Coaches will beg. Parents will scream. Referees will shake their heads. There are things that players do on the court that disappoint the basketball purist. So parents take notes and warn your children. Please help prevent them from committing these sins against the basketball gods.
1. Failure to Box Out
When you stop to think about it, boxing out should be very simple. Each player is responsible for boxing out the player that they are defending BEFORE seeking the ball. I watched over seven games this past weekend, and I saw example after example of players not even trying to box out their players. Most of the time, I see them simply turn to the basket. Each player must build boxing out into a habit on every play whether they are underneath the basket or at the three-point line.
2. Posing or Celebrating After a Made Shot
We see this in the NBA all the time. The biggest stars are pounding their chests after hitting a three-pointer or staring down the offensive player right after they blocked a shot. It is not surprising to they see it show up in high school games or summer club ball. The players that engage in this behavior are saying, “Hey, look at me. Look how great I am”. Even worst, they are trying to show up their opponent, stating don’t bring that weak sh** in here ever again.
My experience has taught me that this is a true team game. Let your excellent play speak for you. Let the fact that your team is putting a 30 point beat down on their opponent do your talking. Have your kids make it about the team and not themselves.
3. Showing Up a Referee
A player should never be concerned with the calls that referees make during the game. The refs are going to have bad calls and missed calls. In all of my years watching the game, I have rarely seen a call changed. Yelling or showing up a referee during the game will do nothing but harm to you as a player and also hurt your team. Try to teach your children to have a “next play” mentality. Have them focus on what they can control.
4. Dribbling to Nowhere
The fastest way to move the ball around the court is to pass it ((A Close Look at Basketball Passing Fundamentals. https://basketball91.com/tips/basketball-passing-fundamentals/index.html)). Today’s players seem to want to put the ball on the floor as soon as they catch it. A player should dribble the ball with a purpose, such as making a move toward the basketball or putting them in a position to get a better angle on for a pass. When the ball moves quickly around the court, it tends to put the defense out of position. This provides excellent scoring opportunities for your team. Please encourage your children to pass first and dribble later.
5. Poor Shot Selection
I love Steph Curry. There is no doubt that he can fill it from behind the three-point line. Few players in the world can consistently hit from so far out as he can. Yet, over a weekend of basketball, I must have seen five to six shots taken from over five feet beyond the three-point arc. No, Steph was not playing. Surely that shot would be open all day long if we needed it. From another perspective, I saw many players decide that, when they got the ball, it was going to be their turn to shoot. They shake. They bake. Then they force up a challenging shot. In my view, this is not good shot selection.
I always preached to my daughters to let the game come to them. The ball needs to be moved around the perimeter quickly. It needs to go inside and then come back out. Let’s work for the wide-open three-point shot. Let the movement create the lanes to drive to the rack. Please get that ball into the hands of your post player. The ball movement will provide great opportunities to score. I promise.
6. Pouting on the Bench — Bad Body Language
Your child is going to have days when shots are not falling or days where they are not even getting the shot opportunities. For a good reason or no reason, the coach will get in your child’s face at some point during a game. They are going to get frustrated or upset. They will not help their case by pouting on the bench and not cheering for their teammates. Never allow your child to let poor attitude ruin their perception in the eyes of the fans or coaches. If your shot is not falling, play some tough defense and own the boards. If you’re not getting the ball from your teammates, go in and get some offensive rebounds. Teach them that considerable effort and a terrific attitude are always available to them.
7. Failure to Close Out Properly
Coaches run drill after drill in practices emphasizing the importance of closing out on a defender. It is a fundamental defensive principle. There are not many things in basketball that look worse than rushing to out to guard your player and then getting beat to the basket. With that said, a player can separate themselves from other players if they can consistently close out in a solid manner.
8. Failure to Sprint Back on Defense
One of the fastest ways to get pulled out of a basketball game is not to hustle back on defense. This will drive your coach out of their mind. Running back on defense requires no real skill. It is just pure basketball IQ and effort. Please emphasize this with you son or daughter. Make it a habit.
9. Talking Back to a Coach
When my brother was a senior in high school, his team was playing a game down in Lake Geneva ((How do I prove that I am Native American? | Yahoo Answers. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090814110706AAMokPp)). Midway through the first half, one of his teammates made an error on the court, so the coach pulled him out of the game ((How do I prove that I am Native American? | Yahoo Answers. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090814110706AAMokPp)). As he came to the bench, he screamed profanities at his coach and punched him in the face six times. While this is an extreme example, players who talk back or are disrespectful to the coaches should be punished heavily or kicked off the team. I have many parents during my time support or justify these actions. Please stop. The majority of coaches volunteer their time or make very little money. Players should show respect to their coaches, whether they are right or wrong. If action needs to be taken against a coach, there are plenty of ways to address the situation without a child making a spectacle of themselves.
10. Lack of Effort in Practice or Game
Every player on their team knows who the culprits are. These are the players that don’t hustle from drill to drill. These are the players that put no great effort into their defense. These are the players that always seem to have an injury right before the conditioning part of the practice. There is simply no excuse for this behavior ((suicide epidemic – Dead by Daylight Message Board for …. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/209374-dead-by-daylight/77462520?page=1)). It only hurts the team. No matter your talent level, you can also put significant effort into the way you play the game. I urge you to stay on your children and teach them to bright high effort at all times.
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