Friday, April 5, 2019

Lessons from a Middle School Student-Faculty Basketball Game

Valuable lessons emerged from 'coaching' at the local middle school student-faculty basketball game. Fortunately, Principal Parsons controlled the substitution. 

 I reminded the players (some clearly not players):

 1) "The best players make everyone around them better."
2) "It's not your shot, it's our shot." (Jay Bilas, Toughness)
3) Missed three-point shots count zero. "Three into zero, shot turnovers."

 Seconds later, "the first line" (randomly chosen) went on the court and started jacking up three-point airballs. Clearly, they (the boys, anyway) were immune to some old guy's rants. It reminded me why I've always coached girls...girls listen and work to play the right way. Of course, I lacked the power of the pine to reinforce hardwood homilies. 

 Eventually, someone made a three. The crowd went wild. Meanwhile, older, slower teachers spaced the floor, zipped the ball around, finding quality shots and even making some. "Movement kills defenses." 

 It was never about competing or basketball; it was a "look-at-me" moment. Passing was an anathema and between-the-legs dribbling, while uncovered, thirty feet from the hoop, expressed their love...for themselves. 

 The demonic dribbling disciples showed no inclination to defend. They couldn't stop dribble penetration to save their lives. 

 I asked the kids on the bench, "do you guys get paid by the dribble?" Mindless, purposeless dribbling kills teamwork. No wonder that Coach Knight often practiced 4-on-4 halfcourt, no dribble offense. "Practice what you preach."

 One group of kids actually resembled basketball players. They hustled up and down the floor, passed, and didn't dribble the air out of the ball. Unsurprisingly, they all had two X chromosomes, the girls. 

 A player got fouled taking the ball to the rack. The isolation of the moment at the free throw line revealed another truth, tricky dribbling doesn't translate to points...two misses from the stripe. Boys, better to learn free throw shooting than showtime dribbling. And today, they'll wonder why the girls' basketball banner is filled up with league titles. 

 Lagniappe: via @RadiusAthletics
Reminiscent of the Trail Blazers' last second SLOB to free Dame Lillard for a game-winner. Borrow from history. 

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