This is not a League

"For the past few years, we have called this the Summer Instructional Basketball League. (S.I.B.L.)  As Basketball Basics enters its 7th year, I believe the word "League" is not only over-used, it convinces parents it's a solid choice for their kids because "league" infers "competition."   MANY TIMES, the last thing a developing player needs is competition.   These young players are far better served with a few thousand repetitions of the key skills before the games/leagues begin.  So this Summer Instructional Series will mirror our Fall and Winter versions."    

Coach McGannon

Summer Instructional Series FLYER 

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Competition is NOT the pre-eminent training tool.  Closely supervised repetition is. 

While playing in leagues is popular, there is nothing more popular than winning.  We scrimmage.  We keep score.  There are outcomes.  It is competitive. But our primary focus is on your child's competitive skills. 

How sharp, how precise can a player execute the skills?  Can they do this under pressure quickly, with no thought? (This is called a "competitive habit.")  Leagues abound but there will be times when a player (or many players) will not get the required repetitions that build these competitive habits.  Too many leagues focus on the game's outcome, and frankly summer league games are somewhat meaningless.  We are all about skill development and helping players achieve their potential on and off the court.  Coaches must be quality demonstrators so that kids can visually lock down the fundamentals.  Coach McGannon and his staff demonstrates all the skills appropriately and with great repetition.  

  

What if my child has played in a past Summer league with his buddies? 

There are many local ties and friendships in leagues from previous years.  If the social component of these teams is equal to or greater than the competitive component, these players should consider staying with their teams.  If however you are looking for the strongest potential for competitive growth and skill development, our approach at Basketball Basics offers that.  It’s also an opportunity to meet and play with kids from different communities with different skill sets. Again, this is NOT A LEAGUE.  This is advanced skill development, leading to more competitive players.

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It is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED for players at these young ages to attend our Shooting Clinics, the BEST time to build the proper form and extended shooting release is now.

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Coach McGannon will run a 5th/6th Grade Boys AYBT team in 2012, Coach Richards will run the 5th/6th Grade Girls team.  This is new, we did not field a team last year at this age level.  For competitive kids, this is a GREAT opportunity to improve.  We practice 4 or 5 times as much as we play, a ratio that guarantees competitive growth.  Check out our AYBT video from Summer 2011.

AYBT Registration page; March Try Outs

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The Summer Instructional Series is open to players 12 years old and younger.   The 1st 40+ minutes will be skill development ONLY.  The same drills and drill sequence will be employed every time we meet.  Most importantly, the game is then used as an instructional tool.  Play will be stopped periodically to TEACH these young players during the game.  There is no better time to learn and improve than while playing. Practice does NOT make perfect if the kids make mistakes in practice that are not corrected.  We do not teach kids plays, we teach kids how to play.

These are KEY AGES if the youngsters hope to play competitive basketball in the years ahead.  We build competitive habits through repetition and reinforcement in a positive and productive manner.  Basketball Basics only permits 12 players or FEWER with the U-7/8 group and 14 or fewer with the U-9/10 and U-11/12 groups. This allows us to focus on each player's skills and development.

We highly encourage stronger players who are younger to PLAY UP in an older age group. 

Consider Shooting Clinics as well.  We have an excellent reputation for helping players build the PROPER SHOOTING FORM, which leads to a higher % of made shots.  Form must precede function.

On Line Registration

You may also register by phone (616) 402-1600 or e-mail: BasketballBasics@charter.net