Ego sometimes demands winning in youth basketball. "I am the lord of the 7th grade basketball universe." That and $2.25 gets you a coffee somewhere.
Players with different skills and potential comprise our team. Do the math. Sharpen your pencils. Get better players (larger city, population +50%), shorten your roster, and play your better players a lot, especially against overmatched "free agents." If you had all lottery picks (4s) playing 100% of the game you could get '20' points (4 x 1.00 x 5 players).
And make sure that you're pressing, even against reserves in the final moments to assure yourself of "enough" margin of victory.
Shortening the roster helps assure mismatches AND gives you relatively more practice time - because your default approaches "small-sided games."
Five sarcasm-free points to ponder.
1. The quickest way to improve is mental. Take better shots. Make better decisions.
2. "Fear is the mind-killer." - Frank Herbert, Dune
3. Everyone makes mistakes. Excellent players repeat mistakes less often. Understand what types of turnovers and errors are hurting and correct them.
4. "Winners are trackers." Practice with purpose. Track your results and compete against your personal best and perfection.
5. Study excellence. How do great players create and deny separation? What fakes, footwork, cuts, hand-fighting, using screens, and experience works?
You can practice pivoting without a basketball or a court. Pete Newell's triad - footwork, balance, maneuvering speed - never becomes obsolete.
Lagniappe (something extra). Finishing details from Coach Castellaw...
Lagniappe 2. New concept: Tagging up
Lagniappe 3. "Critical mass." Every idea doesn't catch on.
