Comment by Samuel Johns on May 8, 2012 at 1:53pm

Anyone have any tips on how to encourage my players to communicate on the floor? they chatter like pros in practice, but then in games its completely silent. I coach a high school JV team.

Comment by Peter Schwartz on May 8, 2012 at 4:01pm

I saw a coach at a seminar recently address this issue. He stopped the kids and asked them if they were each on Facebook. All but 1 kid was. Then he asked them who had Facebooked one of their teammates that day. Most had. Then he said if you can Facebook someone you can call out their name in a game. He did it in a joking way and made his point. They started talking on court thereafter. Worth a try. Hope it helps.
Regards, Peter

Comment by Coach Drew on May 9, 2012 at 12:46pm

Samuel,

You might want to move your question to the discussion board above.  You will get more views

Comment by Sam Salih on June 1, 2012 at 7:13pm

Holding camps for kids in summer when 1st taking over a down program? thoughts?

 

Comment by Ramon Anciro on August 20, 2012 at 1:45am

From my limited experience with local kids, kids will be kids. They usually won't want to offend each other and that is the main reason why they are silent during games. However, over here it's the opposite. Kids here are quite the player and frequent basketball games between friends at the local school gym on Saturdays and Sundays, aside from street games at anytime, are the norm. The warm tropical weather makes for such. Hence, kids here communicate effectively on court during games, knowing what each one must do to score or win, without a coach. So that's the approach. As a player yourself, not to be too intimidating. To allow them to communicate freely as they do during practice because during practice, they are comfortable being themselves and they don't feel any pressure to perform that well. Make them realize that the point of practicing is to be able to use whatever is practiced in an actual games or situations - and that includes effective communication, be it vocal, or, otherwise.

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