When I started coaching competitive basketball my oldest son was a 5th grader. The kids in his class were good athletes and good basketball players. As 4th graders they had made it to the USSFA State Finals. I was an assistant for them as 5th graders. I thought it would be all about x's and o's. I was wrong. They had an all new coaching staff. Myself and the head coach both had a son on the team. It was difficult. These were good kids, but we had a difficult time getting them to listen and do what we wanted them to do in practice and in games. They had a difficult time getting along with each other. They were 5th graders, the class of 2013. They were good. There were some new players. It was a tough season. We spent more time trying to motivate them and keep the peace, than we did on x's and o's. Basketball or Psychology?
The following year I had a son that was a 4th grader. This was the class of 2015. I was the head coach that year. It was the class's first season of competitive basketball. The kids were a little timid. They were'nt very tough. They were nice. They were all friends. They were not very competitive, in practice or in games. They didn't care if they won or lost, which probably wasn't all that bad at the time, but they were in a competitive league where other teams wanted to beat them and beat them badly. They didn't have alot of confidence. Some games they played as if they knew they could win. Other games they didn't. If they started a game and went down early, they were pretty much done. If they thought the team we were facing was better than they were, they didn't play as hard. When they made mistakes they got down on themselves and they let it affect their play. They also just didn't play smart. I remember that my assistants and I would talk often about the fact that the kids just didn't know how to play basketball. I remember begging them to watch college games on television that season hoping that this would somehow help them make a connection with what we were trying to teach them. We also had some parent issues. I found myself playing counselor to a recently divorced parent before and after practices. It was exhausting. As usual, I had some parents who weren't happy about playing time. Now, I must add here that before the season ever started, I made it clear (or thought I had) that this was competitive basketball and we were going to play the kids that gave us the best chance to win games, while trying our best to get everyone playing time. We had ten kids on the team. Their talents were not all equal. I mentioned that this was not recreational basketball and if the parents were interested in equal playing time, they should play rec. Maybe a little harsh, but true. We tried our best to get everyone playing time, but it was a difficult task to do and still try to win games. Consequently, there were games where some kids didn't play much. I had to decide between trying to win and equal playing time. I chose to try to win. I was honest about this. Some parents weren't happy. They didn't like the playing time their kids got, and didn't like the honesty. Some parents jumped me at courtside following one tournament game, in front of the kids, the other parents and everyone in the gym. Some parents just didn't bring their kids back. One parent waited until the next day and called to discuss his kid's playing time. The conversation was tense, but civil, and eventually the parent and I remained friends. We still did pretty well that season. We went 6-3 and lost in the first round of the league tournament. Basketball or Psychology? You decide.
I sat out the year the 2015 kids were 5th graders. I was an assistant when they were 6th graders. The head coach was a local doctor. The doctor, also a woman, spent the majority of her time either coaching or watching basketball. She went to all the games she could. High school games, middle school games, grade school games, Butler games, Pacers games, Fever games. She was basketball smart and knew a great deal about the game. And man could she teach it. The team was pretty good that year. We went 7-2, won a couple games in the league tournament and miraculously qualified for the USSFA State Tournament on the final weekend and made it to the final four. Still we struggled with motivation and confidence. We struggled with toughness. The kids continued to get down on themselves when they made mistakes. Once this happened, the player would be done for the game, no good to us due to self-defeating thoughts and attitudes. Luckily, other players stepped up when this happened and we had a great season. Basketball or Psychology?
When I started coaching AAU, or summer, basketball I thought it would be all about the x's and o's. Man was I wrong again. Well, I wasn't so wrong the first year. My second son was a 5th grader, going into 6th grade. We had very few kids show up to tryout. My wife and I put together a rag-tag bunch of kids at the last minute. They turned out to be great basketball players. We won four tournaments and finished runner-up twice, including a runner-up finish at AYBT Nationals. Good players, good coaching. The following year when the kids were 6th graders, we had alot of the same kids and mixed in some new ones. We tried to work on team chemistry right away. It is difficult to develop team chemistry when you are losing players and adding new players every summer. This was also the first year we had two teams, essentially an A and a B team. We tried to dispell the A and B stigma immediately, telling the parents and the kids that we were treating them all the same. We wanted to be one big team. This was a difficult task. The better team was going to be playing a more competitive schedule and the parents and players were notified of this fact right from the start. We tried mixing the kids up early in practice so they all got a chance to play together. However, as the season began, we began playing the teams against one another in practice. They needed to work together as teams since they were going to be playing that way in tournaments. The outcomes were usually lopsided as one team was more talented than the other. The "B" team began calling themselves the "A team practice dummies." Morale was low. We attempted to address this issue as the season went on, but with little success. The "B" team didn't win alot of games. The "A" team had issues with selfishness and team chemistry. As always, there were some issues with parents who were unhappy with the coaching. We lost some kids. As 7th graders, we had some very good players. We again had two teams with a similar result. One team often beat up on the other team in practice. The "B" team again had issues with unhappy parents due to coaching, coach and player interactions and playing time. The "A" team had some good players and two very good players. We won a couple of tournaments, but against tougher competition, our very good players would step up and play hard. The other players would kind of watch and play hard only some of the time. They often deferred to the better players. We still had confidence issues. We would play hard if we thought we could win, but back down against better teams. We had players who would get down on themselves. Mistakes killed us. We tried to teach the kids to forget about the mistakes and continue playing through them. A couple of kids did, but again, we had little success with this. Unhappy parents. Team chemistry issues. We lost some players. Basketball or Psychology?
Fast forward to this year. Again we lost some players. We took what we thought were the best players available. From the beginning we had team chemistry issues. We've had selfish play. We've had players who dominated the ball or took shots every time they touched it. We've had players who didn't want to share the ball with everyone. We have had problems with effort and intensity. We have had some players who work hard in practice and others who don't. We've had confidence issues. Players who have played scared. Givin up. Quit on us. Especially if we were playing a team that had already beaten us. In that particular case, we quit before the game started. We've played soft. We've played hard. We've actually won one tournament early in the season. We haven't won a game sense. We've had infighting. We've had good competition, but it may have hurt the team chemistry. We have tried to promote competition in practice to bring out the competitive nature of the players. This prepares them to play in tournaments at high levels. At times it has worked. It hasn't worked at others. Some players have had to miss practice for various reasons. Some haven't missed. Some who have missed have played more than some who haven't, depending on the game situation and level of competition. We have had hurt feellings. We have done the best we can. Everyone has played alot. Still we have had problems. We have had players that think no one likes them. This has never been the case. I should state here that we have been a very successful program. We have teams in grades three through eleven for several years. We have been very good at retaining players. I have had the same core group of players for four years. Most teams lose and add players every year. More people have been happy with our club than not. Still we've had team chemistry issues and problems with motivation. When my assistant coach and I began the season, we thought it would be more about x's and o's. After all the kids are older. They are going into high school. The competition starts to even out at most tournaments. Players start to gain confiedence. They start to play through the mistakes. They start to play every play and compete. Man were we wrong! Same issues from the same players, and some of the new ones. It is still a work in progress. We haven't won alot of games. The players are, however, getting better. Our players took the month of June off to play and pactice with their high school teams. Most of our kids did very well with their teams at practice and in games this month. This gives us hope. Hope that we are getting through to them, helping them improve. Still, we have been very frustrated at times. But we will stick it out, and do our best. We will try to bring the team and it's players together. We will continue to try to motivate them, praise them, correct them when necessary. And we may even continue to be frustrated. Who knows? Perhaps we need counseling! Basketball or psychology? You decide.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Players that never were
I love to reminisce. To think about the old days, when I was a kid growing up in New Castle. Things were so different back then. I grew up in the 70's and 80's, when it was ok to let your kids play outside until after dark, or run around the neighborhood, around town, or leave them at the park all day. Things were much simpler. There were no video games unless you were fortunate enough to have an Atari. No cable, just four channels, and sometimes five. There was nothing to do except to go outside and play. That's what we did. We had the NBA, Neighborhood Basketball Association. We had the NFL, Neighborhood Football League. We had the NWBL, Neighborhood Wiffle Ball League. It was the good life. We were The Sandlot, before it was a movie. We used front yards, back yards, school yards, yards that belonged to people we didn't know and vacant lots. Wonderful memories.
