Let me start by saying this. I love the zoom action. It's fantastic. I plan to use it extensively if I coach another high school team.

There's a reason why teams at the middle school, high school, college, and professional levels are using it consistently... because it works! For teams ages 12 & up (7th grade), this offense is tremendous.

Nate Steege has developed an entire Zoom Offensive System around the action and has had tremendous success.

That said, it's not an ideal offense for youth teams. That's not a reflection on the zoom; it's just a reality of the game.

Zoom is similar to zone defenses and full-court pressing at the youth level. It might work, but zoom is not best suited for youth teams. Why? Because the youth level has different objectives. You want to develop players for the long run.

Some advanced tactics might help you win a few more games now; however, it's often at the expense of long-term development.

The zoom fits in that category. Let me explain why.

Why The Zoom Action Isn't Good For Youth Player Development

It's predicated around on-ball actions.

On-ball actions (ball screens, handoffs, zooms) work at the youth level. However, that doesn't mean they are good for developing youth players.

In the past, Coach Brent Tipton shared with us that many professional clubs overseas do NOT allow players 13 years old & under to use ball screens at all!

Why? Because the on-ball action becomes a crutch. The player doesn't have to learn how to create space and beat a defender on their own… with footwork, proper body positioning, vision, and dribbling skills.

Then, when they get older, they won't have the ability to do so, limiting their potential success.

I recently heard Bulls coach Billy Donovan talking about offense. He said that if he was coaching kids, the number one thing he would work on every day would be attacking closeouts.

If you can attack closeouts, you can play in any offense. Contrast that with a player who's always gotten open as a result of an on-ball action. What happens when there is no zoom or ball screen to free them?

Now think about this… you took the long-term approach. You focused on 1v1 offensive skills and age-appropriate skills and concepts. It's a few years later, and your players are in high school or college.

The coach utilizes some on-ball actions like the zoom, a dribble handoff, or ball screen.

Your players are making the defense's head spin. That's because…

Great 1v1 Offensive Skills + Great Offensive Actions = High-Scoring Machines!

Rather than trying to teach your youth players to set up and read zoom action, teach them universal basketball principles (attacking closeouts being one example):

• Spacing
• Cutting principles
• Penetration reaction
• Shot selection
• Creating and keeping advantage
• How to handle pressure (without a screen or handoff)

An understanding of these will help your players as they get older, no matter what offense they run.

If you're looking for a complete youth coaching system with offense, defense, practice plans, and skill development, The Youth Coaching System with Jim Huber (Ages 9-14) is a great place to start.

Also, for younger players, you can take a look at The Beginner Coaching System with Jim Huber (Ages 5-9).

Prepare Your Players Now To Zoom Away Later!

Every offense will work better with more skilled players. If you want to run zoom action at the middle school and high school level, I support that 100%.

I also think your players will be better prepared to run it well at those levels if you DON'T run it at the youth levels.

The additional player development they get from a motion-based offense will make them better all-around players, allowing them to take advantage of everything the zoom offers at the appropriate age!

What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...

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