Coach, this doesn't make sense!

So it all started with rolling a basketball.

In a simple drill, I call Paired Passing, we get partners to face each other with a ball in their right hand. In an athletic stance, they roll it to each other which basically forces their partner to stop it and return it with their left hand. This rolling continues for a 20-count then they proceed to do the same while crossing sideline to sideline. From there, we go from rolling it to other things like passing, pass off the dribble etc.

"Coach, this doesn't make sense"

Although it's a simple drill, its the first step in a progression to becoming a two-handed player - today it's rolling, tomorrow it's passing, dribbling the next and then shooting. But like all complicated things, it has to start simple and we build it up from there.

"OK, I don't get it but I'll do it"

I also like Paired Passing because it's fun and quite hilarious to watch basketballs go flying left, right and center because some Girls are just not that coordinated. However it's my job to make them aware of their weaknesses, define it as an area for improvement and then work on it within the context of my master plan (I think anytime you say master plan, you must say Muwahaha! and curl your imaginary evil mustache but I digress)

"Thinking, talking, moving and rolling is harder than I thought"

The other upside is the communication factor. In order to succeed from a coordination and movement perspective, they need to communicate. Now I don't tell them what to say, as a unit, they need to sort that out for themselves. Do we call names? Do we count? Do we whistle? How about we bat eyelids? Whatever works to be honest because that's how we have to do it in games.

Even to the trained eye, the things I do to develop my teams are sometimes unorthodox and way, way out there (ask me about balloon ball-handling one day) but we will have fun, we will see improvement in your skill, we will see a greater contribution from you in games and as your confidence grows, in life.

"So you're saying I'm going to be a two-handed player someday"

Yes, Someday ... and who knows, you might even get to play for Aik and the Ferns (see below) ;)

  

Doesn't it always start like this?

We had our first Junior A practice on Tuesday and it was strange to look at a team list with a lot of unfamiliar names on it. With the majority of last year’s team moving into Seniors, there are only two veterans left and the rest are a mixture of promoted Year Tens and a handful of Year Nines. For our first practice, I drew up a list of drills emphasizing fundamentals like ball-handling, passing/catching and shooting; lots and lots of shooting.

There's an old adage in basketball that when you select players for a team, Choose Shooters over Defenders, because you can always teach a Shooter to defend but you can't always teach a Defender to shoot. Although there is an ounce of truth in that, at the high school level I believe most Coaches live by an even older adage; Beggars can't be Choosers, because in many cases, we are not responsible for the talent that tries out or their history.

Obviously you can imagine my disappointment when only half the team turned up to training. Apparently Tuesdays after school is a really bad time to schedule trainings because it clashes with another in-season sport. My fantastic practice plan needed an urgent rework to fit the numbers and still achieve what I had set out to do; but to say I was peeved (on the inside of course) would be an understatement. Now don't get me wrong, I understand the priority (in-season over pre-season) and players should definitely fulfill their commitment to their in-season sports and activities.

However, becoming a member of any team, regardless of whether it's in-season or not, still requires commitment, communication as well as common courtesy especially in terms of attendance. We all know about the repercussions that missing players create for Coaches in terms of planning and practice, so I won't go into that too much other than saying that there will be words said and some discipline dealt at our next training.

Going forward, I want these girls to understand that although we have many commitments in our lives, learning to prioritize and communicate those priorities to everyone affected ensures that not only will they get to do what they want to do, but those affected by their absence can also plan accordingly and achieve what they want to do as well.

At the end of the day and even with half the team present, we still had a very good fundamentals workout. I got to see their work ethic as well as things to address at future practices (e.g. Form shooting and Lay-ups 101; here we come). I'm really pleased with what I saw and look forward to seeing how things go with everyone on board Friday.