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Coach Ronn

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Coach Ronn last won the day on November 6 2015

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  1. Fellow Coaches: I have been absent from this forum for several months, while I prepared my new site and phased out my old site. I was amazed, in coming back in today, that no one has queried since March. I know there are lots of coaches and parents out there trying to get the information and answers they need to be able to better teach their youngsters. I know, because I answer a lot of emails from around the world with these "needs to know". At the beginning of May I published an article that may resonate with many parents out there, dealing with being an absent parent during the developing years of your son or daughter. My sons wanted to be part of this article, because it was meaningful for them, since they and I were not together when they grew up. If this strikes home for some of you, here's the article address: http://www.top-basketball-coaching.com/May_2007.html I hope we will begin to build this forum back up again. Yours in Sort & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  2. Hey JR: Welcome to the group. It's too bad other YMCA and other youth coaches don't "discover" what you have with the treasure trove of information to be found in this forum. Many youth and inexperienced coaches seek ways to teach skills they have never had to deal with, and find help here, by networking with other coaches with similar needs, and hearing from coaches who've been around for a while. You are the wise one who has been directed to a place of help. Take some time and explore the many posts over the last year or so and you'll find coaches seeking direction and coaches helping find that direction. I spent a couple of years directing a BB program at one of our local Y's and I know first-hand the need for youth coaches to find ways and means to work with their kids. So many parents are out there volunteering in order to be with their own kids, but they may have little or no knowledge for teaching the game. You're in the right place to get tips to help your situation. Perhaps you could direct some of your fellow coaches to come here and take a look. Best of luck to you. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  3. Dear Dad: The pain of repeating a grade now should be minimal, while the reward later could be significant--athletically and socially. I was in that same situation and I wished my parents had started me a year later. I was 17 in Dec., competing against those already 18 and 19 by spring. I entered college at 17. I was a good athlete, however, I feel the extra year of maturity would have done me well. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  4. Hey, Dad: Bottom line--these girls have no basketball knowledge/experience, consequently no savvy for the game. They are doing well to stay with other teams. They are neophytes--like 7-8 y.o. trying to play for the first time. But they do have athletic skills, even if they don't have good "hand" skills. Soccer has a lot of similarities to basketball, just played on a larger field. They play zone and man defense. They have to stay between the ball and the goal on defense. They have to cover players off the ball. They fast break and fill "lanes" with the soccer ball. On offense, they have spacing and passing to move the ball toward the goal. They even do a weave in soccer. I have used all these things in the past to get soccer, field hockey and ice hockey players to relate to the game of basketball. Teach them good defense and how to fast break. Teach them how to finish a break and work on rebounding and all kinds of finishing techniques. Next year, they'll be that much better. It's always a learning curve. Teaching a soccer player, who hasn't got hand coordination, how to shoot will take time. Best luck to a Dad who cares and is trying to provide a wonderful experience for the girls. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  5. David: There are lots of posts in this forum addressing just the issues you are facing. I highly suggest going through these, as there are a number of pertinent points aimed at your issues. My best wishes for your success. God Bless the volunteers. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  6. Hi Tony: Just recently the same question was posed for a neophyte coach of 6-year olds. There isn't much difference between that age and your group. My advice for you would be the same as for the other coach--fundamentals, including defense, lots of things to understand the game, lots of freeze action when you do practice in order to correct things immediately, little emphasis on team offense and defense--they won't grasp it, especially if they have trouble with the basics of offense and defense. FUN should be #1 at this age. Here's my answer to the other coach. Hope this helps. Coach Ronn Dear Coach: At this level, everything should be fun--for them and for you. This is the perfect age to begin to get their attitudes aligned with what I call in my book ("Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching & Playing" due out next month), "right thinking". That is, to introduce the paradigm that winning is not the most important thing, but rather that doing one's best is. This may require changing your own thoughts about sports and winning too. So, while you are having fun with them, teach them to respect their individualites, and to respect their opponents, to understand that each child has a different learning curve, and that this is foremost a game to enjoy. The most enjoyment of the game, as they grow in the game, will come from their getting the basics correctly from the beginning, and becoming efficient with these. Paraphrasing the great coach, John Wooden, winning will be an outcome of