There is major changes coming in Youth Basketball. We’ve watched the establishment of iHoops and YB21 and the development of those philosophies. We’ve seen the NCAA begin to develop new legislation to further regulate and monitor non-scholastic youth basketball. No matter what “side” you are on, here is a good resource for following some of the discussions.
Major Grassroots Changes Coming (UPDATED)
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Basketball Coaching Clinics or me jumping on my soap box again?
Having just attended the Nike Championship Clinic in Richmond, I still can not understand why more coaches do not make the time to go to clinics. Especially Division I college coaches. The ONLY Division I coaches in attendance in Richmond were the Men’s and Women’s staff’s from Richmond. Even Division II or III coaches. There might have been 10 college coaches there.
I understand being on the road in the fall. Head coaches and two of the three assistants are on the road in Division I. The other assistant probably was on the road or is conducting individual work-outs back at their school. I understand time home with family. I get it. This isn’t as much about them.
Within an hour drive of Richmond is probably at least 5 Division I schools and countless small colleges. All of the DI’s have a Director of Operations, a GA, an intern, a video coordinator, an administrative assistant, an assistant video coordinator, an assistant operations director, a manager or someone who wants to get a coaching job. Did I miss any of the newly created positions to circumvent the NCAA limitations on coaching staffs? That will be a different post.
This is how our profession has evolved. Ten years ago, more or less, young coaches went to clinics to learn how to coach, learn how to teach the game before (or at least at the same time as) trying to get the next job. Now, everyone just wants the next job. I don’t begrudge anyone for wanting to move up, earn a better living, be at a “Big-Time” school. I do, however, believe you should be ready to do the work once you get there. Be ready to provide more than recruiting. Jeff Van Gundy’s believed and told me in 1985, do the job you have today as though it is the last job you have and the next job will take care of itself. It’s still true today, but that is lost with today’s young coaches. AHHH, there in lies the catch – Recruiting. College basketball has become 90% (or more) about recruiting and less and less about basketball. Doesn’t this sound like what iHoops is supposed to influence, change?
I will be traveling today and the next 7-8 days. I have a 4 school tour planned to watch workout, talk to staff’s, ask questions – learn something. Improve.
I hope to write up my clinic notes for sharing through out the week.
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We are getting closer to the “Official” start of basketball season. Anything within the “T-Minus 30 days” and counting is good enough for me. Let’s start talking X’s & O’s.
Attending the Nike Championship Basketball Clinic today has me really thinking of basketball philosophy. It’s so important to develop your basketball philosophy.
I believe you must always start with defense. With the talent and skill of the players you will need to choose a defensive identity, which will give your players purpose for what they are doing. Defense involves sacrifices. The sooner you start building the habits your players will need to compete within your defensive philosophy the better. Hopefully you did that during preseason workouts.
Two Defensive Keys:
1. What is our identity?
It doesn’t matter what it is necessarily, it just matters that you have one that
you firmly believe in and one that you can teach to your staff and players and have them believe in.
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iHoops will look to engage in Elite Player Programs for boys and girls; a skills development program; and holding key events around the country for players to not only develop skills, but also showcase them. This sounds very much like the Nike Skills Academy’s that are currently directed by the Nike Grassroots people and run throughout different regions of the country. They are exceptionally well run, are selection based so there is limited room for some of the politics of youth basketball to enter into the selection of players invited.
Weiberg also has plans to encourage more people, with some emphasis on minorities, to become involved with officiating.
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The second in a 3 part series introducing you to the NCAA & NBA’s collaborative effort to unify, structure and organize Youth Basketball… iHoops
iHoops will provide supporting services and programs for youth basketball players ages 6 to 18, their parents, coaches, officials, and team and event administrators.
Kevin Weiberg, iHoops CEO, sees a two-fold mission for this initiative. The first part involves building an enhanced structure for pre-collegiate basketball by establishing some greater uniformity to the conduct of the events that surround the travel and club team area.
Did I mention there are skeptics?… Whenever you begin to use “greater uniformity’ and “travel and club team” in the same sentence, within in the “pre-collegiate” basketball world you are asking for controversy. We will revisit the entire rebuttal side of iHoops after the completion of our three-part series.
The second, a very important connection is related to providing a more balanced set of messages for people who participate in basketball – parents, coaches, and the players themselves, relative to the value of education.
“Our hope is that we can play a role in that, working with stakeholder groups, whether it’s the AAU or potentially even organizations like USA Basketball and the National High School Federation,” Weiberg said.
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