Youth Basketball Czar For A Day
After almost a year of basketball centric discussions on my podcast, 11 years of coaching basketball, and 6 years of playing competitive basketball; I have gathered and processed a significant amount of information on basketball development. As a society we seem to be at an impasse. Most people are willing to admit that our current model is exhausting and expensive. Some of the brightest coaching minds in the country have mentioned to me that they don’t think we’re getting it right at the youth level. And yet, it seems to only be getting worse. Positive change does not appear to be on the horizon.
That brings me to my purpose in writing this article. I’ve asked a few guests on my podcast this, and have often thought about it myself. “If you were named the Youth Basketball Czar for a day, what changes would you make?”
I’m going to lay out how I’d improve youth basketball in a 3 phase plan.
Phase 1: No 5 v 5 travel until 6th grade. And no playing out of state until high school.
Reason: One of the biggest detractors of personal growth in our generation is busy-ness. The brightest minds in our country advocate for “less is more”. World leaders in strategy who advise organizations like ESPN, Spotify, and the NBA recommend doing less things with excellence rather than a ton of things sub par. Legendary coach, Bob Knight put it this way, “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.” I think he was right on target with that one. How does this apply to youth basketball? Just because you’re traveling to Florida for a tournament doesn’t mean that you’re any better than when you left. Let’s say a 13 year old spends a weekend at a tournament. He travels for a day, plays three games a day for two days, and then takes a day to travel back. In four days this kid has probably taken 48 shots. He has spent about two hours playing in games. What if he played locally instead? The two travel days become skill work days. He shoots 500 shots a day. After playing games the other two days he gets to go have dinner with his family. Those four days playing for two hours and taking 48 shots become 1048 shots, 2 hours of playing, and time with family. Phase 1 is a no brainer.
Phase 2: Everyone under 6th grade plays 3 v 3.
Reason: I bet you were wondering what the young group was doing after eliminating 5 v 5 competitions in phase 1. Here’s your answer. 3 v 3 is straight up better for development. You get way more time with the ball and guarding threats. There’s no hiding in a corner. You aren’t splitting shots with five players. You are actively engaged the entire game. Playing 3 v 3 will teach developing players how to handle the ball and make decisions more than a 5 v 5 game ever could. Personally, I think middle and high schoolers should still regularly engage in 3 v 3 competitions. Another benefit of this design is that you don’t have to travel. All you need is six kids and a hoop. Save money, save time, and still get better.
Phase 3: For grade 8th and under, all offense is position-less and all defense is man to man.
Reason: One of the worst things a basketball player can be is tall in middle school. The middle school coach typically does not coach to the future. They want to win. So what do they do? Put the tall kid at center and have him stay near the rim. The problem: That kid might not be tall in high school. Other kids can pass him up in height. And now he’s in trouble because he didn’t get any reps handling the ball or playing the perimeter for his entire middle school career. He’s behind everyone else. His career is effectively over by the time he’s 16. Middle school coaches owe it to the kids to get them all reps at every position. In today’s game is more than easy to develop a position-less system. Now getting to defense. Middle school coaches, this is for you. Don’t run zone. I know I know. It’s easier to teach. It balances skill against the better teams. Young kids can’t shoot well so the zone is extra effective. But guess what, now all of those kids have no idea how to guard someone when they get to high school. They have no idea how to guard a screen. They don’t understand how to force an angle on the closeout. They struggle to keep the ball in front of them. The best programs are on the same page from grades 4 - 12. The coaches are setting up the high school for success. You aren’t doing that by playing for cheap wins.
There you have it. I’m formerly submitting my application as the Youth Basketball Czar.
Sincerely, Hunter Price.
