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1 – Have Fun
The number 1 goal for a youth league should be that the kids have so much fun that they want to play again next year. The league, the referees, each coach, and each parent should understand their role in making sure that their kid has a great experience. While keeping score is important, and understanding early that there is a winner and a loser is important, the most important thing is just having fun playing the game and learning to love the game, learning to love being active, and learning how to play with their friends. A big part of that is helping them learn how to handle both success and failure. We have to teach the kids how to accept success in a way that is gracious and humble and in a way that encourages continued hard work to continue to have that success. We have to teach and model for them how to accept failure and adversity as teaching tools for life, and to use setbacks to teach them the importance of working hard in practice and on their own to get better.
2 – Learn the game
Teach the game, the right way, to each kid. Educate the coaches and parents on what the goal should be for each kid so that everybody has a plan for growth and development of the kid. It starts with the coaches understanding how to meet each individual kid, who all have different levels of experience, and teaching and developing them each week to meet certain weekly and end of year goals. It is also important that the referees are teaching the game by being consistent and fair at all times. The athletes learn as much about what they can and cannot do from referees as they do their coaches. They will continue to do what is allowed and they will stop doing what is not allowed. Referees should be teaching the game by the way they call the game and communicate with the kids.
The number 1 goal for a youth league should be that the kids have so much fun that they want to play again next year. The league, the referees, each coach, and each parent should understand their role in making sure that their kid has a great experience. While keeping score is important, and understanding early that there is a winner and a loser is important, the most important thing is just having fun playing the game and learning to love the game, learning to love being active, and learning how to play with their friends. A big part of that is helping them learn how to handle both success and failure. We have to teach the kids how to accept success in a way that is gracious and humble and in a way that encourages continued hard work to continue to have that success. We have to teach and model for them how to accept failure and adversity as teaching tools for life, and to use setbacks to teach them the importance of working hard in practice and on their own to get better.
2 – Learn the game
Teach the game, the right way, to each kid. Educate the coaches and parents on what the goal should be for each kid so that everybody has a plan for growth and development of the kid. It starts with the coaches understanding how to meet each individual kid, who all have different levels of experience, and teaching and developing them each week to meet certain weekly and end of year goals. It is also important that the referees are teaching the game by being consistent and fair at all times. The athletes learn as much about what they can and cannot do from referees as they do their coaches. They will continue to do what is allowed and they will stop doing what is not allowed. Referees should be teaching the game by the way they call the game and communicate with the kids.
3 – Player safety
Player safety should always be taken into account. Everybody has to understand that the kids are growing a different rates and have different levels of experience, but it is the job of the coaches to constantly monitor the physicality of the players and it is important for the referees to do the same on the court. Anytime that there is pushing, elbowing, kicking, tripping, etc, it needs to be called, addressed, and the proper way to play should be taught. It should be a zero tolerance policy and a policy of teaching from day one of practice for each team and from day one of games for each team.
4 – Great environment
Everybody should enjoy coming to the game to watch these kids play each week. It should be fun, exciting, and the highlight of everybody’s week. From the referees, to the coaches, to the parents, to the kids on the court, the goal should be to have fun and enjoy the games. The referees should be excited to help serve these kids, the coaches should be excited to teach the kids, the parents should be excited to watch their babies play, and the kids should just be excited to be there. Sport is competition, and the competition piece should not be lost in the enjoyment. The kids should be taught to compete to be your best, but it should be taught in a way that keeps the game fun, in a way that develops the kid appropriately, in a way that keeps all kids’ safety first, and done so in a great environment.
Player safety should always be taken into account. Everybody has to understand that the kids are growing a different rates and have different levels of experience, but it is the job of the coaches to constantly monitor the physicality of the players and it is important for the referees to do the same on the court. Anytime that there is pushing, elbowing, kicking, tripping, etc, it needs to be called, addressed, and the proper way to play should be taught. It should be a zero tolerance policy and a policy of teaching from day one of practice for each team and from day one of games for each team.
