After 8 practices and 3 games this season, there have been some interesting developments in youth basketball this year.
Sidenote: I coach a U-11 girls recreation league team this year. There is a 90 minute practice each week with a game on Saturday. So, you can imagine the helter skelter style of play in the 2nd half when full court pressing is allowed.
The first thing I've noticed this year is teams who play man to man defense are much more aggressive and foul less than those playing zone. I am sure this is because of the lateral foot movement required to play man to man.
You can put more pressure on the ball with man to man and be in better position to press when the opponent obtains possession of the ball. Also, we tend get garner more offensive rebounds against the zone defenses. Funny how this seems to work at all levels?
Secondly, running sophisticated plays is a waste of time. I really don't consider passing and cutting, and pick and roll plays. But I have seen teams use all types of motion where you can tell the players are thinking first instead of going with the flow.
It takes a quite a few practices to get flowing offensively. That is why playing man to man defense is your best offense. You can create more layup opportunities with steals. Overwhelmingly, the majority of shots made are within 5 feet of the basket.
Third and most important... the teams need to stick to more fundamentals. I know the time limits sometimes deter some coaches to shortchange this, but at least half of the practice or more should be devoted to fundamental drills.
I realize practicing gametime situations is important, especially when time is a major consideration, but how are the players ever going to create their own shot if they can't dribble properly?
How about creating steals without fouling when they have the defensive foot drills?
What about the ability to execute a proper bounce or chest pass? How do you learn this without repetition?
I am sure the rest of the season will reveal some more tidbits to add. Right now the above issues are most glaring.