all this. Preparation and attention to details by the coaches in teaching good skill ability will certainly enhance winning and enjoyment of the game. Coach Wooden said, that we have no control over how well the other teams prepare, nor how good their players are. We do have control over how well we prepare, and in trying our best--being the best we can be--we are winners. Just as important as the tips you seek, perhaps about organizing practices and what should be taught at this level, and any drills which might be used in that teaching, is developing your own philosophy about teaching and what is important both to the game and to the life lessons you bring to the growth of the child. In Sept., I shared an article on this forum, "Parents Who Coach". I certainly recommend reading that. I would also direct you to some other articles, which I have posted on my blog , relating to this same topic, and in beginning to teach the fundamdntals. (http://higherlevelbasketball.blogini.com) Some earlier threads on this forum, which may be helpful for you: Youth Development And The Competition Factor, Back To Basics, F.U.N.C.T. Too, this forum, and others, bring a lot of shared insights which can be helpful for you now and later on. I suggest you start with these youngsters with some talk about the game: the floor, the lines, showing where things are located, where players lineup, the names for positions, etc. All the time, bring in explanations about rules. These young players will probably have balance and control issues. Show them a ready stance, impress the importance of the stance for balance, quick movement and control. Balance and control are key at every level, and here it will help them to begin to have confidence in playing the game. Remember to pay attention to the details. With these issues, they can begin to get into movement (without a ball) drills to reinforce what you have taught. Then get into ball handling drills, passing, dribbling, rebounding, moving with the ball, defense, etc. A lot to teach and no hurry to teach it correctly! At the risk of sounding commercial, my DVD covers all these things I just mentioned, in great detail. Don't take my word for this. Read the testimonials and see for yourself at, www.BasketballOnATriangle.com. I hope this has been helpful. The youth of today need direction, compassion, skill building and to be recoginzed for their individual humanity, not just to be treated as higher level players of the future. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  7. CoachDad: There is a plethora of material available on www.Y-coach.com. Also, my DVD covers every individual aspect of teaching the game, and you may find that helpful. (www.basketballonatriangle.com) If there is anything specific about the areas you have specified, we can try to cover that in this forum. There are some topics we've covered in the past you can search for on this forum. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  8. Dear Coaches and Parents: So many questions and threads appear on this forum, as well as other basketball forums which I frequent, which beg information about how to coach, what to do first, how to teach the fundamentals, how to teach defense and which type of defense to use and at what level. I try to jump in when it deals with fundamentals, defense, developing coaching philosphy and attitudes, and where youth coaching issues are involved. I certainly realize that I can't be all things to all people, but I try to be one voice which may bring answers for those seeking them. With over 50 years in this game, I am able to bring a wealth of experience into helping others. My particular area of interest is in teaching coaches how to teach. I leave the team issues (offenses, defenses, pressing, special plays, etc. to others to cover) and concentrate on the elemental areas of what to teach and how to teach it. I am highly detailed, while at the same time keeping things simplistic. It is not my goal to be commercial in writing in this forum. However, if what I am talking about here strikes a chord with any of you--the things I do, the things I teach, are available on DVD. The book, which goes with the DVD set, and actually was completed first, will be out in November. This DVD set has been called the most in-depth virtual instructional tool for coaching or playing basketball available today. HERE’S WHAT YOU GET * 4 hours of jam packed “how to” information compiled on a 2-disc DVD set; * Details that are delivered with razor-like precision; * Revealing fresh insights into the world of teaching & learning basketball fundamentals; * Straight talking & targeted step-by-step methods for teaching/learning; * Each chapter builds in layers, overlaying the most basic technique teaching with more advanced techniques; *Every individual fundamental skill is covered and then position specific skills are taught. You are invited to peruse my website, www.BasketballOnATriangle.com, and see for yourself if what I have to offer resonates with your own needs. I also invite you to email me and become a member of my FREE newsletter, SPIRITUAL HOOPS. My e-address is bballonatriangle@cs.com. My goal is to help as many of you as I can who wish to grow your game. I regret I can't do that one person at a time, hence the bit of commercialism here. Again, I apologize for that. