Hey Coach, Why Can't I Shoot?

One of the greatest joys in basketball is shooting the basketball. From early ages we dream of the day we can shoot the ball with strength, distance, and accuracy. You can be 99 years old and shoot the ball at the park for fun. No skill in the game brings the level of fulfillment as a jump shot ripping the nets.

Youth sports are organized for all kids to play an equal amount of time. This innocent period is represented by the "winning isn't important" motto. All kids participate and learn as they play. Little thought is given to who shoots, who rebounds, or who gets to play the point guard position. Unfortunately this period of time is short lived.

By age 10, youth basketball gets serious as parents and kids settle into roles and positions. Winning often becomes the goal at the expense of individual fundamental development and teamwork. This is a crucial time as better players are set aside from the rest of the team. Basketball games are determined by the high team score. Obviously, the coaches of these 10-year olds want to win as much if not more than the kids. To accomplish this, they direct the best kids to shoot the ball to score team points at a maximum level. Is this approach wrong? Only you can decide that.

Let's look at this dilemma through the game of golf. Popular weekend golf events known as best-shots have taken over most courses on the Saturdays and Sundays. The way these four man teams are put together explains the reason I chose this title, "Hey Coach, Why Can't I Shoot?"

The wise golf captain chooses his team carefully; a big driver off the tee, a couple of sharpshooters from the fairway, and a can't miss putter. With care, each player brings to the table an outstanding skill that can help his team in a tough spot. Would it make any sense to assemble a team of four monster ball strikers with no putting or short game skills? Of course not, right!

Parents often fail to understand the philosophy behind what is called the 60 by 2 concept. An average team will have two main scorers flanked by several others who chip in a few points a night. These two players are not necessarily the two best shooters, but the two best scorers. Check any team and this theory will be present. Just as the golf captain selects his players based on skills, the basketball coach needs to put his team together with the same design in mind. Instead of 5 points guards or 5 post players, a careful blend of abilities and sizes are needed.

Face it mom and dad, if your son or daughter is an average shooter he won't be taking a lot of shots. Basketball, like most sports, is a game of numbers and percentages. The best players who are the best shooters and scorers take the most shots. The number can be around 60% or 70 % of all shots taken by the team. Shooting the ball at game time is not an equal opportunity proposition. Many find this hard to see or buy into, but the good coach knows how important this is to winning. No matter how much you expoain at times to the players, they keep asking "Hey Coach, Why Can't I Shoot".