Within the last two weeks I have started coaching my 11 year old’s basketball team. Basketball is definitely not my first sport. It’s maybe my 3rd or 4th sport that I feel most comfortable coaching. I really enjoy the game of basketball and I’ve been around the game more in the last 3 years than I have the previous 10. I played through sophomore year in high school but I can honestly say I didn’t gain an in depth knowledge of the game. I love to play pick-up games and I’m one of the few people I know that will still sit down and watch an NBA game (Go Cavs). But I don’t know how to successfully run different offenses and I’m limited on what drills I know. I say all this to say I think I’m like a lot of people who coach their kids. I have a feel for the game but I lack a level of depth and knowledge.
For a lot of parents, this could completely derail any desire to coach. But I don’t think it has to. In fact, I think the majority of parents coaching at the youth level are probably in the same boat. It’s pretty rare that a college or professional athlete or coach is coaching your kids youth teams. So what do we do if we want to coach, or feel obligated to coach but we lack knowledge of the game? Let me talk through a few suggestions that can help you and your players’ experience.
Accept the face that you don’t know what you don’t know. It is completely okay that you’re not Steve Kerr or Phil Jackson. You don’t need to be. What your players need is a positive experience. They don’t need to know the details of the triangle offense, they need to have a coach that will be encouraging, positive, and patient. Be as positive as you possibly can.
Don’t over-coach. One of the best pieces of advice from one of my former coaches is, “If you don’t know if what you’re saying is actually going to help, you’re probably better off not saying much.” Sometimes we see our team struggling and we may take it personally or feel like we’re not doing enough. Often the immediate reaction is to do something or say something. But if you don’t know if what you’re saying is actually going to help, you’re better off keeping quiet and letting them play.
Give your team some basic goals that don’t have to do with the specific sport. Every team I coach have heard me talk about our team goals. Usually they sound something like this: Have a Great Attitude, Give a Great Effort, Be a Great Teammate, Work Hard to Improve. So I encourage the players and the team to focus on a few things that don’t have to do with the specific sport. Because not every kid can shoot a shot from the elbow, but every kid can be a great teammate. Not every kid can block a ball in the dirt, but every kid can be a great teammate. When we focus more on becoming better people and challenging ourselves to be better, it allows us to have a more positive conversation. Don’t over-focus on the in game mistakes, but focus more on becoming a better person and team.
Be relatable and let them fail. At basketball practice the other day we were working on basic one foot layups. I am awful with my left hand. Like really really bad. I never practiced as much as I should’ve as a kid. So I explained that to my team. I told them I was going to show them a left handed lay up and I told them I’m terrible at. Even though that statement was true, I also said it to be more relatable. I want them to be okay with failing because they’ll never get any better without it. I didn’t practice left hand layups as a kid because I didn’t want to fail. We all know you can’t get better at something you’ve never done before without a level of failure. So be relatable and let them know it’s okay to fail.
Always leave games and practices on a positive note. Trust me I’ve had games and practices that have frustrated me immensely. I’ve yelled at my teams and players before. But I also have a good awareness of when I can and when I can’t. For example, the baseball team I coach has had the same kids on it for the last 3 years. So I know those kids very well. I know their families very well. I know when they’re giving a great effort and I know when they’re dogging it. So I know I can get on them a little bit harder than other teams. I do not yell at players for not being able to do a specific skill but I will get on a player or team for their lack of effort. You can raise your voice but make sure it ends in encouragement. Let them know that when practice or game is over with and we need to be better. Make sure you include yourself as well coach! Don’t draw a line and put them on one side and you on the other. Make sure you’re talking in a collective sense that we all have to improve, coaches included.
You DO NOT need to be an expert. In fact, it’s very unlikely to find youth coaches with college or professional experience. Just remember it’s not about the specific skills of the game, it’s about the experience. These kids haven’t reached their adult bodies yet so you never know what can happen in years to come. I’ve seen kids who were tiny at age 10 turn out to be huge in high school. I’ve seen kids that seemed huge at age 12 turn out to be pretty average sized in high school. My point is you need foster a positive experience so these kids want to keep playing. You never know where they’ll be in a few years and it’s a shame to see a kid quit over a bad experience with a coach.
Remember: you don’t know what you don’t know. Don’t over-coach. Create basic goals that don’t have to do with the specific sport. Be relatable and let them fail. Always leave on a positive note. And most important have some fun and be a positive influence!
Thanks for reading,
Kyle Hanna
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