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I'm coaching Middle School basketball this year-- advice?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 848
  • Start date Start date
ElRoach0 said:
It's not like I know anything, but I didn't know crap about screens or pick n roll. If I were you It'd be this:

1. FunDamentals
2. Pick/Screen domination
3. Advanced Screens without the ball
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This really confuses people. Screening for a post should get you at least a couple layups a game
 
LazyD said:
This really confuses people. Screening for a post should get you at least a couple layups a game
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If its too confusing for your middle schoolers, maybe they need coaching more than you think.

Once they start thinking more fluidly it'll give them a leg up in high school
 
Lots of good info here. Archie's point of Press is a good one for sure, and unless you're coaching a Wardball team, don't listen to Colton. That is why there is Jr. Jazz and churchball; so everyone can participate and have fun. Nothing builds team character and moral like winning; nothing crushes it more than losing. So, press, off the ball screens, pick and roll like a mother freaka, and conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. If your guys are fresher in the 4th quarter than the other team, you almost can't lose.
 
At this age, you will win or lose based on three things:

1 - If you are better conditioned than the other team
2 - If you play defense
3 - If you have a kid you can give the ball to on offense and get everyone else out of the way

If you don't have a lot of practice time, run them for half of practice, go over defense the other half. Screw FT's and an offense. Find your kid or two (hopefully two) that you can play a two man game with, and AK the other three in the corner on offense.

If winning and losing doesn't matter yet, then do all the other touchy-feely crap (FT's, playing time, screens, etc). If wins matter, then those three things will get you wins every time. Basketball is basketball, and the team that uses their best player the most effectively wins the most.

Defense = easy transition points. Conditioning + defense = tons of easy transition points in the 4th. Conditioning + defense + best player on the court = tons of wins.
 
green said:
At this age, you will win or lose based on three things:

1 - If you are better conditioned than the other team
2 - If you play defense
3 - If you have a kid you can give the ball to on offense and get everyone else out of the way

Defense = easy transition points. Conditioning + defense = tons of easy transition points in the 4th. Conditioning + defense + best player on the court = tons of wins.
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Transition points are only easy when you make your layups in transition. My daughter is currently on the middle school JV team, and that's an issue (I don't think dalamon has said if this is a boys or girls team, and whether it's V or JV). In the games I've seen them win, it's been by getting a lot of offensive rebounds or by running a basic offense (they have one offense for zones, another for man-to-man coverage).

It's an odd team, though. Many times, they start the two tallest and two shortest players from either side.
 
dalamon said:
There's a couple that have potential. Any specific ways/methods that you yourself would do this, personally?
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Despite ugli and archies advice... a lot of leagues (depending on talent level) don't allow teams to full court press since they are just kids after all.

My advice is to make sure they are having fun first and try to win second.... again depending on the level of the league you are in
 
Teach the ones who are stocky how to box out. Chances are they suck at actual basketball, so this will help them feel like they contribute to the team. Also, it would help with the fast break if you teach them to rebound and get an outlet pass to the guards who are already running as soon as the shot comes off the rim. That's what my junior jazz coach taught me to do, and I initiated tons of fast breaks, and our team scored a ton of points that way. To this day, my only real basketball skill is that I am kind of decent at rebounding.
 
11-13 are great ages to coach - many kids at this age have developed at least a little skill and most of them are not yet pre-occupied with girls or other distractions. I coached baseball and basketball for this age group and had a blast.
 
AKMVP said:
Pretty much my thoughts. Make sure they understand it is TEAM game first and the most fun they will have if they share the ball. They need to understand their roles and that rebound or steal could be more important that 3 pointer. And what colton said, even if you have absolute useless kids they still are part of the team and need to play, give them roles of screen setting or inbounds plays or whatever just to keep them involved. Most important - have fun! Don't teach or run to many plays - 3-4 basic plays is plenty at this level ( pick and roll, three, horns and zone buster with baseline swinger would be my choices ).
Oh, and if you ever have road trip to Calgary let me know, I will make sure to come and watch them play.
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I'll letcha know.


From what I can tell, I'll definitely be focusing on conditioning and fundamentals for most of this season. Thanks for the input y'all! Feel free to keep sharing
 
candrew said:
11-13 are great ages to coach - many kids at this age have developed at least a little skill and most of them are not yet pre-occupied with girls or other distractions. I coached baseball and basketball for this age group and had a blast.
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You're 100% right. I've met most of the kids, and it definitely is an awesome age to work with, man.
 
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