This brings to mind some of the guys I grew up with and went to school with. I grew up with some incredible athletes. Everyone knows some. The kids that are well developed, muscular, faster and stronger than everyone else. They don't have to work at anything. They are good at everything, every sport. They just have it. Even when we were young, we just knew that these kids were going to be superstars. Some of them grew up to fullfill those lofty expectations we all had for them. Others didn't. Those that didn't are the focus of this blog.
In every high school in America there are better players, better athletes, walking the hallways of those schools than there are on the sports teams. Better basketball, football, baseball players. Better wrestlers, track athletes, and more. We had them at my school. They were some of the best athletes I had ever seen. Yet for various reasons, they never played for our school. They never wore a uniform, the green and white of New Castle Chrysler High School. The Trojans. Never ran out of the tunnel in the Fieldhouse. Never ran onto the football field or stepped over the lines of our baseball diamond. They were good. They were freakishly athletic.
There were several guys that could have played high school sports and done very well. I will not use their real names, primarily because I had no contact information and could not get there permission. So none of the names are real. But trust me, they were very real.
Let's begin with Zeke. Zeke was one of the most athletic kids I knew. He was probably 5'10" in high school. Man could he jump. He could dunk a basketball any way he wanted to. He could go two hands, two hands behind his head, 360, one handed tomahawk, reverse, off one foot, two feet, it didn't matter. He was a quick jumper too. Quick on his feet, fast, and could get off the floor before you ever knew it. He was explosive. He could shoot it too. He could drain it from mid range, outside, 20 feet, 30 feet. His range began as soon as he stepped onto a court. He played all the time. Yet he never played for the school. To this day, I still don't know why. Perhaps he was uncoachable. Maybe he was one of those kids that for whatever reason just never could play organized basketball. Couldn't take the coaching, the criticism. Maybe he didn't like the rules, or the structure. Or maybe he just wasn't interested. Whatever the reason, he was an incredible athlete and very good basketball player. He graduated with us, but after graduation, I never saw him again.
There was Pete and Ben. These two guys were probably the best athletes in our entire class, maybe even in our town. They could do it all. They were fast and strong. They were good at everything. They played in youth leagues as kids, but once they hit junior high, that was it. Pete was muscular and strong. Smooth and relaxed. He never got rattled. He was good at everything; football, basketball, track, kickball, dodgeball, baseball, tag, hopscotch. It didn't matter. I don't know for sure, but I believe he was of native american heritage. He was an incredible athlete, but he never played for our school. He moved in when we were kids. Moved away a little later, and moved back. I honestly do not recall if he graduated with us or if he moved away before then. I have no idea what ever happened to him. But he had more talent and athletic ability than anyone I had ever seen. He never played for the Trojans. He would have been a great assett to any of our high school teams.
Ben was skinny, but strong and wiry. He was fast and could jump. He was a freakish athlete. He too was good at everything. He could have been particularly good as a track athlete, running sprints, high jump, long jump, pole vault, perhaps the Decathlon. He could have played football and basketball. He never did. He didn't care much for school. Didn't care much about homework or grades. He wasn't dumb. He was a smart guy. He just didn't care. Didn't care about coaches or teams, tournaments or trophies. His goal in life was to have a good time. I don't fault him for that. We all want that. However, with a little dedication and self-discipline, he could have been one of the best athletes to come out of our town. Ben got involved in using drugs and alcohol by the time we were in junior high. He definately had some good times, I guess. I think he was in trouble here and there, but nothing major. He never played a down, an inning or a quarter in high school. The shame of it is he could have been the best athlete in our class. He had so much God-given talent and ability. He was a natural athlete. It all went to waste. He graduated, but I haven't seen him since.
The other guy that came to mind was not really an athlete. He was, however, a basketball player. He was an incredible basketball player. So much so that I'll call him Larry, since that is who he reminded me of. Larry Bird. Larry could play basketball. And play he did, all the time. He played all day in the summer from sunup to sundown and beyond. We had lighted courts at Baker Park. Larry was out there sometimes until midnight. I don't know, but I would imagine he probably skipped school to go play. He knew the game, knew the court, every inch of it. He could shoot, he could drive, he could pass. He played like Larry, and Magic. Unfortunately, he wasn't a great athlete. He didn't have speed, but he was pretty quick. He could jump a little, but not great. He was a solid player. An incredible player. He never played for our high school. Never wore the green and white. Never ran out of the tunnel. He was at every game, but never as a player. I really don't know why. I never remember him trying out for a team. Not in junior high. Not in high school. Not ever. He was a great player. He graduated with us. He is around. He has kids in school now. I bet he still plays. I bet he will still be playing years from now. He loved basketball. I'm sure he still does.
Players that never were. They are everywhere. We had them. You had them. Every school has them. They have talent, athletic ability and skills. They could have played on your high school football or basketball team. They would have made our team better, your team better. They would have helped us win games, maybe even state titles. They didn't. I don't know why. Not coachable. Not interested. Into drugs and alcohol. Too much moving. Who knows? They could have been great. They were not. At least not in the sense of high school athletics. Talent, athletic ability, skills. All wasted. They were players. Too bad they never played for us.
This brings to mind some of the guys I grew up with and went to school with. I grew up with some incredible athletes. Everyone knows some. The kids that are well developed, muscular, faster and stronger than everyone else. They don't have to work at anything. They are good at everything, every sport. They just have it. Even when we were young, we just knew that these kids were going to be superstars. Some of them grew up to fullfill those lofty expectations we all had for them. Others didn't. Those that didn't are the focus of this blog.
In every high school in America there are better players, better athletes, walking the hallways of those schools than there are on the sports teams. Better basketball, football, baseball players. Better wrestlers, track athletes, and more. We had them at my school. They were some of the best athletes I had ever seen. Yet for various reasons, they never played for our school. They never wore a uniform, the green and white of New Castle Chrysler High School. The Trojans. Never ran out of the tunnel in the Fieldhouse. Never ran onto the football field or stepped over the lines of our baseball diamond. They were good. They were freakishly athletic.
There were several guys that could have played high school sports and done very well. I will not use their real names, primarily because I had no contact information and could not get there permission. So none of the names are real. But trust me, they were very real.
Let's begin with Zeke. Zeke was one of the most athletic kids I knew. He was probably 5'10" in high school. Man could he jump. He could dunk a basketball any way he wanted to. He could go two hands, two hands behind his head, 360, one handed tomahawk, reverse, off one foot, two feet, it didn't matter. He was a quick jumper too. Quick on his feet, fast, and could get off the floor before you ever knew it. He was explosive. He could shoot it too. He could drain it from mid range, outside, 20 feet, 30 feet. His range began as soon as he stepped onto a court. He played all the time. Yet he never played for the school. To this day, I still don't know why. Perhaps he was uncoachable. Maybe he was one of those kids that for whatever reason just never could play organized basketball. Couldn't take the coaching, the criticism. Maybe he didn't like the rules, or the structure. Or maybe he just wasn't interested. Whatever the reason, he was an incredible athlete and very good basketball player. He graduated with us, but after graduation, I never saw him again.
There was Pete and Ben. These two guys were probably the best athletes in our entire class, maybe even in our town. They could do it all. They were fast and strong. They were good at everything. They played in youth leagues as kids, but once they hit junior high, that was it. Pete was muscular and strong. Smooth and relaxed. He never got rattled. He was good at everything; football, basketball, track, kickball, dodgeball, baseball, tag, hopscotch. It didn't matter. I don't know for sure, but I believe he was of native american heritage. He was an incredible athlete, but he never played for our school. He moved in when we were kids. Moved away a little later, and moved back. I honestly do not recall if he graduated with us or if he moved away before then. I have no idea what ever happened to him. But he had more talent and athletic ability than anyone I had ever seen. He never played for the Trojans. He would have been a great assett to any of our high school teams.
Ben was skinny, but strong and wiry. He was fast and could jump. He was a freakish athlete. He too was good at everything. He could have been particularly good as a track athlete, running sprints, high jump, long jump, pole vault, perhaps the Decathlon. He could have played football and basketball. He never did. He didn't care much for school. Didn't care much about homework or grades. He wasn't dumb. He was a smart guy. He just didn't care. Didn't care about coaches or teams, tournaments or trophies. His goal in life was to have a good time. I don't fault him for that. We all want that. However, with a little dedication and self-discipline, he could have been one of the best athletes to come out of our town. Ben got involved in using drugs and alcohol by the time we were in junior high. He definately had some good times, I guess. I think he was in trouble here and there, but nothing major. He never played a down, an inning or a quarter in high school. The shame of it is he could have been the best athlete in our class. He had so much God-given talent and ability. He was a natural athlete. It all went to waste. He graduated, but I haven't seen him since.
