to be perfect. But I do want you to give me everything you got trying. O.K.? Will you do that for me?”

You would be surprised at the change you will soon witness in that young person’s demeanor.

And finally, you are a coach first. But don’t forget to be a friend also. If a young person, from any background, knows you care about them:

They will have a better youth basketball experience.You will gain their respect. And they will walk through fire for you, if you ask it of them.

As I said on my main Coaching Tips page, there is a lot we can learn from our players.

Get to know them. You will be glad you did!

Coach Tim