As the parent of a high school athlete who learns quickly from watching others play, out-hustles everyone on the court, and can easily pick up moves that are beneficial to him, his team and the game, it baffles me why he has been intentionally overlooked by his high school and former AAU coaches. These coaches tend to show favor to athletes who are often breaking the rules (sex, alcohol, academic probation and drugs), showing disrespect to coaches and teammates, display poor sportsmanship and seemingly have no boundaries.
What defines a good high school basketball athlete? In addition to athleticism, my son, Christopher Walker II, is disciplined, and has the desire and abilities to play collegiate athletics at some level. I know you may say that as his mother I am biased toward my son, however, there are many other parents and athletes who have the same assessment of his abilities and character. These athletes have either quit the team or their parents have allowed them to resign from the school because of the lack of leadership of these coaches and the overall deficiencies in the basketball program.
You may ask, “What defines a good high school basketball program and coach?” Well, believe it or not, one of the best ways to get players to enjoy themselves and get the most from their experience is by establishing the right kind of Discipline. That’s right, you heard correctly!! Discipline, accountability, structure and most importantly ~ follow-through! It’s not enough to have rules if you are not going to mean what you say!!
Most coaches go about it all wrong. They may yell, cuss and punish for infractions or inappropriate behavior, however, this only serves to fragment their focus on the team and hinder their motivation, which may ultimately cause the athletes to quit the team.
A simple solution~ Structure!! It is a proven fact that most people function better when there is order. It helps them to feel more secure and they know what to expect and how to perform. Not to mention, they will actually have more fun if they have some good discipline in place.
How can a program improve going forward? Let’s start with:
1. Setting definitive rules,
2. Communicating the rules both verbally and in writing,
3. Following through with the rules consistently,
4. Creating a written schedule, practice plan, meetings, etc. and
5. FOLLOW-THROUGH ~ “Don’t just talk about it, be about it!!”
Threats of discipline are not sufficient. Remember, you are dealing with teenagers who know what they can and cannot get away with. The behavior of players will improve very quickly when a coach is consistent with discipline and there are constructive consequences for either breaking the rules or for not meeting expectations.
How can one avoid getting the reputation of an incompetent coach of an ineffectual program? Implement structure and discipline early on and very soon, you will not have to give out discipline because players will have now learned what they cannot get away with. Without the discipline, you will be cutting the players short, struggling to reach goals, and creating destructive behaviors in athletes who move on to play on a professional level.
Let’s stop the madness! and also stop overlooking those who show great potential and are already disciplined!!
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