Coaching Basketball For Dummies (eBook)

Greg Bach is the communications director for the National Alliance For Youth Sports (NAYS), a position he has held since 1993. Before joining NAYS, he worked as the sports editor of the Huron Daily Tribune in Bad Axe, Michigan, where he captured numerous writing awards from the Associated Press, Michigan Press Association, and the Hearst Corporation. He has a journalism degree from Michigan State University, which he earned in 1989. He's an avid sports fan -- particularly of his beloved Spartan basketball team -- and has coached a variety of youth sports. He's also the author of Coaching Soccer For Dummies, Coaching Football For Dummies, and Coaching Baseball For Dummies. The National Alliance For Youth Sports has been America's leading advocate for positive and safe sports for children for the past 25 years. It serves volunteer coaches, parents with children involved in organized sports, game officials, youth sports administrators, league directors, and the youngsters who participate in organized sports. The Alliance's programs are utilized in more than 3,000 communities nationwide by parks and recreation departments, Boys & Girls Clubs, Police Athletic Leagues, YMCAs/YWCAs, and various independent youth service groups, as well as on military installations worldwide. For more information on the Alliance's programs, which appear in the following list, visit www.nays.org.

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started Coaching Youth Basketball 7

Chapter 1: Teaching Basketball to Children 9

Chapter 2: Preparing for a Successful Season 17

Chapter 3: Covering the Basketball Basics 31

Chapter 4: Getting to Know the Parents 51

Part II: Building Your Basketball Coaching Skills 67

Chapter 5: Evaluating Your Team 69

Chapter 6: Running a Great Practice 85

Chapter 7: Game Day 103

Chapter 8: Refining Your Coaching Strategies 121

Part III: Working with Beginning and Intermediate Players 131

Chapter 9: Teaching the Offensive Fundamentals 133

Chapter 10: Teaching the Defensive Fundamentals 155

Chapter 11: Fundamental Drills for Beginners 177

Chapter 12: Coaching Offense 101 195

Chapter 13: Coaching Defense 101 213

Chapter 14: Taking Your Drills to the Next Level 231

Part IV: Moving On to Advanced Basketball Strategies 247

Chapter 15: Coaching Offense 201 249

Chapter 16: Coaching Defense 201 265

Chapter 17: Zoning In on Advanced Drills 281

Part V: Shooting for the Extra Points 291

Chapter 18: Keeping Your Kids Healthy and Injury Free 293

Chapter 19: Challenges Every Coach Faces 311

Chapter 20: Coaching a Travel Team 327

Part VI: The Part of Tens 337

Chapter 21; Ten (Or So) Things to Say to Your Team before the Game 339

Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Stay Realistic When Coaching Children 343

Index 347