CLOVER HILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Welcome To The Monocacy Youth Basketball League
Serving The Youth Of Frederick County

COACHING IN THE MONOCACY YOUTH BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Coaching in the Monocacy Basketball League is most often a very rewarding experience. The league has grown to be respected throughout the area. When coaching vacancies do occur, they are usually filled quickly. Coaching in the league does not demand a significant amount of time but most does require that you enjoy working with kids to provide a rewarding basketball experience. Most coaches find the rewards to be well the effort.

As a coach in the league, you are obligated to achieve the purpose of the Monocacy Youth Basketball Association. That purpose is to provide a positive recreational activity for the children who play in our basketball league. To accomplish this, you must do your best to see that playing in our league is an enjoyable experience for the players on your team. As good as our league is, it is still an introductory and developmental league. The players are just beginning to learn about basketball. A fully-successful introduction to the game must be positive and enjoyable.

The league has a "must play" rule. All players must play half of their game subject to regular practice attendance and behavior appropriate to the program. You have latitude in deciding who plays and how much they play as long as the goals of the Association are met. The Association believes that every child selected to a team deserves the opportunity to play.

The league is made up of community associations located throughout the Frederick area who participate as members of the Monocacy Youth Basketball Association. Each coach is a volunteer with similar goals and enthusiasm as you. We seek to foster a fraternal spirit and friendly atmosphere among all the coaches participating in the league.

Start building team pride immediately! Congratulate your players for playing in the league. Be positive and open with them. Demonstrate your commitment and excitement and show them that you are accessible, that they can talk to you. Your team is taking its first steps now, make them positive ones!

Communicate the players' obligations now that they're on the team. These include regularly attending practice, participating in the team fundraisers, and demonstrating good sportsmanship at all times. State your goals for the team; that you hope each of them enjoys playing on the team and that you want each of them to improve their basketball skills. Give a brief assessment of the competitiveness of the league. State your expectations for the team. The competition should be keen yet friendly.

By the start of your first practice all registrations fees should be paid. You should have a registration form for each player on your team as well as a copy of the player’s birth certificate. Make certain each player is the proper age and that each has fully completed the registration form. You are to retain the registration forms throughout the season since they contain important information such as the player's emergency phone number. You must turn in a team roster to your area coordinator. When handing out uniforms, stress that they should be washed regularly and should be maintained in good condition with no alterations. Players provide their own shorts. The team should dress uniformly in shorts of one color; preferably all black or all white shorts. All players keep their uniform shirts at the end of the season.

You have the right to expect your players to come to practice. In almost all cases, the kids will want to come to practice and will be there regularly. If you have a player who has difficulty attending practice or has become a discipline problem, try to find the reason and address it through a discussion with the parents. You have the right to withhold playing time as a disciplinary measure.

Let your players know that they should call you in advance if they intend to miss practice. Anytime a player must miss a practice due to studies, you should excuse the player without penalty. Such times should be exceptions, however, not occurring often.

You should arrive at the gym a few minutes prior to the start of practice. Players should remain in the gym at all times, unless excused to get a drink or to use the restroom. Do not allow your players to roam the school unsupervised and no hanging on the rim is allowed.

The better a practice is planned, the better it will be. Divide your practice time into short increments, each with a specific drill. Varying drills will help make practice more interesting for the players. At some time during each practice, perhaps during warm ups, encourage informal banter among players. Practice time is a good time to build team intimacy and rapport. Good team spirit is born in practice. Intrasquad scrimmaging is important and fun, but should be used as a reward for practicing hard and for running drills well.

At each practice be sure to announce the day and time of your team's next game. It is extremely helpful if a parent or two helps you out at practice. Most are willing and only need to be asked.

Remind your players to respect the school during and after practice. Please pick up all trash. Hang up any posters, signs, etc. which the teachers may have hung on the gym wall. Crank the baskets back to the position they were in when you arrived. Please do your best because the schools allow us the use of the gyms based upon our conduct.

There aren't many things more exciting than coaching a close game in Monocacy Basketball! To make sure your team is ready, you should ask your players to be in the gym 20-30 minutes before tip-off. This will allow you team to gather everyone, to give a good pre-game talk and to conduct warm-up drills. Please be sure to promptly fill out the scorebook and be ready to start on time. Games must start when scheduled. There are no exceptions for warm ups etc.

During the game, no matter how close the score, coaches should set an example of good sportsmanship and calm demeanor. Make sure your players are good sports at all times. Fan support is important and should be entirely positive. You should ask any fan to refrain from making negative remarks. Remind the parents about the Parents Code of Conduct. Uniforms should be worn as issued by your organization. Teams should wear all black or white shorts at game time. No cut-offs, sweats, jeans etc. are to be worn during a game. Players may not wear jewelry or watches during a game. Do not allow your players to customize the uniform.

