🏀 What's wrong with youth basketball
Welcome to The Basketball Academy. 🏛️
Here’s what we’re serving up:
🏀 Youth Basketball ⛹️
🏀 Must Add Actions 🎥 (vs zone)
🏀 Dealing With Failure 📉
LET’S DIVE IN ⬇️
🏀 Youth Basketball Crisis ⛹️
Over the years, we’ve spent much of our coaching and playing lives immersed in youth basketball. There’s so much to love—so many lessons to be learned through playing and coaching at this level.
But lately, we’ve noticed a concerning trend.
It’s not the players—it’s the coaching.
Too often, coaches simply repeat how they were coached, leading the way they were led. And it’s leading to three issues we see getting worse:
1. Coaches give all the answers.
“Do this. Run that. If the defense does this, you do that.”
This might help in the short term. But long-term? When players are on their own—without a coach in their ear—do they truly understand how to succeed?
For short-term success: Give the answers.
For long-term growth: Teach them to work through the questions.
2. Coaches get mad at players for making mistakes.
“You should’ve done this!” “What are you doing?” “I told you to do that!”
But here’s the truth: your team reflects what you’ve taught—and what you’ve allowed. If you're constantly frustrated with mistakes, remember, you’ve helped create those habits.
3. Coaches complain constantly to officials.
What message does that send? Players mirror their coaches. Do you want a team that models blame and frustration?
Youth sports should be about growth, curiosity, and building the tools for athletes to think, lead, and compete—not just follow directions.
Let’s raise the standard.
Such a great reminder of the impact a coach can have in helping players thrive by calling up, not out 👇
🏀 Must Add Actions 🎥
Zone Overload
More coaches than ever at clinics are asking for ways to best the best Zone defenses
UCONN- Double Pin vs Zone
🏀 Are You Learning To Fail? 📉
Tom Izzo points out: “My biggest concern on the transfer rule is if anyone is going to learn how to fail.”
He didn’t stop there...
“What’s wrong with being unhappy? Unhappy drives you… pushes you… makes you realize, ‘I’ve got to get better.’”
In a world where it’s easier than ever to quit, Tom Izzo is reminding us:
– Struggle builds strength
– Adversity reveals character
– Growth comes through staying, not running
And when one of his players transferred?
He didn’t blame the portal.
He said:
“I failed. That’s on me.”
Interesting take, and very true! Option to consider: more 3x3 games in the youth training process. Improves decision making, 1on1, 2on2, stamina and many other elements...