Setting up a Motion Offense

I am a volunteer coach of 5th thru 8th grade girls team. We are a small team, the girls we play are much bigger than us, and they all seem to run a 2-3 zone defense. It is hard for us to get the ball inside. Would a motion offense be the way to go? I also thinking of trying to put in some type of fast break offense but need help.

Thanks
J. Gonzalez

Gonzo: I feel your pain we all get out-studded sometimes and what are those other teams doing playing 2-3 zone or any zone at that level. I guess winning is more important to them than development. As far as the motion vs. zone is concerned, i believe it will not be that effective as motion brings in back screens, cuts to the basket and is more of a player freedom type of offense. Playing against a zone with bigger kids will be difficult. However, there is always hope, your idea of creating a fast breaking offense before the zone can get set up is a good way. Further, if your kids are smaller and probably quicker, think about developing a man to man full court press system. This site has a ton of stuff for you to preview. Hope this helps Coach Mac

Those coaches are NOT doing their kids any favors... zones should be banned at that age. Teach the kids how to play the game and stop worrying about wins. Who cares how many games they win...... they need to prepare their kids to play at the next level and hopefully prepare them to play high school ball.

I coached a 7th grade boys team in a competitive league, and would say that probably 75% of the teams we played were in a 2-3 zone exclusively. We ran our motion offense against it the entire season and it worked fine. We mad a couple minor adjustments---we did a less ball screening (though we looked for opportunities), our back screens were very effective, as were our basket cuts, so we did those things more. We worked hard defensively to create transition opportunities, and were able to get a significant amount of easy baskets by pushing the ball, and making it hard for the defense to get into position.

Im going to say this and say it once, playing zones at that level is ridiculous and any coach that does, does it for the gratification of their own egos. Of course its much easier to implement a zone but its a very lazy way of coaching. This only shows me that the coach has little idea of how to teach Man to Man or is more interested in winning or both. Its gratifying that your motion worked against the zone you must be a very good coach. I have tried it and found it to be ineffective especially at my level. Coach Mac

Could you say that one more time Mac?

While we're at it, we might as well hear it from Bob Bigelow too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy6LTXtz-60

I have just received the Bob Bigelow tape on "Coaching Youth Basketball" and it is excellent. Coach Bigelow is most adamant with coaches of youmg [players teaching anything but Man to Man. And Ken, if Ive said it once, I have said it 1000 times. By the way...nice picture. Coach Mac..

I don't understand it .... all the people in the know understand WHAT needs to be taught to the younger kids.... but administrators still allow zones to be played at those levels. Sometimes I wonder what they are thinking about because it certainly is NOT the kids.