Due to privacy reasons, there will be no photos within this post
For the past couple of months, I have been volunteering as a basketball coach for the city. When I decided to volunteer, my first choice was to coach volleyball because that’s where I felt most confident. However, the city administrator informed me that the volleyball season had already started, but they were in need of a basketball coach. Initially, I was hesitant; it had been years since I last played basketball or watched an NBA game. Though I played in high school, it had been a while. How hard could it be to coach 10-11-year-olds? The administrator informed me about several events: skill assessments, a draft, and a coaches meeting. I had no idea what to expect. I’ll preface this by saying I was in for a surprise.
Skill Assessments
Skill assessments are a day where players perform layups, jump shots, and play a game of basketball for the coaches to evaluate them. All the coaches were given clipboards with each player’s name. I stared at the paper, uncertain what to note down. I walked along the sidelines, observing the players demonstrate their skills. After noticing what the other coaches were doing, I decided to use symbols next to the players’ names: ★ (star) for those I felt were above the rest, + (plus) for solid players, and - (minus) for those who excelled in a particular area, such as hustling back, rebounding, defending, shooting, or being a team player. From my past work experience, I knew it was important to select coachable players, even if some strong players earned a ★ (star). As much as I wanted players who could drain 3’s, I avoided selecting those who wouldn’t listen or be team players. After all, basketball is a team game. Some players were marked as “reserved” because they were the coach’s kids, and others had to be selected together due to being siblings or carpool arrangements.
After jotting down my notes, I saw some coaches talking to each other but not to me. I was a bit perplexed, but it might have been because I was new and hadn’t introduced myself. Later, I learned that these coaches were talking to their assistant coaches. I thought I would be assigned an assistant coach, but that wasn’t the case. Every head coach had their own assistant coach, and I was the only coach without one.
Draft Day
Draft day is when coaches select their players. Each coach needed to pick 10 players, and the atmosphere was quite serious. Coaches meticulously sifted through their notes, and some even brought notes from previous years, which was surprising to me. I had assumed the process would be more lighthearted, but it was quite intense. The draft followed a snake format, so the order went: Coach A -> Coach B -> Coach C -> Coach D -> Coach D -> Coach C -> Coach B -> Coach A, and so on. We were also informed that some players couldn’t attend the skill assessment day, so we had to make some blind picks.
Coaches Meeting
The coaches meeting covered game rules, including substitutions and practices. After the meeting, I texted all of my players to inform them that I would be their head coach and that practice would start the following week. I scheduled practices for Mondays and Thursdays, each lasting one hour, with most of our games on Saturdays.
After completing the formal events, I watched several YouTube videos on defensive drills like boxing out and protecting the ball. My thinking was that these kids are so young that their muscles haven’t fully developed, so their shooting form will eventually change. However, they could learn defensive fundamentals now. This philosophy is something I learned from Son Heung-min’s father. In a YouTube video, Son Heung-min’s father, a former soccer player, mentioned that he wouldn’t teach his son how to shoot until he was 18. That made a lot of sense to me.
First Practice
At the first practice, I introduced myself and had the players pass the ball to each other while stating their names. It was a way for them to get to know each other, especially since we’d be playing together. After introductions, I paired the players up for a drill where one player would put the basketball behind them and use their feet and hands to prevent their partner from touching the ball. After a few sessions, we moved on to box-out drills.
During one of these drills, a parent asked why their child was learning this skill. The question caught me off guard, but I explained that I wanted to teach the players how to box out. During a water break, the same parent suggested I assign positions to the players. I initially thought it was too early for that, but the parent was adamant. I decided to give them the floor since I was new and they seemed experienced. This threw off my game plan and irritated me a bit. After practice, another parent reassured me, saying not to worry about overly involved parents and reminding me that I was just a volunteer. This lifted a burden off my shoulders.
First Game Day
On game day, I had a rough game plan. We did some warm-up drills before practice, but then I received a text that one of the players wouldn’t be able to make it. This threw me off, and I suddenly forgot about the substitution rule, which required every player to play at least 15 minutes. The game was close until halftime, but without a solid game plan, I knew it would come back to haunt me. Towards the end of the game, I was forced to put in players due to the substitution rule, resulting in moments where no one on the court could shoot the ball. Our losing margin grew, and unfortunately, we lost the game. The same parent who had previously given me advice bickered, and some players cried. I realized how serious the game was and felt that I had let the team down. I knew I needed to step up and be better prepared. For the next practice, I extended it by 15 minutes to give us more time.
Fast Forward To Today
I am happy to announce that we only lost our first game and have won every game since then. Our record is now 5-1. I’ve gotten a better feel for the game, and the players and parents trust me. The same parent who gave me feedback still contributes occasionally, and I find ways to incorporate their suggestions, but I make it clear that it’s my team.
Difficulty rating: 3/5 - It was definitely a steep and stressful learning curve. Coaching requires a significant time commitment, easily 3 to 5 hours each week. All the other coaches have their own kids on the team except me. It’s funny because the parents were initially looking for my child. I do feel bad about taking time away from my family to coach, but my daughter loves watching.
Fun factor: 4/5 - I love how competitive the kids are, and coaching allows me to exercise. I think coaching older kids would be more fun since we’d actually run plays.