So my coach for JV told me I'm not tall enough for forward but I'm not quick enough for guard so I'm in the middle so he doesn't think I'll get a lot of time how do I get more time

Josh: make yourself indespensible to your team, outwork everybody, you dont have to be tall to play defense. Give the opposing players fits make yourself such a menace on D that your coach cannot do without you. Play Defence with such intesity, that opposing players will try to avoid coming down your areea. Make drives to the basketet with such ferosity that mothers watching the game in the stands will cover their childrens eyes. Im not trying to be jocular or cavelier about this, I mean it. I coach Professional in Asia and I have always said the best defender on my team will always start. Good luck Coach Mac

This ticks me off just reading it....

Funny stuff Mac but I agree wholeheartedly. So, you are a tweener Josh.... so what.... there is a lot of little things that you can do to make yourself indispensable.

How about every loose ball is yours? They call those 50-50 balls, to heck with that.... my thoughts were, those are ours. We were typically a lot smaller than other teams... but we were closer to the floor too! :-)
Take charges - every team needs to know that you will be there when they drive the lane, whether you get the call or not, be there. That will make other players think twice about driving.

Like coach Mac said, be the best defender on the floor.... if the player with the ball turns his back on you.... that's a good time to look for a steal, pick your spots. Every team needs a shutdown defender, a great rebounder, good shooter, good ball handler, a team leader. Pick out 1 or 2 that you can excel in and then go for it.

By the way, you can't measure heart, so forget the size stuff. I had many teams where the tallest was 6'3 and he played center, the rest were under 6 feet tall. Don't give the coach an excuse for NOT playing you..... make it hard to keep you off the floor.


Good luck

Ken: Totally agree with you, this statement also ticks me off. Your not tall enught to play forward and your not quick enough to play guard.....lets just completely deflate the kids confidence right off the bat. Where do some of these guys come from? A coach can NEVER measure heart, desire or leadership by merely looking at a player, those qualities need to be demonstrated during practice and games. Get over yourself coach, what will you do if one season the tallest kid you get is 5'8"....resign???? coach Mac

Ken: Totally agree with you, this statement also ticks me off. Your not tall enught to play forward and your not quick enough to play guard.....lets just completely deflate the kids confidence right off the bat. Where do some of these guys come from? A coach can NEVER measure heart, desire or leadership by merely looking at a player, those qualities need to be demonstrated during practice and games. Get over yourself coach, what will you do if one season the tallest kid you get is 5'8"....resign???? coach Mac

Mac -

I know what you are talking about.... I had several small teams... its up to us a coaches to do the best we can with what they drop off at the door.

So, don't let anyone tell you that you cant do something.... go out and prove the guy wrong.

The guy is probably a driver's ed teacher.

In addition to the defensive suggestions, learn to shoot. There are slow, short guys who made a living by shooting. If you can hit an outside jumper, you can open things up for your big guys. Jordan Hulls was 6 feet and slow. But hitting the three was like a layup to him. He ended up at IU and now plays overseas. Good luck.

Good points Golfman, Ive watched Jordan play a couple of times in the European league, and you are right, he can really shoot and he isnt a big guy but he has an insanely quick release. They dont leave him open much there cause if they do, he will koill you from outside...Coachmac...ps. Golfman, whats your handicap...

Amen to that guys.... I had a kid that wasn't really tall but he could fill it up from past the arc. I tried to get him into Bradley U.... and I knew the asst. coach.... but I couldn't evern get the kid a shot at walking on. I told him about how well he shot it... to no avail after several phone calls. The kid goes into Molanari's office.... got turned down.

In his junior year they had a shooting contest at every half time... my kids keeps winning.... gets to the semi final round and nails 15 balls. The kid he was supposed to shoot against in the finals says, forget about it, you win. So, the following game he gets to shoot against Molanari.... and he beats him too. M says, where have you been, he told him, I was that little kid that came in your office 2 years ago that you said NO to. M says... I was a Dumb A**.... come see me in the morning. He offers him a spot on the team but had no scholarhips... my kid has to turn it down because his family didn't have the money to pay for an extra semester.

Bottom line, some coaches aren't geniuses ... they are just like everyone else. Don't let ANYONE tell you that you cant do something... go out and prove him wrong. I hope that you get a chance, then the rest is up to you. Let us know how its going.

No handicap. I gave up golf after the kid was born. Between baseball, basketball and everything else I don't have the time or patience.

Yes Jordan can shoot. He was fun to watch. But defensively you had to cover your eyes. :)