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  9. Dear Coach: At this level, everything should be fun--for them and for you. This is the perfect age to begin to get their attitudes aligned with what I call in my book ("Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching & Playing" due out next month), "right thinking". That is, to introduce the paradigm that winning is not the most important thing, but rather that doing one's best is. This may require changing your own thoughts about sports and winning too. So, while you are having fun with them, teach them to respect their individualites, and to respect their opponents, to understand that each child has a different learning curve, and that this is foremost a game to enjoy. The most enjoyment of the game, as they grow in the game, will come from their getting the basics correctly from the beginning, and becoming efficient with these. Paraphrasing the great coach, John Wooden, winning will be an outcome of all this. Preparation and attention to details by the coaches in teaching good skill ability will certainly enhance winning and enjoyment of the game. Coach Wooden said, that we have no control over how well the other teams prepare, nor how good their players are. We do have control over how well we prepare, and in trying our best--being the best we can be--we are winners. Just as important as the tips you seek, perhaps about organizing practices and what should be taught at this level, and any drills which might be used in that teaching, is developing your own philosophy about teaching and what is important both to the game and to the life lessons you bring to the growth of the child. In Sept., I shared an article on this forum, "Parents Who Coach". I certainly recommend reading that. I would also direct you to some other articles, which I have posted on my blog , relating to this same topic, and in beginning to teach the fundamdntals. (http://higherlevelbasketball.blogini.com) Some earlier threads on this forum, which may be helpful for you: Youth Development And The Competition Factor, Back To Basics, F.U.N.C.T. Too, this forum, and others, bring a lot of shared insights which can be helpful for you now and later on. I suggest you start with these youngsters with some talk about the game: the floor, the lines, showing where things are located, where players lineup, the names for positions, etc. All the time, bring in explanations about rules. These young players will probably have balance and control issues. Show them a ready stance, impress the importance of the stance for balance, quick movement and control. Balance and control are key at every level, and here it will help them to begin to have confidence in playing the game. Remember to pay attention to the details. With these issues, they can begin to get into movement (without a ball) drills to reinforce what you have taught. Then get into ball handling drills, passing, dribbling, rebounding, moving with the ball, defense, etc. A lot to teach and no hurry to teach it correctly! At the risk of sounding commercial, my DVD covers all these things I just mentioned, in great detail. Don't take my word for this. Read the testimonials and see for yourself at, www.BasketballOnATriangle.com. I hope this has been helpful. The youth of today need direction, compassion, skill building and to be recoginzed for their individual humanity, not just to be treated as higher level players of the future. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  10. Hello Coach. I am Ronn Wyckoff, or Coach Ronn. It's nice to have you as a contributor in this forum. I hope you will find and share ideas that you may learn from us and that we may learn from you. Too, I hope you have a wonderful experience with your time spent in this country. I have spent a lot of time teaching the game of basketball and playing in other countries, and that was one of the best times of my life. While I no longer coach the entire game, I do spend my time teaching other coaches how to teach fundamentals and to organize their teaching. I also work with high school students who wish to play in college. With both coaches and players, my promise is that I will take them to a higher level of coaching or playing. I will look forward to hearing more from you here. Yours in Sport and Spirit. Coach Ronn
  11. For all of you out there for whom this topic fits, I thought you might get something out of this article I ran across on the Net. All credits are given, if you'd like to check this out any further for yourselves. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn From VARSITYCOACHES.com comes this article by a coaching Dad with some very relevant advice for others who may find themselves "volunteering" to coach a youth sports team. Coaching Youth Sports Coaching youth sports is a challenge. Most of our kids are really happy to have us step up to the plate and coach and, despite the time we give up, most parents find the experience equally rewarding. However, there are some major things that every coach needs to do and understand before they start the season: 1) coach with the proper attitude; 2) coach with the proper fundamentals; and, 3) learn and teach the difference between the "Dad Hat" and the "Coach Hat". Coaching the Right Attitude We all love our kids and, let's face it; we also love playing sports with our kids. For me, it's the way that I spend most of my free time and it is right up there as one of my favorite things to do. That being said, I also need to realize that statistically, none of the kids that I coach will ever play professional sports, nearly all of them will not play sports in college, and many of them will not even play varsity sports in high school. So, what does this mean for us as a coach? We need to emphasize all the other aspects of sports and the life lessons that make us love playing the game. Mostly, we need to make the experience fun! In 1988, Robert Fulghum wrote the book "All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten". I've often told people that you can learn everything you need to know by playing sports - especially youth sports. Many of the same lessons apply, but on an even bigger scale where kids learn success and failure, wining and losing, sportsmanship and teamwork, and how to respond in many pressure situations. None of these are easy lessons. Winning with grace is just as hard to teach as losing with dignity. How can you do this and make sure