5 elements of an effective youth basketball program
by Eric Bitoni
Youth Ambassadors Program director
From the time of playing youth sports, through various milestones in our career, we strive to achieve individual and team success.
Some perceive success as their team having more points at the end of the game or more wins than the competition. Others view success as either their children, players or own selves improve at the conclusion of each season. Ask around and you’ll probably get conflicting answers, but all of that comes down to what it actually means to you.
What I believe success is for my team as a coach may be different than for a rival coach, one of my parents, or even my players. In basketball, there have been many teams from community-run basketball leagues, local club teams or competitive AAU programs that travel the country. Many start up and aren’t able to stay the course.
While this conversation isn’t on success, it’s important to understand the notion people set and what drives each entity. Success shouldn’t be the goal, but a byproduct of the effectiveness of your program. Being able to identify elements on what makes a program effective will further the longevity of your career, whether you're a player or a coach.
Here are five elements every youth basketball program needs to have to be effective and provide everyone an opportunity to succeed.
1. Communication
On and off the court, this is the most important quality that every player, team and coach must strive to incorporate. Many coaches will say their team communicates, but over the course of a practice, things are said but nothing of substance.
Communication on the court is undervalued and under taught; the way movement should never be stagnant, neither should communication as it is prompted by the flow of activity. As all five players move amongst the court so should the dialogue between them. Having reassurance from your teammates not only helps you do your job offensively or defensively, but helps build a state of trust and reliability.
Off the court, communication is more important as it will improve the court communication considerably. If players know what is being asked of them, what their role is on the team, what mistake was made and how to correct it, it strengthens the relationship that is vital between a player and coach.
For players to feel valued, trusted, have belief in what is taught, understanding the culture that is being set all starts with communication from the beginning, middle through to the end.
2. Teaching fundamentals
TBE founder Chris Dial has repeated the idea that “basketball is the most overcoached and under taught sport in the world,” and for good reason. I first heard this in 2018 during his introductory press conference when he assumed the role of head men’s basketball coach at Our Lady of the Lake University, in San Antonio, TX. My approach in coaching and teaching players immediately changed.
We as coaches implement skill work, drills and plays based on how we envision our team performing. Although we as coaches need to be teachers first, coaches second and place these youth athletes in a position to be the best overall basketball player they can be.
Once we identify our players strengths and weaknesses, we can then create the proper practice plans to fully prepare our players to play basketball, not just run plays and get up and down the court. When the player next to you is just as if not faster, stronger, quicker, taller, and longer than you, what is going to separate you from him and everyone looking for a roster spot; but that starts with the coach.
3. Development
As cliché as it sounds we must develop our players, but the how in which we develop them is what will separate us as coaches. A lot of times I ask players from youth through high school what their practices look like and more times than not I hear they practice a lot of plays or they get a lot of shots up.
Most of the games I see at various tournaments around my city is a very fast paced, up and down style of play were the offense tries to get transition baskets at the rim or shoot a lot of three pointers then begin to freelance until it’s a new possession.
While all this will work at times, these practices and games are empty experience, if the players and teams are solely focusing on the above and not on the other aspects of the game; developing players to have proper footwork, having the ability to move without the ball, learning how to create opportunity for themselves or others with proper spacing in mind, provides youth the framework to develop attributes that all colleges look for.
Collectively we play that style because it’s fun, exciting, very easy to implement, but realistically this style or approach cannot be the end result as it will under develop your players. Our mindset as coaches needs to be to develop our players to play any system and not to be a specialist in one or two traits. Player development is team development!
4. Progression
In order for us, individually and collectively to progress we must become comfortable being uncomfortable. Many of us, myself included, have difficulty placing ourselves in settings were we must adapt to different situations that challenge ourselves to be better at our craft because we may be afraid to fail.
As players and coaches we must strive in the environment of being uncomfortable; this begins and ends with practice. The way we build practice plans is crucial to the effectiveness of our team or program. Creating a cycle for your practice plans is a must for any coach or program, again as cliché as that sounds, but we must take a deeper look at the how in what we teach; I, myself am guilty of preparing plans quickly, often the day of or prior, not looking to what the extent of my practices will go. Through my experience, I have come up with my own three key points into developing your practice cycle; some coaches may have more or different points, but this is a good template to start.
Identify your players fundamental strengths and weaknesses, positive and need improvement tendencies.
Develop drills to address areas to improve collectively (Ex: All need to improve defensive footwork) and individually (Ex: Player A, B & D need to improve three point efficiency).
Practice at game speed! Once players have learned proper technique and mechanics, progress your practices to simulate game like situations; make practice harder than games!
5. Patience
We often don’t associate this word with our program. Usually it goes without thinking as we go through our day to day that everything takes time. I always look at every opportunity as a long road that we must walk to make sure we take every step to get to where we want to be.
I encourage parents, players and coaches to actively practice patience. Be mindful you’re taking a long journey where cutting corners often leads to walking a stray. Parents may feel like their child isn’t getting the playing time as others, players may feel like the drills they are practicing are too basic or coaches may feel like the team isn’t where they need to be after a certain length of time.
These are common thoughts most of us have had at one time or another but they play a role in us making quick decisions in an attempt to better our position. Patience isn’t knowing that things take time but an understanding that being in the right setting, surrounding yourself with the proper mentors and giving it your all taking one step at a time, you will see yourself on the path to your goal.