Uncoachable Kids

I am a volunteer coach for a 6th grade team and I have a couple of boys that I have problems teaching/coaching. They don't listen and then they execute the drills incorrectly or they decide to change up the drill and do what they want. How do I work with these kids to help them understand that these drills will only benefit them? Also, when I put them into the game they do not execute our plays? Any assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Ben

It is unfornuate anytime you have players/kids become problems and even distractions. As a coach I would suggest continuing to talk to each player and relay the message of how important the drills are and even the reasons why you use the drills. As a coach I will often stop my 5 on 5 scrimmaging during practice and remind the players this is why we did this drill today.
However if the players continue to act out they will become a distraction to you and the rest of the team. As John Wooden always said, the best motivator is the bench. I would sit these players and even consider setting up consequences for them during practice when they act out. The consequences could be sprints during or after practice, sit-ups, or even consider sending them to the locker room. I would also encourage you to speak to their parent/guardian. Often the guardian can give you support if the proper lines of communications have been developed.
Best of luck, I have dealt with the same problems and it is not easy.

Tough problem Ben!

I think its time for you to have a player / parents meeting and discuss team rules and how a player earns playing time. (along with any other items that are pertinent to your team.

The first time in practice that they do NOT do the things you are trying to teach them, you stop practice and explain it again clearly and explain why you are doing things this way. The second time where you feel that they are doing it their way (not just messing up because they aren't very good) I would have them run a couple up and back. The next time I would have them sit down and watch the rest of practice.... making sure that they know that this WILL affect their playing time.
(if this is allowed in your league)

IF they do this during games, take them out and tell them what they need to do to get back on the floor, then give them another chance and IF they continue their behavior.. let them sit.

Do NOT send them anywhere unattended... IF anything were to happen you could be in a lot of trouble.. especially IF someone got hurt or destroyed something. Maybe you could invite the parents of the boys acting out to practices and games so they can see what's going on... just a thought.

Good luck, I hope things work out for you.

I can only echo the great advice you received from both coaches.

-Communication with players
-Parent Awareness
-Consequences


Out,

Coach A

Making the entire team run suicides and thanking the player who was misbehaving always works for me. The team will correct the problem for you rather quickly.

I used to do the same, Tarzan. However, I don't think it's the best method anymore. Don Kelbick educated me about his experience with using team punishment and I have changed my ways.

You can read about this in the article under "Team Responsibility" http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/foster-team-chemistry.html

Joe,

I have read that article before and disagree with it completely on all levels for two reasons.

1) at the youth level, where everyone plays equal and still learning, kids want to fit in. If there is a troublemaker, they may last the season, but they won't be back next year. Usually, however, the problem is corrected in one or two practices.

2) IMO, if this is happening at Jr High level or higher, I would employ the same strategy. If that didn't work, the bench would be option number 2 and if that didn't work, the door would be option 3.

I have seen some teams with poor records work harder and prevent this stuff from happening more than on winning teams. Winning teams get a little cocky sometimes.

I see where Kelbick is coming from, I just disagree with him.

I can see where

Running for the sake of running is a huge waste of time. The higher the level I coached at the more I realized it. By the time I got to the Varsity level we did very little of that.... Do something with a ball... and IF You really have to run some one... run him..off to the side, away from the other players if you can.

Playing time is a great motivator..... and so is practicing if your practices are well thought out. If they don't want to work hard in practice, let them sit... of course they don't play either.

I have used running to discipline in the past, but I still don’t like to use it anymore. Not only for the reasons that Don mentions, but for the reasons Coach Sars mentions and some of these listed below.

At the youth level, I have run the kids as a team to discipline them. However, I would never do it again. After learning more about child psychology, I think a better solution is to ignore the bad behavior. Kids often get attention with the bad behavior and that’s why they do it. Instead, don’t allow them to participate. If this behavior continues to happen, the player misses playing time. If it happens after some player/parent meetings, the player is removed from the team. However, that is the extreme resolution that should be avoided at all costs. Troubled players probably need us coaches more than most!

Bob Bigelow who is a former NBA player and youth sports experts says avoid the 3 L’s. No lectures, laps, or lines. Keep talks short. Keep drills short and you won’t have issues at the youth level. They just need to stay active.

Not to mention, running can have a negative effect on the long-term health for kids. When forced to run as punishment, the players affiliate running in a negative manner because they were always forced to run when something negative happened. Therefore, as adults they hate to work out and run.

I think these coaching methods are some of the reasons for such a high drop-out rate in youth sports and also for our unhealthy nation.

As Dr. Kwame Brown of the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA) likes to say, “Running should be a privilege. Not a punishment.” He got his PHD in neurology.

At the varsity level , my old high school disciplined us quite well and we never ran once. He provided us with clear expectations and when we didn’t do that, he would let us know. If you misbehaved, he’d warn you once. If you did it again, you’re butt was in the locker room and you’re playing time will be adjusted. As Bobby Knight says, there is a direct line from the bench to your butt to your brain.

BfRob, go away from the plays and teach the motion. Teach offensive concepts and let them play. I never had much success trying to teach plays to youth players. You can read more about it here:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/blog/index.php/should-youth-coaches-avoid-plays-and-patterned-offenses/

Two great posts Joe!

You learned all this a lot younger than I did.... First of all, if you teach plays, thats what they learn... plays., Bball isn't football where thats all you do.... motion is the way to go because it teaches kids how to play the game... you can still run a set here and there to keep teams honest... and get that shot you need at a certain time. It is a lot easier to defend sets/plays than it is to defend a continuity motion type offense... learned that my first year of high school coaching.

As for running.... let that be for the track and cross country guys. Teach basketball.. do it with a ball... and if you need to disicipline - read the things Joe wrote there. It doesn't mean a quick up and back cant be used from time to time. Every Thursday we used to do something called.. "Run the Idiot drill" It was for guys that did something goofy or were failing/near failing a class... couple of times I had a manager do it because he misplaced my keys. It was done for laughs and as a small reminder... it was ONCE up and back. Would probably have to change the name today - its not PC.

Coach Ben: The players you are referring to, are they two of your better players, or are they substitutes? If they are two of your better players and you use bench time as a motivator to improve their attitudes and towards the betterment of play, then it is a solid suggestion. However, if they ordinarly come off the bench then that will not work. In many cases such as this, you will find out that the parents are a large part of the problem and these problems need to be addressed with them. I had a similiar problem with a player several years ago and it occured during a time out. During my timeouts, all five starters will sit on the bench facing me and the others will be behind me. During one time out a parent actually came on the floor and began telling his son what to do. During a time out in the next game, the father, who was on the first row behind the bench jumped up and began giving instructions to his son. I stood up looked his father directly in the eye and said "If you are going to coach your son, you are going to have to find a team to play on because you're not going to coach him here. I never had problems again. I give this scenario, because I want to emphasize that my desire in this situation was not to embarrass the young man but to solve a problem that i felt could only become more harmful to the player and the team if i allowed it to continue. If you dont address such problems immediatly, all they do is get worse. ..you want to emphasize to your parents that you need to work hard together to do whats best for the child. Ive found it helpful to always keep an open mind and to remember the words, "You can disagree without being desagreeable. Let me know what happens Coach Mac

Another good post Mac,

Good to have you back!