The other guy that came to mind was not really an athlete. He was, however, a basketball player. He was an incredible basketball player. So much so that I'll call him Larry, since that is who he reminded me of. Larry Bird. Larry could play basketball. And play he did, all the time. He played all day in the summer from sunup to sundown and beyond. We had lighted courts at Baker Park. Larry was out there sometimes until midnight. I don't know, but I would imagine he probably skipped school to go play. He knew the game, knew the court, every inch of it. He could shoot, he could drive, he could pass. He played like Larry, and Magic. Unfortunately, he wasn't a great athlete. He didn't have speed, but he was pretty quick. He could jump a little, but not great. He was a solid player. An incredible player. He never played for our high school. Never wore the green and white. Never ran out of the tunnel. He was at every game, but never as a player. I really don't know why. I never remember him trying out for a team. Not in junior high. Not in high school. Not ever. He was a great player. He graduated with us. He is around. He has kids in school now. I bet he still plays. I bet he will still be playing years from now. He loved basketball. I'm sure he still does.
Players that never were. They are everywhere. We had them. You had them. Every school has them. They have talent, athletic ability and skills. They could have played on your high school football or basketball team. They would have made our team better, your team better. They would have helped us win games, maybe even state titles. They didn't. I don't know why. Not coachable. Not interested. Into drugs and alcohol. Too much moving. Who knows? They could have been great. They were not. At least not in the sense of high school athletics. Talent, athletic ability, skills. All wasted. They were players. Too bad they never played for us.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The best player you've never heard of
There is a basketball player from Danville, Indiana, a small town about 15 minutes from the west side of Indianapolis, who may just be the best player you've never heard of. This player has skills, attitude and the will to win. She is the best incoming freshman in her conference and in Hendricks County. Her name is Mackenzie Taylor. And she's a baller.
Mackenzie has grown up playing basketball. She played on her first AAU team in Richmond, Indiana at the age of 4. She's been playing ever since. Mackenzie is the best player on the best team in the Sagamore Conference and currently the best team in Hendricks County. This past season she led the 8th grade Danville Lady Warriors to conference and county titles. Danville's incoming freshman girls basketball team went undefeated two years in a row in middle school. An undefeated 7th grade season ended in disappointing fashion when the Lady Warriors lost in the county championship game to Avon South, a team they had beaten by 20 points just a week earlier. Mackenzie said that she and her team picked a bad night to have a bad game. She blamed the loss on overconfidence. "We had just beaten Avon South by 20 points a week earlier. We were overconfident. We thought we had the game won. It was my worst game."
Mackenzie and her team followed their 7th grade season with another undefeated season as 8th graders. They also won the Sagamore Conference Tournament and the Hendricks County Tournament. They dispatched Avon South on their way to the county championship game. It was sweet revenge. Mackenzie is no doubt the best player on her team, but if you ask her, she is very modest about it. "I don't know. I guess," she replies. She does, however, accept the role of leader for her team. She likes to lead by example, through her effort and her play. She is a vocal leader as well, encouraging her teammates, getting on them when necessary and pumping them up on the floor and from the bench. When asked about her teammates Mackenzie said, "I love my teammates." She said they sometimes look to her to do it all when she is in the game, which she doesn't mind and even enjoys. She says, however, that she can't do it all all the time and she has told the rest of the team that they need to step up and play with the same intensity when she is in the game as they do when she is on the bench. "They are good players and very capable," she said. Taylor also attributes their success to the fact that they are all friends on and off the court. This has led to a remarkable team chemistry.
Mackenzie is an accomplished offensive player. She is a combo guard, comfortable at the point or at shooting guard. She scores alot on run outs off of turnovers, but is quick to add, "that's not the only way I score." She is a shooter and a slasher. She can score from the outside, or put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. She plays strong and her game is stronger. When asked about her scoring average over the past two seasons, she didn't even know what it was. "I don't think anyone ever shared that with me." She did say that she had a high game of 29 points. She has a high of 6 assists. She also has a high of 10 steals. but modestly added, "that probably doesn't count because it was against a really bad team." Taylor is a good defender. She has quick feet and quick hands, and according to her, "aggressive hands." She is a relentless defender, and is usually charged with guarding the other teams best player unless that player is a big. Her job is to create havoc and take the opponent out of their offense and out of what they want to do. She comes up with alot of steals and creates alot of turnovers, which leads to fast break baskets. She enjoys this role, and actually likes playing defense, unlike alot of young players.
When asked what her number one priority is when she steps onto a basketball court, her response is mature, as she is, beyond her years. "I just want to make my teammates better, and I want to improve every time out." Oh, and for the record she also wants to win. She hates to lose. Losing eats at her, sometimes for days. She is very competitive, and the only thing better than winning, is not losing. The only thing she hates more than losing is when her team, or their fans, blames losing on officials or on anything other than themselves. She believes they should take responsibility for themselves and their play. Fortunatley, with one loss in two seasons, she hasn't had to worry too much about that. She loves practice and loves getting better. She likes an organized practice that focuses on drills and skill building, perfecting offense and defense. She loves to work hard. She says, "I don't like practice when all we do is scrimmage." She spends between an hour and two hours a day outside of practice, working on her game.
Mackenzie will be a freshman this coming year at Danville High School. She hopes to play varsity and wants to start. She is off to a good start, playing this summer with the varsity. When I asked her about her goals, the first thing she says is, "I wanna win state." She says their best chance to win it might be her junior season because there are some really good players in the class ahead of her. She said, "Who knows. We might have just as good a chance when we are seniors." She also wants to play in college. She wants to go to Tennessee and play for the best women's coach of all time, Pat Summit, but not necessarily in that order. "I love Pat Summit. Love the way she coaches and relates to her players. She makes every player that plays for her better." She would love to play in the WNBA some day, but said she isn't counting on it. "I want to go to school and get an education so I will have something to fall back on, not just basketball." Mature beyond her years.
I asked her about playing against better players and better teams. Mackenzie says she never thinks that another team can beat them. She never worries about playing against better players or better teams. She says, "I think I'm gonna win and you are not going to beat me." She thinks her team can win against anyone if they play like they are capable of playing. I asked her how she handles pressure and big games. "I handle pressure well. I play my best under pressure and in big games." She loves that stage when all eyes are on her. Mature beyond her years.
When I ask her if she has experienced haters or jealousy, she responds, "Oh sure, but I don't worry too much about it. It makes me mad and then makes we want to work that much harder." Mature beyond her years. Mackenzie Taylor is the perfect combination of old school and new school. She believes the team is more important than the individual. She wants nothing more than to make her teammates better. She wants to improve every day. She likes to lead by example. She hates to lose. She hates blaming losses on anything other than herself or her team's play. She loves practice. She's quick, aggressive and physical. She has an all around game. She's the best player you've never heard of. Mackenzie has a picture of herself in a mirror on her Facebook page. Written across the mirror are the words "Miss Basketball 2015." She says, "I would love to be Miss Basketball, but I just want to make the Indiana All Stars." Mature beyond her years. It may be a little early, but my money is on Taylor. To win state, to make the Indiana All Stars, to be Miss Basketball, to play for Pat Summit at Tennessee. The sky is the limit for Taylor. She can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. And she will do it all while being mature beyond her years. She is the best player you've never heard of. And now you know.
Mackenzie has grown up playing basketball. She played on her first AAU team in Richmond, Indiana at the age of 4. She's been playing ever since. Mackenzie is the best player on the best team in the Sagamore Conference and currently the best team in Hendricks County. This past season she led the 8th grade Danville Lady Warriors to conference and county titles. Danville's incoming freshman girls basketball team went undefeated two years in a row in middle school. An undefeated 7th grade season ended in disappointing fashion when the Lady Warriors lost in the county championship game to Avon South, a team they had beaten by 20 points just a week earlier. Mackenzie said that she and her team picked a bad night to have a bad game. She blamed the loss on overconfidence. "We had just beaten Avon South by 20 points a week earlier. We were overconfident. We thought we had the game won. It was my worst game."
