Coach’s Corner: Basketball

East Side Sports basketball coaches are typically parents who want to get involved with their kids, but they may also be friends, other family members, or interested volunteers. Coaches do not necessarily have to know a lot about basketball, or have a lot of playing experience. The desire and ability to work with kids, however, is a primary requisite, while an understanding of the sport is obviously helpful.

The basketball coaching selection is less structured than ESS’s soccer program in that two or more volunteers typically co-coach (rather than having an assigned Head and assistant coach), as there seems to be more schedule conflicts during the winter months. Basketball coaches receive support from the league director and often work cooperatively with the other coaches during practice times. Unlike soccer, there are no fee waivers for basketball coaches.

Assigning coaches to teams is a group process. If you are interested in coaching, please be sure to indicate this on the Registration Form or inform the league director during the clinics. When the practice clinics begin in December, all interested coaches are invited to help conduct clinic activities. The league director will informally divide the players into equal groups and several volunteer coaches will be assigned to teach specific skills. Players will rotate from station to station, giving the coaches an opportunity to see all of the kids and informally evaluate their skill levels. After the final practice clinic, the coaches will meet with the director to make team assignments that are balanced based on the preliminary, informal evaluations. Coaches will be assigned to the teams at that time. Parent coaches will, of course, coach their child’s team, unless they indicate otherwise. This process is representative of the East Side Sports’ philosophy that emphasizes cooperative sportsmanship and is an important element of this instructional, recreational program.

If you are considering coaching, be sure to indicate your interest on the Registration Form. Please come to the practice clinics and get involved with the program–it’s fun and easy. There are many helpful tools that are available for prospective coaches. Coaches are encouraged to share helpful on-line websites with other coaches in the league.

East Side Sports is grateful for the generous commitment of time and energy by our coaches. At the same time, these coaching experiences provide fun and meaningful opportunities for parents to interact with their children and their children’s friends. In many cases, families develop friendships that often grow beyond the sport’s arenas. Thank you for considering coaching with East Side Sports.

BELOW ARE SOME LINKS TO HELPFULL COACHING TOOLS:

Game Planner

www.Breakthroughbasketball.com

Half-Court Offense for Kids

Instructions for Drills at 5 Stations