I am going to be coaching a Grade 8 girls team with one of the most physically gifted players I have seen.

The team only has one player with any experience. That player is my point guard and even she has very little experience. There are 3 teams that I play that have almost all rep players that have been playing together for several years. These teams typically beat my school by 20-30 points. However, with this kid I think I may stand a chance.

She is 6 feet tall already, with very long arms. She is one of the fastest sprinters at the school. She is the best female high jumper in the city. At the end of Grade 7 she could touch the back board. She is coordinated and pretty confident. However, she is not as confident as she should be.

Teams typically pressed my Grade 7 team like crazy last year. This was effective for them. Obviously, I need to continue teaching the girls how to get the ball across half court.

Any tips for how to help bring along an extremely raw player like this quickly? Any tips for how to maximize how effectively a group of girls with almost no basketball experience to use my center the most effectively? Any really simple plays out there that will help get her the ball?

First, teach skills, skills, skills. For everybody, not just your good player. You can run plays to get them layups but if they can't make the shot it is only a matter of time before they stop caring about the plays.

Second, you're only 8th grade. I would not call her a center. Teach her to play the game, not a position.

Lastly, and coaches don't like to hear this but I have a reputation about being direct, you can't maximize players who don't know how to play. You just can't. That is like asking, "How can I help my son, who is an infant and just learned to crawl, be a great hurdler?" Have him do leg ups in his crib? If you try, he won't even want to learn to walk. You can't make silk out of a sow's ear (ever hear that one?)

You have to teach then how to play and then try to utilize what you teach them. To take a group of beginners and try to specialize them is unfair to them and they will lose enjoyment and quit the game. You need to adjust your coaching outlook and method and adapt to them, not the other way around. Maybe you won't be able to do the things you wanted to coming into the season. Figure out how to teach them better and they will learn and get better. If your group is truly what you describe, winning has to be below the last priority.

When I was a kid, my mother always wanted my hair parted on the left. Now, I am an adult (so to speak), I would like to part my hair on the right. Unfortunately, I have no hair. Things don't always go as we plan. You just have to adjust.

I would agree with the previous post. Keep teaching the fundamentals of the game to all players. However I would ask your post player to work on developing a primary post move. Start with the drop step if she is true post player and you play her with her back to the rim. If she can develop a primary move then once she gets to high school she can develop a counter move once teams attempt to take away her primary move. May consider dividing your practice time into post players and guards and two different ends if you have any assistants to help.
Since you don't have a lot of experience, it sounds like you may need her to help you bring the ball up the floor as well. She may need to get extra reps in before or after practice to work on her passing and ball handling skills. All players need to be able to handle the ball and handle pressure, especially if you don't have good guard play.

Don, I always enjoy reading your posts.... YOU? Being DIRECT? NO WAY haha :-)

They never said that I was PC either.... I have mellowed a bit as I have become more seasoned (OLDER)

Teach everyone the fundamentals of the game, the center of today might be the point guard of tomorrow or vice versa. The last player on the team now might be an all conference player in her/his senior year... I have seen it happen.

Right now with that talent, ( like Don said ) don't worry about the Ws, they will take care of themselves ...... Winning is a by product of a very fundamentally sound group of players.