Mackenzie and her team followed their 7th grade season with another undefeated season as 8th graders. They also won the Sagamore Conference Tournament and the Hendricks County Tournament. They dispatched Avon South on their way to the county championship game. It was sweet revenge. Mackenzie is no doubt the best player on her team, but if you ask her, she is very modest about it. "I don't know. I guess," she replies. She does, however, accept the role of leader for her team. She likes to lead by example, through her effort and her play. She is a vocal leader as well, encouraging her teammates, getting on them when necessary and pumping them up on the floor and from the bench. When asked about her teammates Mackenzie said, "I love my teammates." She said they sometimes look to her to do it all when she is in the game, which she doesn't mind and even enjoys. She says, however, that she can't do it all all the time and she has told the rest of the team that they need to step up and play with the same intensity when she is in the game as they do when she is on the bench. "They are good players and very capable," she said. Taylor also attributes their success to the fact that they are all friends on and off the court. This has led to a remarkable team chemistry.
Mackenzie is an accomplished offensive player. She is a combo guard, comfortable at the point or at shooting guard. She scores alot on run outs off of turnovers, but is quick to add, "that's not the only way I score." She is a shooter and a slasher. She can score from the outside, or put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. She plays strong and her game is stronger. When asked about her scoring average over the past two seasons, she didn't even know what it was. "I don't think anyone ever shared that with me." She did say that she had a high game of 29 points. She has a high of 6 assists. She also has a high of 10 steals. but modestly added, "that probably doesn't count because it was against a really bad team." Taylor is a good defender. She has quick feet and quick hands, and according to her, "aggressive hands." She is a relentless defender, and is usually charged with guarding the other teams best player unless that player is a big. Her job is to create havoc and take the opponent out of their offense and out of what they want to do. She comes up with alot of steals and creates alot of turnovers, which leads to fast break baskets. She enjoys this role, and actually likes playing defense, unlike alot of young players.
When asked what her number one priority is when she steps onto a basketball court, her response is mature, as she is, beyond her years. "I just want to make my teammates better, and I want to improve every time out." Oh, and for the record she also wants to win. She hates to lose. Losing eats at her, sometimes for days. She is very competitive, and the only thing better than winning, is not losing. The only thing she hates more than losing is when her team, or their fans, blames losing on officials or on anything other than themselves. She believes they should take responsibility for themselves and their play. Fortunatley, with one loss in two seasons, she hasn't had to worry too much about that. She loves practice and loves getting better. She likes an organized practice that focuses on drills and skill building, perfecting offense and defense. She loves to work hard. She says, "I don't like practice when all we do is scrimmage." She spends between an hour and two hours a day outside of practice, working on her game.
Mackenzie will be a freshman this coming year at Danville High School. She hopes to play varsity and wants to start. She is off to a good start, playing this summer with the varsity. When I asked her about her goals, the first thing she says is, "I wanna win state." She says their best chance to win it might be her junior season because there are some really good players in the class ahead of her. She said, "Who knows. We might have just as good a chance when we are seniors." She also wants to play in college. She wants to go to Tennessee and play for the best women's coach of all time, Pat Summit, but not necessarily in that order. "I love Pat Summit. Love the way she coaches and relates to her players. She makes every player that plays for her better." She would love to play in the WNBA some day, but said she isn't counting on it. "I want to go to school and get an education so I will have something to fall back on, not just basketball." Mature beyond her years.
When I ask her if she has experienced haters or jealousy, she responds, "Oh sure, but I don't worry too much about it. It makes me mad and then makes we want to work that much harder." Mature beyond her years. Mackenzie Taylor is the perfect combination of old school and new school. She believes the team is more important than the individual. She wants nothing more than to make her teammates better. She wants to improve every day. She likes to lead by example. She hates to lose. She hates blaming losses on anything other than herself or her team's play. She loves practice. She's quick, aggressive and physical. She has an all around game. She's the best player you've never heard of. Mackenzie has a picture of herself in a mirror on her Facebook page. Written across the mirror are the words "Miss Basketball 2015." She says, "I would love to be Miss Basketball, but I just want to make the Indiana All Stars." Mature beyond her years. It may be a little early, but my money is on Taylor. To win state, to make the Indiana All Stars, to be Miss Basketball, to play for Pat Summit at Tennessee. The sky is the limit for Taylor. She can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. And she will do it all while being mature beyond her years. She is the best player you've never heard of. And now you know.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Officials: Can't live with 'em, can't complain about 'em
An official is defined as a person elected or appointed to a position and is charged with certain duties. Officials are a necessary part of the game. I’ve had good ones. I’ve had bad ones. I’ve had some that didn’t deserve to put on the striped shirt and carry a whistle. Some officials call everything. Others only run up and down the floor. Many enjoy the job and take it seriously. Others are just there for the paycheck. And the paycheck isn’t bad. Most officials get $25-$30 a game. Do 12 games in a weekend and you pocket $300-$360. That is a nice little supplement to a normal income.
Officiating has changed, and thus the game has changed. The game has become much more physical due to the way games are called and all that is allowed to go on in games. I've seen players get hurt due to officiating. I've seen players get knocked to the floor, no call, seen players get undressed, literally, with their jerseys being pulled out of their shorts, their shorts being pulled down. I've seen players get absolutely mugged or knocked off balance going to the basket. Officials will tell you that if a player is under control going to the basket and gets hit, they will call the foul. But a player that is out of control and falling down, flailing or just throwing the ball at the basket, they will never get the call. This is true in high school and middle school basketball, grade school basketball, and spring/summer or AAU basketball as well.
I personally believe that tournament basketball, i.e., summer basketball, where multiple games are played on multiple courts throughout the day, is responsible for the change in the way games are officiated. Officials are told to keep the games moving along. There is a schedule to keep. Nothing upsets tournament organizers, fans, and parents more than when games are not kept “on time”. Most games are scheduled every hour on the hour, which gives officials a short window in which to get through each game. This results in games that are played with very few fouls or other violations being called. In addition, most officials like to keep the fouls that are called even between the teams. If team A gets 3 or 4 fouls called on them at the start of a game, they will stop calling fouls on team A and call them on team B until they are even. Another issue is that a foul that is a foul at the beginning of the game is not always a foul at the end of the game. Officials do not like to make a call that influences the outcome of a game. Therefore, officials will often swallow their whistles at the ends of games and no calls are made. They don’t want coaches blaming them for the outcome of the game. This, to me, is ridiculous. A foul is a foul, a travel is a travel, a carry is a carry and any other violation is a violation regardless if it happens at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a game, and regardless of the outcome.
Play under the basket is even worse nowadays with players pushing, shoving, grabbing and pulling to get into rebounding position. Players are constantly going “over the back” of other players to get rebounds. There is no official “over the back” call in basketball. What is called is just a “push”. Payers are told that if they actually block out, they will get that call when an opposing player goes “over their back” to get a rebound. But stand under the basket with your hands in the air like a baby bird, and you will never get that call. Players have to be taught to be physical because the good teams will do whatever they get away with. If the game is being called loosely, teams will play more aggressive and more physical because they know they will get away with play that normally would result in fouls being called. If the game is being called tight, teams will back off and play more cautious. This is called adjusting to the officials and is absolutely necessary at every level of basketball.
There are all kinds of officials. As I said, some call everything and like to go by the book. Others like to let the kids play and never call anything. The best official is the one who finds a balance between the two. Some officials know the rules. The truth is that others don’t. Several years ago we played a team with a kid that carried the ball every time he dribbled it up the floor. I mean it was obvious. This kid took 3 or 4 steps in between dribbles and almost carried the ball like a football at times. My wife and I were coaching together at the time and we both complained about the continuous carries. One of the officials came over during a timeout and actually told me that “everyone carries the ball legally,” and that “there is no official ‘carry’ rule.” I was totally dumbfounded. This is funny because I see officials call it all the time. During this same game, I received my first technical foul ever. My wife, er, assistant coach, had been riding the officials the whole game. At one point, he came over to me and told me that she needed to sit down, shut up and coach her team. When I told him she was right, that the kid did in fact carry the ball every time and that he needed to call it, he told me that I needed to sit down and coach my team. I told him he needed to “call the game” and apparently this was the wrong thing to say. I got my first technical foul. I blamed it on my assistant.
That story brings me to another issue. Officials are very sensitive these days. They take things personally. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that if I were officiating and a coach or a fan told me I was terrible, or blind, or worse, I don’t know if I could go on about my business without taking those comments personally. That is why I don’t officiate. Officials are told not to take a lot from coaches and fans. Coaches are told that appropriate behavior during games should consist of asking questions regarding specific rules. Loud and obnoxious behavior, constant complaining and derogatory comments toward officials are absolute no no’s. Coaches are also told that they are responsible for their team’s, fan’s and parent’s behavior.
