Matched, manageable, and moving

Last year, I decided to coach my daughter’s 1st-grade basketball team. On the first day of practice, I stumbled onto the court with a handful of girls, many first-timers. Tucked in my shorts pocket was the recommended sequences of “lessons” — practices designed to support early foundational basketball skills. In this case: dribbling, dribbling, dribbling. In fact, as I looked at the various options for practices recommended to new coaches, it didn’t seem like instruction would be moving.

We shared the court with a 2nd-grade team. During warm-ups, it became clear that the 2nd-grade coach was a fantastic player himself. Through the legs. Around the back. Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. Toward the end of practice, the 2nd graders scrimmaged while we continued dribbling in circles. I could hear the 2nd graders’ talented athlete-turned-head-coach yell, “The next person that presses before three is getting benched!” I glanced over at the player being reprimanded. Her dazed look confirmed what I suspected. She had no idea what he was talking about: Three? Press? Benched? With intentions to prepare his team for game-like situations, his instruction was unfortunately not matched to his players’ current skills and knowledge of the game.

While raising the hoops for the incoming middle schoolers at the end of our practice, the 2nd-grade coach and I edged into conversation. Both of us realized we were not equipped with a plan that would move and match our roster. However, where could we find manageable resources?