Coaches Resources

How to Submit your Game Score to RAMP

Submitting your Game Scoresheet Instructional Video (courtesy of the BYBA crew):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhS_Z7tppHw

Online Tactical Board - Tool for Working out your Actions/Plays:

Online coaches board which allows you to draw-animate plays and store them.

https://tactical-board.com/uk/basketball-new

National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP)

The NCCP provides standardized and safe sport education to coaches and coach developers across 65 sports.

https://coach.ca/new-coaching/about-nccp 

Things to keep in mind when coaching YOUTH Basketball.

• Skill development is a very slow process, think of it more in terms of years, not individual practices.
  • Boxing out is a habit, you can't drill it a few times and expect players to start doing it.
    • Not boxing out is also a habit, most players are good at not boxing out, because they watch the shots before they move!  
    • Be as consistent as you can training players in all drills to NOT watch shots, but rebound and/or box-out by adding defenders as much as possible.
  • Shot form varies by player.. not all bodies are the same.. give them tweaks (not crossing hands, more arc, maybe a bit of 'tilt' in their feet). 
    • What matters is consistency and shot SELECTION.. is it a good shot: Open, In Range, In Balance
  • The game is messy, don't rely too heavily on SET PLAYS
    • The game is a LOT more transition based after missed shots and a LOT of offensive rebounds
    • The turnover rate will be astoundingly high if you track it.. 25% turnover is LOW.. 50% turnover is not all that uncommon.
    • Set plays are still good to teach for the sake of coordinating teamwork.. but concepts are just as important when the defense blows up your starting action.
  • The other coaches/players GET A VOTE
    • You may not like the fact they press you at half court or full court (depending on age division rules), but that does not mean you should skip teaching a press or press break.
    • Sooner or later you will face a team that has several good drivers and outside shooters.. don't ignore team defense and proper close-out recovery.
• When looking for drills/sets for youth basketball, I suggest referencing the better Women's College programs for the following reasons:
  • D1 College women don't dunk, and the vast majority of U18 boys can't dunk either, so don't create actions that require that level of leaping ability.
  • D1 College women are better shooters than college men, I suspect they are less likely to take hard contested shots than men.
  • D1 College men are stronger finishing at the rim (layups), as the average height for Division I men's basketball players is 6 feet 5 inches (77 inches) and women's players average is 5 feet 11 inches (71 inches). This ~6-inch gap reflects positional demands and overall athletic selection, with men favoring more interior size and women emphasizing perimeter versatility.
• Every player needs time and game experience to improve. 
  • It does not take a lot of coaching skill to simply play your (currently) strongest players and limit your weakest players.
  • Youth players get injured or have schedule conflicts regularly, so developing a stronger/deeper bench requires you to give your weaker players more game experience.
  • Use the first two rounds to build up your player's confidence and skills, make it a team victory should you win, not just a 3-5 player on the team victory.
• This is YOUTH basketball:
  • Don't make it about your ego as a coach.. make it about the players' experience, are they learning and improving under your guidance?
  • Kids figure things out at different times and at different rates.. but when you finally see a lightbulb moment (when they figure it out), it is one of the best things to witness as a coach! Be patient.
  • Temper your expectations based on how they are doing versus themselves.. are they improving as individuals and as a team.. the final win-loss ratio will be forgotten before the next season starts.
    • Even if you win every single game.. your team may not be improving because of your immense coaching skills.. but rather the random luck of advantage better players than what the other league's players had that season.

If you are curious about which shots are the most effective.. below is a list of Division 1 (D1) US College team averages, which varies a lot between Women's (better shot selection) and Men's (better at rim scoring).  If your youth scorers can get anywhere close to these numbers, you are in really good shape!

D1 Women's Points Per Shot (PPS)