The way I see it, officials have to know that if they are going to be out there making calls that at least one team is never going to like, they have to understand that not everyone is going to be happy with those calls. Coaches are going to complain. Fans are going to complain. Even players are going to complain. If it crosses the line, the officials have the authority to act accordingly. They should never reply, comment or speak to fans directly. I had an official recently come to the bench and tell me that I needed to get control of one of our parents. I have no problem with that, even though I didn’t do anything at the time as I was in the middle of coaching a game. The time to address this type of behavior is between games. On the other hand, some officials take things personally and they will make it personal toward the coach or the fans.
This issue brings me to another story. My team was playing in a tournament in April of this year. We won a game and lost one on Saturday. We won the first tournament game on Sunday. The next game we had to play a team that had already beaten us. We played very poorly from the start and dug a huge hole that we could not get out of. We were down by a large margin before the first half was over. I always tell my players to continue to play no matter what the score is. I expect the same from the officials, to continue to call the game. Unfortunately, due to the lopsided score, the officials put the whistles away and stopped calling fouls. Now this is a highly combustible situation. My team is down big. I am telling them to play physical and scrap and claw and continue to play hard. The opponent is having fun winning big and they continue to score, which they should. (ide note: I believe that if a team isn’t willing to stop you from scoring, you should continue to score. The only time this shouldn’t happen is if a team is absolutely outmanned and doesn’t have the talent or ability to stop you from scoring. That is when a little mercy can be shown.) Back to my story. Things got as chippy as this years NHL Finals. Before the first half was over, one of my guys was playing good, hard defense on the baseline. His man was trying to force his way to the basket by lowering his shoulder and slamming into my guy. I should state here that what the offensive player was doing was illegal and should have been called a foul. My guy stood his ground and played excellent defense. The official told my guy to take it easy and eventually called a foul on him. One of my parents says, “it goes both ways ref.” The official looks at the parent and says, “That’s cute.” He then looks at me. I told him I didn’t say it. In the meantime, my guys were getting hammered on offense every time we tried to take the ball to the basket. No fouls were called. At halftime I went to the officials and I asked them about the rules. My question was, “Look, I know we are down big, but that doesn’t mean you guys are going to stop calling fouls does it? A foul is still a foul isn’t it?” He says, “I’m not getting into that, do you have a question about the rules?” I said, “that is about the rules.” There was no reply. As he was walking away from me he turned and said, “Well, you aren’t going to quit coaching are you?” Of course I wasn’t, and I didn’t. The second half was no better. Fouls were still not called. At one point my son was bringing the ball across half court. His defender was all over him, grabbing his shirt and pulling it out of his shorts. This happened on two consecutive possessions. On the very next trip down the floor, he got up in his mans face and played some pressure defense. He was called for a foul. Inside I was boiling. But all I said was, “ah, that’s good.” The official immediately hit me with a technical foul and told me I had to sit down. I couldn’t believe it. My assistants couldn’t believe. Our parents couldn't believe it. I obviously felt like he was looking for something, anything just to call a technical foul. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my son to take his jersey off and give it to the kid guarding him on the previous play.
After the game, I continued to express my displeasure with the officiating to the tournament site director. I didn’t understand how the official could speak to one of the fan’s in a sarcastic manner. There were no consequences. Yet I received a technical foul for saying “that’s good”. At this point the other official, whom had rarely blown his whistle during the game, joined the conversation in an attempt to defend his and his partner’s performance. He made some derogatory comments about my team. When I pushed the foul issue, he resorted to taunting us. His comment was, “Well you got beat by 50,” like a little kid in a school yard. I thought I was back on the playground in elementary school in New Castle. For the record, we lost by 41. He continued to taunt us as he and his partner, who happened to take great pleasure in the taunts, left the gym. This took place in front of players, parents, tournament officials and anyone who was within earshot. Quite a display of maturity and self control from an official. This is a person who is supposed to maintain control in an often out of control game. A person of authority, who is out there to keep the peace, call the game and make sure everyone follows the rules. It was an unbelievable experience, something I had never experienced before and haven't since. Of course I complained, but to no avail. There was nothing to be done. I attempted to obtain the names of these officials. I would have included their names, and made every attempt to expose their unprofessionalism. However, I was unsuccessful. I still don’t know who they are. I can only hope we never have them again.
Officials are necessary. We have to have them. Some are good, some are bad. Some care, others don’t. Some make it personal, but the good ones just continue to call the game. People will always complain about officiating, about calls, no calls and many fans like to tell the official what they think of them or their eyesight. I, however, have found that the less you say as a coach, the better. The more you complain the worse the officiating gets. You have no control over the officials assigned to do your games. You just have to sit down and coach your team, and yes, shut up sometimes. You have to let the players play and let the officials officiate. Officials don’t usually cost teams games anyway. Sometimes it just seems that way.
Officiating has changed, and thus the game has changed. The game has become much more physical due to the way games are called and all that is allowed to go on in games. I've seen players get hurt due to officiating. I've seen players get knocked to the floor, no call, seen players get undressed, literally, with their jerseys being pulled out of their shorts, their shorts being pulled down. I've seen players get absolutely mugged or knocked off balance going to the basket. Officials will tell you that if a player is under control going to the basket and gets hit, they will call the foul. But a player that is out of control and falling down, flailing or just throwing the ball at the basket, they will never get the call. This is true in high school and middle school basketball, grade school basketball, and spring/summer or AAU basketball as well.
I personally believe that tournament basketball, i.e., summer basketball, where multiple games are played on multiple courts throughout the day, is responsible for the change in the way games are officiated. Officials are told to keep the games moving along. There is a schedule to keep. Nothing upsets tournament organizers, fans, and parents more than when games are not kept “on time”. Most games are scheduled every hour on the hour, which gives officials a short window in which to get through each game. This results in games that are played with very few fouls or other violations being called. In addition, most officials like to keep the fouls that are called even between the teams. If team A gets 3 or 4 fouls called on them at the start of a game, they will stop calling fouls on team A and call them on team B until they are even. Another issue is that a foul that is a foul at the beginning of the game is not always a foul at the end of the game. Officials do not like to make a call that influences the outcome of a game. Therefore, officials will often swallow their whistles at the ends of games and no calls are made. They don’t want coaches blaming them for the outcome of the game. This, to me, is ridiculous. A foul is a foul, a travel is a travel, a carry is a carry and any other violation is a violation regardless if it happens at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a game, and regardless of the outcome.
Play under the basket is even worse nowadays with players pushing, shoving, grabbing and pulling to get into rebounding position. Players are constantly going “over the back” of other players to get rebounds. There is no official “over the back” call in basketball. What is called is just a “push”. Payers are told that if they actually block out, they will get that call when an opposing player goes “over their back” to get a rebound. But stand under the basket with your hands in the air like a baby bird, and you will never get that call. Players have to be taught to be physical because the good teams will do whatever they get away with. If the game is being called loosely, teams will play more aggressive and more physical because they know they will get away with play that normally would result in fouls being called. If the game is being called tight, teams will back off and play more cautious. This is called adjusting to the officials and is absolutely necessary at every level of basketball.
There are all kinds of officials. As I said, some call everything and like to go by the book. Others like to let the kids play and never call anything. The best official is the one who finds a balance between the two. Some officials know the rules. The truth is that others don’t. Several years ago we played a team with a kid that carried the ball every time he dribbled it up the floor. I mean it was obvious. This kid took 3 or 4 steps in between dribbles and almost carried the ball like a football at times. My wife and I were coaching together at the time and we both complained about the continuous carries. One of the officials came over during a timeout and actually told me that “everyone carries the ball legally,” and that “there is no official ‘carry’ rule.” I was totally dumbfounded. This is funny because I see officials call it all the time. During this same game, I received my first technical foul ever. My wife, er, assistant coach, had been riding the officials the whole game. At one point, he came over to me and told me that she needed to sit down, shut up and coach her team. When I told him she was right, that the kid did in fact carry the ball every time and that he needed to call it, he told me that I needed to sit down and coach my team. I told him he needed to “call the game” and apparently this was the wrong thing to say. I got my first technical foul. I blamed it on my assistant.
That story brings me to another issue. Officials are very sensitive these days. They take things personally. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that if I were officiating and a coach or a fan told me I was terrible, or blind, or worse, I don’t know if I could go on about my business without taking those comments personally. That is why I don’t officiate. Officials are told not to take a lot from coaches and fans. Coaches are told that appropriate behavior during games should consist of asking questions regarding specific rules. Loud and obnoxious behavior, constant complaining and derogatory comments toward officials are absolute no no’s. Coaches are also told that they are responsible for their team’s, fan’s and parent’s behavior.
