TonyGeo

Last January my 8th grade girls (i only had 6 on the team)played a game with 4.I had 1 girl gone for a soccer camp,and my tallest girl had an ankle sprain.The refs told me we could play the game if I put the girl with the sprain on the court for the tip-off,then call a time out and remove her,which I did.before the game i told my 4 girls(3 8th graders and 1 7th grader)to just go out and have fun,,and who knows,maybe someday 10 years from now you will be talking about how you won a game with only 4 players.I put them in a diamond zone defense under the basket and had them guard their zone.I gave them 1 thing to work on...to have less personal fouls than the quarter we were playing in.Well,guess what,,even with the other team pressing most of the 4th quarter we still won by 4 points..it was close at the end but we pulled it out.You would have thought we won the championship that day,thats how fired up the girls were.It has to be one of my favorite sports games to be involved in in the 15 plus years I have been coaching youth sports.During the season ending tournament we had one of the same refs from that day and I overheard him telling the other ref that day the story of how we won with only 4 girls,,the diamond defens,,,etc.etc.He was pretty animate explaing it to him.He laughed and asked me if I only planned on playing 4 at a time during the tournament.Have a great season and make sure the kids are having fun at whatever level you are coaching,that way they will want to go on at higher levels.

You make some valid points. I was going to try some variation of Motion to get our guys into some sort of rhythm and along goes discipline as well. We will run a variation of methodical slow it down kind a ball because we need to limit the amount of times the other teams get the ball. We turned the ball over like 200 times which averages out to like almost 15 a game. Simply unacceptable this year as I have a couple 6 footers to incorporate into a high low game as well. They say defense wins games and will be put to the test this year. I told the guys I would be there 3-5 years after they couldn't get a coach to stay but 1 year at a time, and you have to build that trust. Now they need to buy into my system. Practices most definitely will be harder so games won't be and my guys have no idea just how hard. I would love to be able to run and gun but were a small school and on most night's play schools bigger than us. We ahve to out discipline them and out smart them,that's all. Thanks though. Are you at the Jr. High level?

The reason i used that particular 1-3-1 for my Jr high kids is that it keeps them spaced out..not everyone around the ball...it teaches good passing skills..and it keeps everyone moving..at the Jr high level getting them through the 1st phase of it takes alot of practice and reps..and patience but I feel it teaches them good skills.Just my opinion...

Didn't I email you the 1-3-1 spead offense?It is the easiest motion offense I have ever taught Jr high players.my 7th/8th grade girls picked this offense up and ran it very well.I thought you had a previous post about having 2 tall girls that I responded to.If you want me to email you the site let me know Yes please send me the link. Thanks!! http://www.coachesclipboard.net/131Offense.html We ran the motion 1 and 2...both work very well and keep players spaced and moving and also teaches the players all positions. Good luck

Didn't I email you the 1-3-1 spead offense?It is the easiest motion offense I have ever taught Jr high players.my 7th/8th grade girls picked this offense up and ran it very well.I thought you had a previous post about having 2 tall girls that I responded to.If you want me to email you the site let me know

I'll agree with you on all of this but not so sure and it all depends on how many players I have and that is to hold different practice times for each group. Then say a week of practice left to bring'em all together before the games start. Like I said we only get a month. As for my Asst she knows the players but knows no plays or anything accept what I've done on the sideline. Is it appropriate to let her come in the locker room after the all clear sign from me and what will people say,if anything? Yes she can come in the locker room.Just make sure there are 2 adults together at all times in the locker room when the kids are in there.coaching girls basketball I always make sure I have a female with me when in the locker room with the girls.Even if I have to recruit a Mom to come in there with me.I.E.She should never be in there alone with them.And for you to be safe you shouldn't either.Just one of my rules to coach by.

I had two tall 8th grade girls last season and we ran out of a 1-3-1 offense with movement.Butler University version.It keeps the kids moving and provides great spacing,and is easy to teach.It is the easiest offense I have ever taught...make sure as you are doing 1 on 1 with him that you include your point guard as working on passing into the post is key to having a good post player....Good luck...

My 2 cents: I have coached youth baseball for almost 10 years and youth basketball for 7 years ages 8-15.I have had the oppurtunity to talk with high school and even a few college coaches in our area and they all say the same thing..kids need to have fun and enjoy the game while learning the game at youth levels.If you make it too much like a job for them..the high school and college coaches will never see these kids at their level,and there is a shortage of baseball players at the high school level.Winning is fun and losing stinks,but it should not come down to the only reason for coaching.I have coached my own kids and am now coaching teams that I have no kids on,and what worked for me coaching my kids was that I treated him/her like the other 12 kids on the team...No special treatment.. Parents are another issue in its own.I have a parent/player meeting twice a year..At the beginning we discuss what the objectives are and what my playing time rules are.We also discuss practice is a must,as well as being on time.And parents acting accordingly during games.I have always had the belief if a kid comes out to play a sport for a team I coach,and shows up for practice I will play them in every game.It is better than having them at home on the couch,or worse yet hanging out on the streets getting into trouble.Also,you never know when that kid you set at the end of your bench will have to play in a big spot..so set him/her up for sucess not failure.What if that kid turns out to be Michael Jordan?Would you want to be the coach who cut him?