PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Coaches Don’t Know Everything
After nearly 30 years of coaching, and many more playing basketball, I have learned a lot. But the most important thing that I learned, is that I don’t know everything.
I always loved attending coaches clinics because it gave me the opportunity to grow my knowledge. Even with volunteering again as a coach since Covid, I’ve had new surprises and insights. I hope that bits and pieces of my most recent coaching articles, How To Motivate Your Team, How To Teach Leadership and The Best Team Building Activities, will augment your knowledge of the game. Enjoy! (NEW LINKS COMING SOON)
PEN TO PAPER: Just Imagination
We carved pumpkin’s last week and my son and his friend’s rummaged through six boxes of costumes to find the perfect outfits for Halloween night. The boxes are a mish-mash of years of collecting and making costumes out of our best finds from our closets and Goodwill. A witch, skeleton, Mummy, 70’s funk, 80’s punk, UPS driver and Elvis, to name a few.
Costumes simply take a little imagination… just like writing.
Did you dress up? Eat too much candy? Carve pumpkins this Halloween?
Write about it.
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: So You Want A New Coach?
Sometime you can’t choose your coach, so what happens if you find yourself with a coach you don’t like?
What Do You Do If You Don’t Like Your Coach?
Dealing with a coach that you don’t see eye-to-eye with can be a real challenge. When I was a young player, I didn’t like all of my coaches, so I can understand. And I’m sure that not every one of my players liked me as thier coach.
But if you love to play your sport, as long as you are in a safe environment, there are ways to make it through your season, learn more about the game and have fun while doing it.
What To Do If You Don’t Feel Safe
There is a difference between a coach that isn’t great and a coach that puts you at risk, physically or emotionally. If a coach touches you inappropriately (hit, kick, sexual advance), degrades you, insults you, or pressures you to play on an injury, it’s imperative that you set your boundaries and then talk to a trusted adult.
If you’re safe but you just don’t like your coach. The question that comes next is, what is it that you don’t like about your coach?
Not Getting Enough Playing Time
Do you feel like you should be getting more playing time? You aren’t’ the only one. Most athletes believe they deserve more playing time but there are only so many minutes in a game. So think about how many minutes are truly available versus your expectations.
If you are at a higher level of play, high school varsity or college level, where the game is more competitive, it is usually the better athletes, and the ones who have good work ethic and good attitudes, that get more playing time. But, at the youth level, I believe playing time should […]
PEN TO PAPER: Little Frustrations
I’ve been locked out of my website for a few days. Talk about frustrating. Especially since I am not great with tech. I tried my password and clicked on a few buttons and that was it, after that I had no idea what else to do. This is when I would normally call or email someone for help, except there was no phone number or email to contact.
These days, as consumers we are expected to search the support page for answers. What the heck? I don’t even know what I’m looking for!
Fortunately, I’m back on, or back in, or whatever you say, and the whole frustrating experience gave me a good idea for a writing prompt.
WRITING PROMPT #1: Write about what frustrates you.
WRITING PROMPT #2: Write about a time you got locked out of your email, or your house, or something or someplace important.
WRITING PROMPT #3: Raven opened her laptop, turned it on and…
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Should I Play AAU Basketball?
There is no perfect answer to this question. It really depends on the athlete and the AAU programs available. I played AAU, my kids played AAU and as a coach I have observed many athletes go through AAU programs, so if you, or someone you know, is interested in playing AAU basketball, here are some pros and cons to consider.
PROS
Time On The Court
When you play on an AAU team you might get more time on the court. There is no guarantee. It depends on the team and your ability, but if you are a player who starts, or gets into the games a lot, the extra time on the court can be worth it.
Better Competition
Often AAU teams play against better competition. Most AAU teams travel to tournaments and find high-level events to help improve their game and increase player exposure to college recruiters.
Visibility
Times have shifted over the years, college coaches […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: How to Make the Fast Break Second Nature
A run-the-ball mentality doesn’t happen overnight. But when you use drills that focus on the fast break and add consistent encouragement, your team can learn to move with ease into transition offense. Learn more about how to do this in Make the Fast Break Second Nature.
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: The Magic of Ball Fakes
A good ball fake can get a player an easy basket or an open pass. It can shift the opponent’s defense and make gaps for the offense. The ball fake is key to making things happen on the basketball court. Whether it’s a shot fake, a pass fake or drive fake, this simple skill works like magic against opponents and can make a huge difference in a player’s game and the success of a team.
What is a ball fake?
A ball fake is when the offensive player moves the ball in one direction, without letting go of the ball, to fake out or distract their opponent and gain an advantage. A player can use a shot, pass or drive fake to create space or make the defender move, so they can score or continue with an offensive move with the ball, such as a pass or a drive.
Catch the ball in […]
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