The way I see it, officials have to know that if they are going to be out there making calls that at least one team is never going to like, they have to understand that not everyone is going to be happy with those calls. Coaches are going to complain. Fans are going to complain. Even players are going to complain. If it crosses the line, the officials have the authority to act accordingly. They should never reply, comment or speak to fans directly. I had an official recently come to the bench and tell me that I needed to get control of one of our parents. I have no problem with that, even though I didn’t do anything at the time as I was in the middle of coaching a game. The time to address this type of behavior is between games. On the other hand, some officials take things personally and they will make it personal toward the coach or the fans.
This issue brings me to another story. My team was playing in a tournament in April of this year. We won a game and lost one on Saturday. We won the first tournament game on Sunday. The next game we had to play a team that had already beaten us. We played very poorly from the start and dug a huge hole that we could not get out of. We were down by a large margin before the first half was over. I always tell my players to continue to play no matter what the score is. I expect the same from the officials, to continue to call the game. Unfortunately, due to the lopsided score, the officials put the whistles away and stopped calling fouls. Now this is a highly combustible situation. My team is down big. I am telling them to play physical and scrap and claw and continue to play hard. The opponent is having fun winning big and they continue to score, which they should. (ide note: I believe that if a team isn’t willing to stop you from scoring, you should continue to score. The only time this shouldn’t happen is if a team is absolutely outmanned and doesn’t have the talent or ability to stop you from scoring. That is when a little mercy can be shown.) Back to my story. Things got as chippy as this years NHL Finals. Before the first half was over, one of my guys was playing good, hard defense on the baseline. His man was trying to force his way to the basket by lowering his shoulder and slamming into my guy. I should state here that what the offensive player was doing was illegal and should have been called a foul. My guy stood his ground and played excellent defense. The official told my guy to take it easy and eventually called a foul on him. One of my parents says, “it goes both ways ref.” The official looks at the parent and says, “That’s cute.” He then looks at me. I told him I didn’t say it. In the meantime, my guys were getting hammered on offense every time we tried to take the ball to the basket. No fouls were called. At halftime I went to the officials and I asked them about the rules. My question was, “Look, I know we are down big, but that doesn’t mean you guys are going to stop calling fouls does it? A foul is still a foul isn’t it?” He says, “I’m not getting into that, do you have a question about the rules?” I said, “that is about the rules.” There was no reply. As he was walking away from me he turned and said, “Well, you aren’t going to quit coaching are you?” Of course I wasn’t, and I didn’t. The second half was no better. Fouls were still not called. At one point my son was bringing the ball across half court. His defender was all over him, grabbing his shirt and pulling it out of his shorts. This happened on two consecutive possessions. On the very next trip down the floor, he got up in his mans face and played some pressure defense. He was called for a foul. Inside I was boiling. But all I said was, “ah, that’s good.” The official immediately hit me with a technical foul and told me I had to sit down. I couldn’t believe it. My assistants couldn’t believe. Our parents couldn't believe it. I obviously felt like he was looking for something, anything just to call a technical foul. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my son to take his jersey off and give it to the kid guarding him on the previous play.
After the game, I continued to express my displeasure with the officiating to the tournament site director. I didn’t understand how the official could speak to one of the fan’s in a sarcastic manner. There were no consequences. Yet I received a technical foul for saying “that’s good”. At this point the other official, whom had rarely blown his whistle during the game, joined the conversation in an attempt to defend his and his partner’s performance. He made some derogatory comments about my team. When I pushed the foul issue, he resorted to taunting us. His comment was, “Well you got beat by 50,” like a little kid in a school yard. I thought I was back on the playground in elementary school in New Castle. For the record, we lost by 41. He continued to taunt us as he and his partner, who happened to take great pleasure in the taunts, left the gym. This took place in front of players, parents, tournament officials and anyone who was within earshot. Quite a display of maturity and self control from an official. This is a person who is supposed to maintain control in an often out of control game. A person of authority, who is out there to keep the peace, call the game and make sure everyone follows the rules. It was an unbelievable experience, something I had never experienced before and haven't since. Of course I complained, but to no avail. There was nothing to be done. I attempted to obtain the names of these officials. I would have included their names, and made every attempt to expose their unprofessionalism. However, I was unsuccessful. I still don’t know who they are. I can only hope we never have them again.
Officials are necessary. We have to have them. Some are good, some are bad. Some care, others don’t. Some make it personal, but the good ones just continue to call the game. People will always complain about officiating, about calls, no calls and many fans like to tell the official what they think of them or their eyesight. I, however, have found that the less you say as a coach, the better. The more you complain the worse the officiating gets. You have no control over the officials assigned to do your games. You just have to sit down and coach your team, and yes, shut up sometimes. You have to let the players play and let the officials officiate. Officials don’t usually cost teams games anyway. Sometimes it just seems that way.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Give 'em a framework...
Have you ever heard the old saying, "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime"? It's one of my favorites. The message is clear, powerful, simple. It says it all in just a few words.
I like to apply the same message to basketball. Show a team a play, they'll score for a game. Teach a team TO play, they'll score for a lifetime. Clear, powerful, simple. All that needs to be said. I guess I am a self-described purist. I believe basketball is best when you just play. It isn't hard or complicated. It is a simple game. Beat your man, put the ball in the basket. Guard your man and keep him from putting the ball in the basket. That's really all there is to it. Coaches complicate basketball. Yes, I said it. It's true. Basketball is complicated by coaches who think they have the next miracle offense or sure scoring play. That's not me.
I don't believe in having 62 set plays and a playbook that is 2 inches thick. Believe me, it's not necessary. Kids have trouble remembering so many plays. They also get locked into running those plays. They get so focused on running the play that is called, they will run that play no matter what the defense does. If the defense knows the play and is already in position to defend it, the kids will still try to run the play. They'll force it. After all, that is what they are told. Run the play. So they run the play, and it doesn't work. The kids don't know when to deviate from the play and take what the defense gives them.
I have seen all kinds of teams win with the old school techniques that were used back in the day. Back in the day, to me, would be the 50's and 60's that my dad told me about when I was growing up. When teams used the pick n roll, the give n go and players were constantly in motion. Back in the day growing up in New Castle I watched Indiana and Bob Knight on channel 4 run the motion offense for the entire game and beat everyone they played, any and all comers no matter what they did or what kind of defense they played. Motion. The act of moving. Not standing or being still. I loved it then. I love it now. I believe that is all you need to win basketball games.
Give 'em a framework. From my point of view, that is what a motion offense is. It is a framework. A framework with rules. The rules of the motion offense are simple. Make a pass and go somewhere. Sometimes the rule is pass and cut through the lane. Sometimes the rule is pass and screen the ball. Sometimes the rule is pass and screen away. Sometimes the rules are combined. Whatever the rule, everyone is constantly moving. The ball shouldn't stop or stay in one place. Just constant passing, moving, screening and cutting all over the court until someone is open. Ideally, the best shot you can get in a motion offense is a layup. The idea is to keep moving until the defense gets tired of playing defense. Some people call this the "slow down game". I call it smart basketball. Now don't get me wrong. I love to run up and down the floor. My teams are taught to run every chance we get. If we can get a steal or a rebound and beat the other team down the floor and score, there is nothing better than that. I will take that every time. However, if we don't have a fast break or we don't get a good shot off of our break, we run the motion offense. It's called taking what the defense gives you.
Take what the defense gives you. You hear it all the time. Dwayne Wade said it at halftime of game 2 in the finals. He was asked about his agressive tendencies on offense and how he was getting to the basket. He said he was "just taking what the defense gives me." This is a difficult concept to teach to young players. Each defense is based on giving up something, according to my friend and colleague, Nathaniel Wills. Nathaniel is the Director of the Hoosier Hoops Basketball Club for which I am a board member and a coach. A man to man defense gives up the drive to the basket. You will hear coaches say, "make him a driver." This is done by getting close to your man and making him drive to the basket rather than letting him shoot. A zone defense is designed to give up the outside shot and take away the drive. Trapping defenses are designed to create turnovers and give up the over-the-top pass and the easy basket. In every situation the offense has to recognize what the defense is giving you and take advantage of that. Nowhere is this more true than in the motion offense. There are so many possiblities.
