How To Get Your Basketball Season Off To A Good Start As A Coach
As a coach for youth basketball leagues, it is up to you to set the tone for the season for your basketball team. Before the season even starts, you need to be preparing for it by holding a parents' meeting and planning how you want your first practice to go.
Hold a Parents' Meeting
Before the season starts, you are going to want to hold a parents' meeting. In youth sports, parents are responsible for getting their children to and from practice. They are also likely to attend the games. They can have a direct impact on the success and tone of your team, so make sure that you turn the parents into partners to start the season.
At your parents' meeting, first let the parents know what equipment their child needs for practices and games. Provide a way for parents to contact you privately if they need help meeting these obligations. Talk about where practice will be held and discuss why it is important for their children to be dropped off and picked up at practice on time. Collect phone numbers for a phone tree that parents can use to help arrange rides to practice and games. Foster an idea of collaboration where parents can rely on one another for help in getting their children to games and practices.
Talk about what type of behavior is okay from parents and what type is not okay. Let parents know that they are welcome to bring you concerns in private, but that you don't want them yelling at the umpire or other parents during the game. Talk about ways that the parents can provide support and encouragement to their child and to the team.
Make Your First Practice Simple
Your first practice should be simple. This is not the time to get into complex strategies or strength training. Start by introducing yourself to your team. Let them know about your coaching experience, what you do, and some fun facts about yourself that the kids will be able to connect to. Next, you are going to want to have the kids introduce themselves. Have them say their names and where they went to school. Do some more team-building games so that your team can get to know one another.
Throw a ball and have whoever catches it answer a funny question. Have the kids pass around a ball and same the name of the person who gave them the ball. You can't create team chemistry overnight, but you can get it started at your first practice. Beyond that, use your first practice to go over the basics. This will let you see what skills your team has and what skills they need to work on. Going over the basics will help you plan your practices going forward.
Get your basketball season off to a good start by holding a parents' meeting, where you will set the expectations for your team. During your first team practice, hold introductions and go over the basics so your team can get to know one another and you can get to know your team.
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