that everybody has a great season? That's the trick. Every team you ever coach, especially teams with younger kids, will be split between kids that are talented and kids that are not. The goal that you have as a coach is to make sure that every one of those kids has a great experience and wants to play again next year. I take the most pride in the job I did as a coach when the worst kid on the team loves the sport and keeps playing year after year. The way that I do this is to emphasize things other than on field performance. Coaching the Right Fundamentals Kids of any age can learn to do things properly. They may not have the motor skills developed yet, but they can at least try to do it right. One of my favorite misconceptions is that "practice makes perfect". That's totally wrong; practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes PERMANENT. What I try to teach is: "Perfect Practice Makes Permanently Perfect". That's a pretty big difference! Of course, this really changes things for a youth coach because we need to teach the correct fundamentals or we'll simply be reinforcing the bad habits kids develop. The hardest thing to do as a coach is to try and correct a flaw that a kid has developed over years of "practice". This is even harder when the kid is good, because correcting the fundamental flaw generally means that getting worse before getting better. That means the kid is going to be reluctant to try this "new" way and may not stick it out. In the long run, the difference could be huge. The solution is simple: we need to learn the right fundamentals before we start coaching. It's a responsibility that we accept when we volunteer to coach. Now, up front, I want to make sure to state that most of us think we know much more about sports than we really do. That's simply not true. Much of what we learned was wrong. We may also not know the right way to communicate what we know to kids. Or, we may not know anything about the sport if we're stepping in and coaching soccer or another sport that wasn't "big" when we were young. Fortunately, there is help. Many leagues do a good job teaching their coaches the fundamentals of the game. Some leagues even offer mandatory coaching clinics for their coaches. These are really good starts, but generally not enough - especially as the kids you coach get older and better. Before every season that I coach, I'll watch several instructional tapes to review the fundamentals and also learn new material. I re-watch tapes, often with my kids that we've seen before and buy a couple of new ones to add some wrinkles. Of course, at SportsKids.com, we do offer 1,000's of instructional books and videos, but the point of this section is to simply say to use whatever method you choose to make sure that you teach correct fundamentals. Every kid, even young kids, can learn with good coaching and remember: "Practice makes Permanent". The "Dad Hat" and the "Coach Hat" There is a huge difference between being a "Dad" and being a "Coach". Each has different responsibilities and relationships with the kids. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of overlap between the two roles. I literally have two hats: one says Dad" and the other says "Coach". Over the years, my kids and I have learned to separate the two so I don't wear the hats too often, but it does make the distinction more literal. Coaching your own children is one of the real challenges of youth sports because sometimes, you child wants or expects to have a dad when you're the team's coach. If you can separate these roles, and both of your expectations, you and your child will have a much better youth sports experience. SportsKids.com 2788, Monte Mar Terrace, Los Angeles, CA, United States. 90064 info@sportskids.com http://www.sportskids.com About the author: Ken Kaiserman is the president of SportsKids.com the premier sports site for kids and their families!! Online Sports Shopping for kids stuff, Sports goods and Sports gear. Also offers Sports Coaching Tips for Kids, Sports Camps and Leagues, Online Games for Kids, News, kids chat, free e-mail and much more. Ken coaches youth football, basketball and baseball. He also serves on the local little league board of directors as well as the Park Advisory Board. Posted by Administrator : Friday, June 23, 2006 To learn more about, "Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching &Playing"--the DVD and the book, please visit www.BasketballOnATriangle.com
  12. Coach Roger: The world of youth sports needs winners like you. There are always going to be coaches who win by the numbers, but there just aren't enough coaches, like you, who will win the hearts, minds and spirits of the youth in your charge--regardles of the score. In my book, I try to teach the attributes which you already seem to possess. I salute you. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  13. For all you coaches on the subject of equal playing time: You are all attempting to do the "right" thing, which is for the highest good. You are all correct, however I think what Coach Roger wrote is closest to the reality of the situation. When I was Sports Director at our local Y, this subject of equal time was a given factor that had to be dealt with. It had been around long before I got there, so the coaches and parents associated with the program longer already knew how to deal with it. I tweaked it slightly, so as to have more control. Coaches did a chart, according to the number of players. Then on game day, had to revise the chart according to those who showed up. The opposing coaches exchanged charts, and reliable parents or a teen kept track during the game that the substitutions were being made. Also, a copy of the final list was given to me, so if there ever was a question or dispute, I had the data to work from. Most teams had 2 coaches and the second coach made sure the chart was being followed. Even