Give 'em a framework. A motion can be run against any kind of defense. The principals are the same. Screen the ball, screen away, screen the top of the zone, the bottom of the zone. Pass, cut, find the open spots. 3 out, 2 in. Screen down screen away. 4 out, 1 in. 5 out pass and cut motion. Cut through. Cut across. Back door cut, flare cut. Drive the gaps. Pick n roll, give n go. These are all things you would hear at one of our practices or games. The idea is to teach the kids to play the game. Not just run plays. The better a kid understands the game, the better player he will be. The framework is designed to bring out a kids instincts. Make him learn what to do in different situations. Not teach him to run a different set play every trip down the floor. Give 'em a framework. It will make them better basketball players.
I like to apply the same message to basketball. Show a team a play, they'll score for a game. Teach a team TO play, they'll score for a lifetime. Clear, powerful, simple. All that needs to be said. I guess I am a self-described purist. I believe basketball is best when you just play. It isn't hard or complicated. It is a simple game. Beat your man, put the ball in the basket. Guard your man and keep him from putting the ball in the basket. That's really all there is to it. Coaches complicate basketball. Yes, I said it. It's true. Basketball is complicated by coaches who think they have the next miracle offense or sure scoring play. That's not me.
I don't believe in having 62 set plays and a playbook that is 2 inches thick. Believe me, it's not necessary. Kids have trouble remembering so many plays. They also get locked into running those plays. They get so focused on running the play that is called, they will run that play no matter what the defense does. If the defense knows the play and is already in position to defend it, the kids will still try to run the play. They'll force it. After all, that is what they are told. Run the play. So they run the play, and it doesn't work. The kids don't know when to deviate from the play and take what the defense gives them.
I have seen all kinds of teams win with the old school techniques that were used back in the day. Back in the day, to me, would be the 50's and 60's that my dad told me about when I was growing up. When teams used the pick n roll, the give n go and players were constantly in motion. Back in the day growing up in New Castle I watched Indiana and Bob Knight on channel 4 run the motion offense for the entire game and beat everyone they played, any and all comers no matter what they did or what kind of defense they played. Motion. The act of moving. Not standing or being still. I loved it then. I love it now. I believe that is all you need to win basketball games.
Give 'em a framework. From my point of view, that is what a motion offense is. It is a framework. A framework with rules. The rules of the motion offense are simple. Make a pass and go somewhere. Sometimes the rule is pass and cut through the lane. Sometimes the rule is pass and screen the ball. Sometimes the rule is pass and screen away. Sometimes the rules are combined. Whatever the rule, everyone is constantly moving. The ball shouldn't stop or stay in one place. Just constant passing, moving, screening and cutting all over the court until someone is open. Ideally, the best shot you can get in a motion offense is a layup. The idea is to keep moving until the defense gets tired of playing defense. Some people call this the "slow down game". I call it smart basketball. Now don't get me wrong. I love to run up and down the floor. My teams are taught to run every chance we get. If we can get a steal or a rebound and beat the other team down the floor and score, there is nothing better than that. I will take that every time. However, if we don't have a fast break or we don't get a good shot off of our break, we run the motion offense. It's called taking what the defense gives you.
Take what the defense gives you. You hear it all the time. Dwayne Wade said it at halftime of game 2 in the finals. He was asked about his agressive tendencies on offense and how he was getting to the basket. He said he was "just taking what the defense gives me." This is a difficult concept to teach to young players. Each defense is based on giving up something, according to my friend and colleague, Nathaniel Wills. Nathaniel is the Director of the Hoosier Hoops Basketball Club for which I am a board member and a coach. A man to man defense gives up the drive to the basket. You will hear coaches say, "make him a driver." This is done by getting close to your man and making him drive to the basket rather than letting him shoot. A zone defense is designed to give up the outside shot and take away the drive. Trapping defenses are designed to create turnovers and give up the over-the-top pass and the easy basket. In every situation the offense has to recognize what the defense is giving you and take advantage of that. Nowhere is this more true than in the motion offense. There are so many possiblities.
Give 'em a framework. A motion can be run against any kind of defense. The principals are the same. Screen the ball, screen away, screen the top of the zone, the bottom of the zone. Pass, cut, find the open spots. 3 out, 2 in. Screen down screen away. 4 out, 1 in. 5 out pass and cut motion. Cut through. Cut across. Back door cut, flare cut. Drive the gaps. Pick n roll, give n go. These are all things you would hear at one of our practices or games. The idea is to teach the kids to play the game. Not just run plays. The better a kid understands the game, the better player he will be. The framework is designed to bring out a kids instincts. Make him learn what to do in different situations. Not teach him to run a different set play every trip down the floor. Give 'em a framework. It will make them better basketball players.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
There is no magic pill
One thing I know is that there is no magic pill when it comes to being a good basketball player. You have to pick up the pill, the rock, the roundball, the orange, and you have to put in the time on your own. You can't just show up at practice or at a court, pick up a ball and expect to be good. There are very few players with God-given talent and athletic ability that can do that. However, if you are like 98% (educated guess) of the players out there, there is no substitute for hard work.
I've known some pretty good players who never pick up a basketball between March and October, and when basketball season comes around they haven't improved much, if at all, from the previous season. Top level players put in the work all year 'round. The key is to get out and work, and play. It is absolutely necessary to put in the time on your own. Those top level players work on every aspect of their games. They shoot, and shoot and shoot some more, putting up thousands of shots a day. Even hundreds of shots a day is better than no shots at all. They dribble, one ball and two balls. They work on post moves, one on one moves, footwork and agility. One example of this was Kobe Bryant, one of the best to ever play the game. A couple of years ago, he called Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the best post players of all time. He went back to work to improve his post play and the following season it showed.
One of the most difficult aspects of coaching AAU basketball is that practice time is very limited. The team I coach practices about 4 hours a week. Time is spent on overall team development, offense, defense and whatever we struggled with the week before. There is not sufficient time to spend on shooting and individual player development. It has to be done outside of practice. This is something that my coaches and I try to instill in all of our players.
We have 10 pretty good basketball players, but each and every one of them has things that they need to improve upon. All it takes is the willingness to put in the time and effort to work on their game on their own time. It doesn't take all day. Just an hour or two a day would help to improve their games. Some of the kids we have put in the time and some don't. At times it is easy to tell the difference. It is also necessary to play. In my opinion, all the skill work and shooting in the world is only good if you play the game. There is no other way to simulate game situations and the speed of the game if you don't go play.
Just about anyone can improve their skills and their play. All it takes is hard work. Some will improve and others will not. As I said, we have 10 pretty good players. All of them have the potential to be excellent basketball players. They can improve their skills and their athletic ability, if they are willing to do the work.
Unfortunately, I have seen other players that no matter what they do, they will never develop into good players. This can happen for a number of reasons. Perhaps it is a lack of athletic ability. Perhaps it is just a skill set that some players will never have. These are the players that have to accept reality for what it is. Maybe they won't be able to play competitively, or for their schools. But if they love the game they should never stop playing. Anyone can play basketball, but not everyone can be good at it.
In my own personal experiences, I've had highs and lows. I was never athletically gifted. I had to work hard to improve my skills and athleticism, and I did this everyday when I was growing up. Of course when I was growing up, there was no Playstation or XBox and nothing more exciting to do than to go out and play. As I got older, I got comfortable and slacked off more and more. I became more social and had better things to do. I was also stubborn and hard-headed. My father, rest his soul, was never an athlete. He played a little football in high school, but he was a dedicated sports fan. When it came to sports he knew what he was talking about. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years in high school he tried to tell me that I was wasting my summer and making a huge mistake. I thought I was good enough to play and I skipped open gym that summer. I didn't go once. After all, back then coaches couldn't do any coaching. They couldn't even be in the gym. Who would know if I didn't show up. By this time I was 6'5" and 200 lbs. I thought I had it made. Then came tryouts for basketball. I did ok. But at the end of tryouts, there were a few of us that were called to the bleachers to speak with the coaches. We were all asked why we didn't show up to open gym over the summer. Some said they didn't know about it. But I knew, and I tried to make excuses. I was busy, and I played baseball all summer. It fell on deaf ears and I was cut. It was one of the worst days I can remember, having to go home and tell my father I didn't make the team. It broke his heart, and I think it hurt him worse than it did me. Of course, he never said anything, didn't say "I told you so." But I knew he was thinking it, and I knew he was right.