Remember the must play rule. If your team is fortunate enough to have a big lead, that's a good time to give your subs lots of playing time. Even in close games, the more you can use your bench, the better off your team will be in terms of development, team effort, and player freshness. The League has a "15 point rule" which says that you may not press when up by 15 or more points. Please show good sportsmanship and do not run up the score.

Just like players and coaches, some referees are better than others. Just like the rest of us, they have some days that are better than others. Many of our referees are of high school age. They have gone through our referee’s clinic but calls may be missed from time to time. Refereeing is a very difficult job. Bear that in mind each game. If you have a serious problem with a referee, bring it to your area coordinator’s attention. Please avoid openly criticizing referees in the gym. Doing so can diminish enjoyment of the game. Fighting or abusive language is not tolerated. The referees have wide latitude to remove any player, coach, or fan from a game or even stop the game if this occurs. Players involved in fighting are suspended from the next game on the first infraction and for the season on the second infraction.

After each game, you should hold a brief team meeting to discuss the game and to remind everyone of your next practice. You and your players should take the time after each game to congratulate your opponents for their efforts. Remember that the competition is keen yet friendly.

Each player on your team is an individual. Each has a different reason for playing. Each has a different role on your team. Each is probably motivated differently. Part of your job is to get to know each player and to be able to communicate positively with him. The Monocacy Youth Basketball Association believes in motivating by positive reinforcement. Take every opportunity to compliment a player. Reinforce good plays and good attitudes by pointing them out to others. When you criticize, do so in a positive way.

PARENTS (Refer to Parents Code of Conduct)

Friendly, supportive parents are a valuable asset to a team. Critical, non-supportive parents can make coaching difficult and less enjoyable.

The best way to develop supportive parents is to be open with them right from the start. You should make them all aware of The Parent’s Code Of Conduct. Before your first game, pass out a copy of the Parent’s Code to each parent. If you stress positive attitudes and team spirit to the players, some of it will rub off on the parents. Be accessible to parents. Positive feedback from them is one of the great rewards of coaching.

Some parents may offer to help you coach. If the help is unwanted, simply thank them for their interest and tell them you will ask them if you find you need it. Often, parents can keep statistics during games and help with scorekeeping. This will help the team and will give the parents the chance to contribute.

With adults, just as with kids, positive attitudes are contagious. The more positive you are, the more positive your players and their parents are likely to be. No one sets the tone of a team more than the coach.

If you receive a complaint from a parent, respond to it promptly. Listen to it and consider it, then try to get the parent to see your point of view. If the complaint persists or is serious, bring it to the League's attention and we'll try to resolve it satisfactorily. Occasionally, you'll get a "bad apple" parent. It makes no sense to allow one person to spoil an otherwise enjoyable season.

Basketball, Editors of Sports Illustrated, J. B. Lippincott Co., published annually.

Basketball Basics, Greggory Morris, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1976.

Basketball My Way, Nancy Liberman, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1982.

Coaching Beginning Basketball, Jim Pruitt, Contemporary Books, Inc., Chicago, IL, 1980.

Coaching Youth League Basketball, Ralph Edminston and Gerard Engh, The Athletic Institute, Chicago, IL, 1975.

Practical Modern Basketball, John R. Wooden, John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, 1980.

Youth League Basketball - Coaching and Playing, Ralph Edrainston and Gerard Engh, Sterling Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1983.

Recommended for your viewing pleasure: You may want to watch it with your team, the movie "Hoosiers" starring Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, and Dennis Hopper. Available in most video stores.

Please remember that we use the gyms at the pleasure of the Board of Education and others. In most cases we pay for the use of the gyms and we are required to adhere to the following rules for practices and games.

No food or drink is allowed in any gym at any time.

No one may use the school halls outside the immediate area of the gym.

No one may bounce balls in the hallways at any time.

Please respect the wishes of the anyone using the gym before you. Do not allow your players on the court until the previous user is done.

Hanging on the rims is not allowed at any time and can be grounds for suspension.

Do not allow anyone to throw the ball at the rim from beyond half court. Somebody usually gets hurt as a result.

Except for the game ball, no ball may be bounced in the gym during a game.

The coaches and related parents are responsible for opening and closing the gym if your game is scheduled for the beginning or end of the day respectively.

Arrive for your game at least ½ hour early to open the gym. Ask your parents to help set up chairs, the score table, the clock and related basketball gear. All baskets should be set at 10’.

At the end of the practice/game, put away any floor mats or chairs that may have been used. Hang up any posters that may have fallen. Crank the baskets back to 8’ if that was the way they were at opening. Clean up the gym at the end of the day. In most cases that means broom clean. Find the custodian and get a parent to sweep up. Check with the custodian that everything is in order at the end of the day before you leave.

Help the other coach out even when it is not your "home" game.

Place any score table equipment in the designated storage area. Let your area coordinator know if supplies are needed.