The Problem With American Basketball

I know several young men that are somewhat confused on what AAU team to play for. They say this team is shoe sponsored and they travel. Or that coach has a famous basketball relative. These organizations go on to explain the importance of this shoe company or that they got a contract with a uniform company. But they never seriously discuss the fundamental skill development that is missing in American travel ball.

I decided in the last minute to coach a team, but with a different goal: Help these young men make the varsity summer team, building their confidence through fundamental skill development and positive encouragement. We do tons of ball handling and shooting every workout, while doing alot of 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 team play. Our primary defense will be man to man, like the high schools in our area run. We currently have 8 hours a week of skill time available for these boys, and hopefully this investment in time will pay off in the summer.

Find a team that talks and actually trains skill development first. Hint: if all you do in practice is run plays and scrimmage that team may not be for you.