The next year, I didn't even try out. But I went back to work. I played as much as I could. I put in the extra work that was necessary. And the summer before my senior year, I went to open gym every day. As it turns out, my father WAS right. My hard work paid off and I made my varsity team as a senior. It was one of my proudest moments. I even walked on at Anderson University and played college basketball for two years. The point is, if young players read this or if you know young players out there, tell them this. Tell them to listen to their parents, or their coaches or their mentors. There is no substitute for hard work. Tell them to put in the time and the effort, and it will pay off in the end.
I've known some pretty good players who never pick up a basketball between March and October, and when basketball season comes around they haven't improved much, if at all, from the previous season. Top level players put in the work all year 'round. The key is to get out and work, and play. It is absolutely necessary to put in the time on your own. Those top level players work on every aspect of their games. They shoot, and shoot and shoot some more, putting up thousands of shots a day. Even hundreds of shots a day is better than no shots at all. They dribble, one ball and two balls. They work on post moves, one on one moves, footwork and agility. One example of this was Kobe Bryant, one of the best to ever play the game. A couple of years ago, he called Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the best post players of all time. He went back to work to improve his post play and the following season it showed.
One of the most difficult aspects of coaching AAU basketball is that practice time is very limited. The team I coach practices about 4 hours a week. Time is spent on overall team development, offense, defense and whatever we struggled with the week before. There is not sufficient time to spend on shooting and individual player development. It has to be done outside of practice. This is something that my coaches and I try to instill in all of our players.
We have 10 pretty good basketball players, but each and every one of them has things that they need to improve upon. All it takes is the willingness to put in the time and effort to work on their game on their own time. It doesn't take all day. Just an hour or two a day would help to improve their games. Some of the kids we have put in the time and some don't. At times it is easy to tell the difference. It is also necessary to play. In my opinion, all the skill work and shooting in the world is only good if you play the game. There is no other way to simulate game situations and the speed of the game if you don't go play.
Just about anyone can improve their skills and their play. All it takes is hard work. Some will improve and others will not. As I said, we have 10 pretty good players. All of them have the potential to be excellent basketball players. They can improve their skills and their athletic ability, if they are willing to do the work.
Unfortunately, I have seen other players that no matter what they do, they will never develop into good players. This can happen for a number of reasons. Perhaps it is a lack of athletic ability. Perhaps it is just a skill set that some players will never have. These are the players that have to accept reality for what it is. Maybe they won't be able to play competitively, or for their schools. But if they love the game they should never stop playing. Anyone can play basketball, but not everyone can be good at it.
In my own personal experiences, I've had highs and lows. I was never athletically gifted. I had to work hard to improve my skills and athleticism, and I did this everyday when I was growing up. Of course when I was growing up, there was no Playstation or XBox and nothing more exciting to do than to go out and play. As I got older, I got comfortable and slacked off more and more. I became more social and had better things to do. I was also stubborn and hard-headed. My father, rest his soul, was never an athlete. He played a little football in high school, but he was a dedicated sports fan. When it came to sports he knew what he was talking about. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years in high school he tried to tell me that I was wasting my summer and making a huge mistake. I thought I was good enough to play and I skipped open gym that summer. I didn't go once. After all, back then coaches couldn't do any coaching. They couldn't even be in the gym. Who would know if I didn't show up. By this time I was 6'5" and 200 lbs. I thought I had it made. Then came tryouts for basketball. I did ok. But at the end of tryouts, there were a few of us that were called to the bleachers to speak with the coaches. We were all asked why we didn't show up to open gym over the summer. Some said they didn't know about it. But I knew, and I tried to make excuses. I was busy, and I played baseball all summer. It fell on deaf ears and I was cut. It was one of the worst days I can remember, having to go home and tell my father I didn't make the team. It broke his heart, and I think it hurt him worse than it did me. Of course, he never said anything, didn't say "I told you so." But I knew he was thinking it, and I knew he was right.
The next year, I didn't even try out. But I went back to work. I played as much as I could. I put in the extra work that was necessary. And the summer before my senior year, I went to open gym every day. As it turns out, my father WAS right. My hard work paid off and I made my varsity team as a senior. It was one of my proudest moments. I even walked on at Anderson University and played college basketball for two years. The point is, if young players read this or if you know young players out there, tell them this. Tell them to listen to their parents, or their coaches or their mentors. There is no substitute for hard work. Tell them to put in the time and the effort, and it will pay off in the end.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Who said it's not all about winning?
I have watched my two oldest boys grow up in the touchy feely world of youth sports where everyone gets a trophy and everyone gets equal playing time. This is great for very young athletes in recreational leagues and I have no problem with it. However, at some point the mentality of kids has to change. I have watched my 14 year old son and his classmates grow up in and progress through this modern day world of youth sports. By the time they got to around the 4th grade, and began competing in competitive travel basketball leagues, the equal playing time and it's ok to lose as long as everyone has fun mentality was actually a detriment. These kids had a difficult time transitioning from this mentality to one of a competitive, winning nature. If they won it was great. If they lost it was ok. But they were playing against kids that wanted to beat them in every aspect of the game. Their opponents wanted to win and they were willing to do whatever was necessary on the basketball court to make that happen. It was a rude awakening.
In the game of basketball, the team that is the aggressor and the team plays harder, especially during the grade school years, is usually the team that wins regardless of talent. We had talented kids, but the will to compete and to win had not yet been instilled. On a similar note, we had great kids with great parents. Their parents had done a wonderful job of teaching each and everyone of them to "play nice". However, this was a problem on the basketball court. The kids were too nice. This issue was made worse by the fact that our kids were from a small school where there was not alot of competition for spots on the team. They didn't have to compete for a spot and they could be nice on and off the court because they were all friends. This was clearly a disadvantage when our kids started competing against kids from bigger schools.
Thus began the process of trying to teach these kids one of the most difficult mental concepts in sports. They had to learn how to switch their mentality, from playing nice to being a competitor. They first had to learn the difference between playing nice and being a good sport, which is a subject for an entire blog in itself. There is no room to play nice in the world of competitive basketball, however being a good sport is always possible and expected. The game is rough and physical and not for the timid. A player has to be tough, both mentally and physically. The game brings out the best of the competitive nature in each player as long as they are willing to compete. The manner in which games are officiated in today's game makes it absolutely necessary to be tough, to compete and to scrap and claw on every possession. In other words, what I call "not playing nice". It is not advisable to be nice on the court or to take plays off. Some of the kids caught on right away and were able to make the switch. Others are still trying, and continue to struggle with this concept over five years later.
Being competitive and wanting to win is a difficult concept to understand and accept when you have been raised to play nice. However, it is a concept that must be accepted if a young athlete hopes to compete in the rough and tumble world of competitive basketball when there are so many players out there. Kids have to realize that it is ok to "not play nice" during the game, and switch back to being nice after the game. And I am certain that their parents will understand and accept this fact as they grow older and continue their playing career.
In the game of basketball, the team that is the aggressor and the team plays harder, especially during the grade school years, is usually the team that wins regardless of talent. We had talented kids, but the will to compete and to win had not yet been instilled. On a similar note, we had great kids with great parents. Their parents had done a wonderful job of teaching each and everyone of them to "play nice". However, this was a problem on the basketball court. The kids were too nice. This issue was made worse by the fact that our kids were from a small school where there was not alot of competition for spots on the team. They didn't have to compete for a spot and they could be nice on and off the court because they were all friends. This was clearly a disadvantage when our kids started competing against kids from bigger schools.
Thus began the process of trying to teach these kids one of the most difficult mental concepts in sports. They had to learn how to switch their mentality, from playing nice to being a competitor. They first had to learn the difference between playing nice and being a good sport, which is a subject for an entire blog in itself. There is no room to play nice in the world of competitive basketball, however being a good sport is always possible and expected. The game is rough and physical and not for the timid. A player has to be tough, both mentally and physically. The game brings out the best of the competitive nature in each player as long as they are willing to compete. The manner in which games are officiated in today's game makes it absolutely necessary to be tough, to compete and to scrap and claw on every possession. In other words, what I call "not playing nice". It is not advisable to be nice on the court or to take plays off. Some of the kids caught on right away and were able to make the switch. Others are still trying, and continue to struggle with this concept over five years later.
Being competitive and wanting to win is a difficult concept to understand and accept when you have been raised to play nice. However, it is a concept that must be accepted if a young athlete hopes to compete in the rough and tumble world of competitive basketball when there are so many players out there. Kids have to realize that it is ok to "not play nice" during the game, and switch back to being nice after the game. And I am certain that their parents will understand and accept this fact as they grow older and continue their playing career.
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