4 – Great environment
Everybody should enjoy coming to the game to watch these kids play each week. It should be fun, exciting, and the highlight of everybody’s week. From the referees, to the coaches, to the parents, to the kids on the court, the goal should be to have fun and enjoy the games. The referees should be excited to help serve these kids, the coaches should be excited to teach the kids, the parents should be excited to watch their babies play, and the kids should just be excited to be there. Sport is competition, and the competition piece should not be lost in the enjoyment. The kids should be taught to compete to be your best, but it should be taught in a way that keeps the game fun, in a way that develops the kid appropriately, in a way that keeps all kids’ safety first, and done so in a great environment.
Everybody has to be on board for
a league to be great. Everybody has to
know their roles in creating a fun, learning experience for the kids.
Its all about having fun and getting them, and keeping them, interested in the game. Teach the basics of dribbling, passing shooting, and staying in front of your person on defense without fouling them. A great end of the year goal should be that all of your kids can dribble the length of the court with their dominate hand, stop and shoot without travelling (against no defense). Another great goal is to be able to not foul on defense. The ultimate goal is that your athlete wants to play again next season.
Kindergarten
The goal for each kindergarten athlete should be to be able to dribble with both hands by the end of the season, jump stop, and make a basket. On defense, the goal should be to keep your person in front without fouling. Another goal should be to pursue rebounds and loose balls, grab them with two hands, and chin the ball. When we say grab, we call it ‘Alligator hands.’
The goal for each kindergarten athlete should be to be able to dribble with both hands by the end of the season, jump stop, and make a basket. On defense, the goal should be to keep your person in front without fouling. Another goal should be to pursue rebounds and loose balls, grab them with two hands, and chin the ball. When we say grab, we call it ‘Alligator hands.’
- Learning how to dribble without travelling and double dribbling
- No points given for scoring after taking 5 or more steps
- Blow the whistle for 4 or more double dribbles at a time by an athlete
- Zero tolerance for out of bounds
- Zero tolerance for pushing, hitting, or any kind of fouling (the only way they learn is to call it, and if they commit 3 hard fouls in a quarter, they have to sit the rest of the quarter)
1st Grade
All kids should now be able to dribble with both hands and crossover with both hands. They should know how to make a bounce pass and a chess pass and know how to catch both as well. They should by the end of the season that they can’t double dribble, and that if they pick up their dribble, they have to pass or shoot.
All kids should now be able to dribble with both hands and crossover with both hands. They should know how to make a bounce pass and a chess pass and know how to catch both as well. They should by the end of the season that they can’t double dribble, and that if they pick up their dribble, they have to pass or shoot.
- Still learning how to dribble without travelling and double dribbling
- No points given for scoring after taking 4 or more steps
- 2 double dribbles in a possession is a turnover
- Zero tolerance for out of bounds
- Zero tolerance for pushing, hitting, or any kind of fouling (the only way they learn is to call it, and if they commit 3 hard fouls in a quarter, they have to sit the rest of the quarter)
2nd Grade
The goal should be that by the end of the season, each kid is ready and able to play in a correctly called and officiated youth basketball game. Each week there should be growth of each kid to the point of calling a game like a real basketball game with fouls, violations, etc.
The goal should be that by the end of the season, each kid is ready and able to play in a correctly called and officiated youth basketball game. Each week there should be growth of each kid to the point of calling a game like a real basketball game with fouls, violations, etc.
- By the end of the season, the goal should be to call the game as close to a real game as possible. No double dribbling, very little travelling, no tolerance on fouls.
3rd Grade
From here on, its still about having fun, it is always about enjoying the game, but now it’s about becoming the best that you can be and it is real basketball.
From here on, its still about having fun, it is always about enjoying the game, but now it’s about becoming the best that you can be and it is real basketball.
- From the start, it should be real basketball with all of the rules in place.
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