our referrees knew the routine, so every 2 minutes the clock stopped for those needing to make substitutions. No one liked it, but everyone saw it for what it was and lived with it. If I had coaches who didn't adhere to the policy, they were gone. Eventually, I had only coaches who would do the right thing. Those involved understood, that winning was nice, but through fairness and following the rules. Through our pre-season tryouts we tried very hard to make teams equitable, so games could be close. However, there were always those players far ahead of the others. There is just no way to be fully equal, so the playing charts at least gave the opposing teams some relief when that kind of player was on the bench. Also, the charts enabled both teams to attempt to have better matchups on the floor at the same time. Coach Roger is correct in stating that the objective is to learn and to have fun. Winning is just a by-product. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn
  14. Just sharing some observations prompted by a thread being picked up on several forums on the web. So often I have seen over-zealous parents and coaches at the youth level demanding competitive level of play from children as young as 5 or 6. I have spoken on just this issue numerous times and make reference to it over several chapters in my book, which will be released end of Sept. There are levels of participation, the earliest level having the need for the least amount of competition. There, the emphasis should be on fun and exposure to the game, with emphasis on good fundamental teaching. Unfortunately, even at the most beginning levels, parents and coaches bring too often, little knowledge of the fundamentals and too much of a competitive attitude to the game. Being the best we can be should be a result of individual focus, determination and work ethic. To allow children to be children first and athletes later, we need to change the paradigm we have so long saddled ourselves with. This is, that we must always win and thereby create a loser, in order for us to be satisfied. When we instill being our individual best, without having to be better than another, we win the most. Coach Ronn
  15. ABSOLUTELY One-Handed! To get it right, we have to practice it right from the beginning. To learn one way and then to try to unlearn it would most likely be disastrous. When using the age/size appropriate ball and basket height, there's no reason to have a child use 2 hands. Teach the shot from the center of the body, as you mentioned earlier, to get it off his shoulder and from behind his ear. When the ball is small and the basket is low the child doesn't have to go for strength (what is being compensated for from the shoulder), rather have him learn it correctly and well now at the age of 8. It'll save coaches later a lot of grief trying to reteach. Incorrect habit and muscle memory are a tough combination to try to undo. I can't tell you how hard it is to break entrenched bad shooting habits. Every other part of the game is easier to teach or correct. Below is an excerpt from my book and DVD about teaching shooting. It's too much to put all in here, but if it's the kind of help you are looking for, feel free to email me separately for the rest (bballonatriangle@cs.com). I start by mentioning video. Show your son what experienced shooters are doing. Then have him shoot while you video him. Then have him watch it and ask him if he thinks he's shooting it like the bigger guys. He will hopefully recognize the disparity in forms and technique. Tell him you will help him get his shot to be more like the big guys, if that's what he wants. (I can't think of a player in major college or pro ranks shooting from the shoulder, can you?) Good luck. Yours in Sport & Spirit, Coach Ronn When the methods I will describe here are combined with video recording, I can usually teach a beginner effective technique or change an experienced player’s shot to be more effective. Video is a great medium to help a shooter see what they are doing and be able to help teach and correct themselves. The whole body is involved in taking a shot. Even the non-shooting side is involved in creating proper balance. I start without a ball in order to get the stance, body angle, feet, and the shooting hip, elbow, hand and eye coordinated so every part complements all the other parts. I call this “dummy shooting”. I want the focus initially on technique, not on the ball. I want to have a chance to work with a player’s form and delivery technique first. Because of body and skill variances, every player will develop his or her own style. There is no “one style fits all”. Some parts of the shooting process must, however, be the same and correct for all players. These parts are what I teach from the beginning Starting from the floor, we need to get the body on balance and in line with the basket. The stance should have the feet as wide spread as the hips, both feet pointed toward the basket. The shooting side foot is forward while the toes of the other foot are parallel with the arch of the shooting foot. Bend the knees slightly so they flex directly over the feet. Now we’ll place an imaginary ball in the non-shooting hand. Turn the palm up as if the hand is holding the ball. Move that hand with the “ball” across the body at chest level so the “ball” is in front of the shooting side of the chest. Place the shooting hand on the “ball” with the back of that hand toward the shooter’s face, at chin level. The body will probably need to be angled slightly away from the shooting side to accommodate the elbow. The shooting elbow should be tucked in and at a 90-degree angle to the floor and pointing down at the shooting foot. The non-shooting hand supports the “ball” from the bottom, while the shooting hand is in front of the shooting side of the face.
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