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kenoshasquid

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About kenoshasquid

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  1. Holly-Marie, Good for you! It's always fun watching them make progress. Two years ago I was in your shoes struggling to teach them to get underhand serves over. Now, just two years later, all but two of my girls are getting it over overhand and doing other wonderful things like setting and attack hitting now and then. We had a team vote and I asked them to decide their fate: Do things they are comfortable with in games and win more, or take some chances and work on and try new things in games and make mistakes as a result but maybe win less. They voted to focus on learning and trying new things rather than just worrying about winning. I explained this to the parents. It's the girl's team, not mine and not the parents'. SO now we can have fun and learn without the expectation and pressure to win every time out, although that will always be a goal regardless of what we are trying. But fun and learning are still #1 priority at this level. Tonight it's ice cream bars after practice for the winning 3-girl team in a game we play at the end of practice called "Queens of the Court". With positive reinforcement, fun and games, and organized practices it's amazing how much they learn in the process! Keep up the good work! Tim
  2. John I am happy that I was able to help you "out of the box", and honored by your comments as (and you probably don't remember this) in 2003 you sent me some rather lengthy emails answering some questions that I had at the time and your advice proved very helpful...so much so that we have lost two matches since that time and were undefeated last season. So "thanks" back to you! SQUID
  3. If your first game is coming up, you be pleasantly surprised to find that the other teams probably have the same problem. I would recommend that your league istitute a shorter service distance for any girls younger than 6th grade. Our 5th graders get a five foot distance break on their serves. And of course the net should be lowered as well for kids this age, under 7' The number one thing for any girl of any age learning to serve whether it is over hand or under hand is that they need to learn to use their whole body to get their weight through and to HIT IT HARD!
  4. Michael Jordan with his flashy smile and great on-air persona has convinced millions of people that he's just the greatest guy in the world... a role model for all of our children to follow. Well that's a bunch of bull (no pun intended). He's one of the biggest phonies ever to endorse a pair of sneakers. No man who repeatedly and brazenly ignores his wedding vows and had girlfriends he sleeps with in every NBA city should be held up as a role model for our sons and daughters. Our kids need to learn that being a great ballplayer doesn't necessarily make you a great person, no matter how flashy your smile is, especially when you are being paid to smile in order to endorse a product. I hope that all coaches take the time to explain to their players, especially our impressionable young men, the difference between being a truly good man and merely being a good ballplayer. Tim
  5. Whatever they are comfortable with: Coach Stare or Mr. Stare. They have known me as Mr. Stare before they knew me as "coach", and old habits are hard to break. It doesn't matter. "Your Highness" would be nice, but I'll settle for "Mister". Tim
  6. Any thoughts out there on teaching 5th grade girls to shoot free throws underhanded? Those of you old enough might remember Rick Barry who I believe is in the NBA Hall of Fame. He was one of the best freethrow shooters in the game and shot underhand (freethrows) his whole career. Anything wrong with letting the girls try it if it works better for them than overhand, especially since they are younger and not as strong. Tim
  7. Thanks for the replies. I guess I was wrong. I've noticed girls doing this in the past but thought it was a "girl" thing. I don't see boys doing it, at least not as flagrantly. But then maybe they just do it differently, only bringing the arm up a little bit as needed. The girls that do it seem to keep it up at shoulder level constantly anytime anyone is anywhere near them. I always thought that was illegal. I see men use their upper arms and shoulders to protect the ball, but don't see them do the forearm-up thing. Maybe I'll have to look closer, maybe watch a couple of NBA or College or WNBA games and look for this tactic and see how it's used. To answer your question, I've coached on and off since I was 20. I was an assistant coach for the women's team at my college in NM, 1977, as well as a 6th grade coach at a local gradeschool there. I also coached 8th grade boys for 3 seasons in the early 80's, and then was an assistant for 5th grade boys several years ago. Quite honestly, I'm not really a "basketball guy". I'm a hockey player, actually. I did play in for my school in gradeschool and high school, but lost interest as a true fan some years ago. But I do believe I know enough about basic fundamentals to instruct at the grade school level. It's just this conscious use of the forearm that I don't remember ever teaching or being taught by any of my coaches when I played, and I had some good ones. Maybe with men/boys they do it instinctively, and it doesn't have to be taught, where with girls it's not as natural. Who knows. Thanks again for answering my question. If you have any more to add, please do. My personal email is par3@acronet.net if you want to send me any more info about this subject. Tim
  8. 5th Grade Girls level......I am in disagreement with my co-coach who believes it is OK to teach the girls to use their foreams to keep the defender away from the ball while they are dribbling. I say it's pushing off and should not be taught. Who's correct? Tim
  9. John Thanks for the info. This is my first coaching experience in about 20 years, so some of the terms you are using I may have forgotten. "Pancaking" for instance. What do you mean and how do you teach it? Also, what do you mean by low back left, high front right? (Or vice versa). I'm trying to keep the confusion to a minimum by pretty much making the back row responsible for all serve receives except for those that just barely make it over. To do this I have the front row right up on the net. The thinking being that it's much easier to run up to receive a serve than to receive one back peddling, especially at this age when serves are coming over at a rather slow speed and higher trajectory. Plus with just three girls thinking "receive", all they have to worry about it if it's on their side, and not think too much about how deep it is. If it's on their side, then it's automatically their responsibility. Your thoughts? Tim
  10. Thanks Juniper! That's exactly what I've been doing so thanks for making me feel like I'm doing the right thing. We did that type of drill all last week at practice and they did much better in the game Sunday. Thanks for the input! Tim
  11. I am coaching fifth grade girls who have never played before. I can teach the technical aspects (technmique, rules etc) but how do you teach them to want the ball, to not be afraid to "go for it" when it is near them. It's frustrating as a coach to watch them staring at each other in a game as a serve drops inbetween them that could have been easily returned had someone made a move to get it. Any suggestions, or wil this "desire" just come in time as we work on drills and play more games? Tim
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