and I'm not just sucking up to a moderator either.
Having been on both sides of very lopsided scores as a coach, I really like this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by bob jenkins
Officiate the game, not the scoreboard.
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At 1-15, it's likely this team has "tossed in the towel." They might compete hard for a little while, but as soon as it looks like it's the same old thing again, they will usually stop competing hard. Of course there are exceptions, but that's what it's like on the girls side.
When I know we are playing a very weak team, I want to put them away early because I don't want them to get it in their heads that they have a chance to win and keep playing real hard. Not because they might beat us, but because the chance of injury is much higher when the opponent thinks they have a chance to win and the only way they can beat you is by playing harder than you. Next thing you know they are running through you, diving into your legs for loose balls, fighting and scrapping for everything. They still are going to lose, but now it's ugly time.
Our varsity team played against and beat the same opponent 4 times this season (1 non league and 3 tournaments). The first game was very competetive. And it was an ugly game, technicals called on players, one ejection, ejected player gave the stands the middle finger from locker room doorway. The girls said they played dirty- holding, stomach punches, hip checks on airbourne players, all sorts of crap. Each successive time they played, the score was more lopsided. By the end of the 4th game, they were helping each other up & you'd of thought they grew up together in the same school district. Sitting in the stands together watching the boys play, hugging each other when it was time to leave. Girls!
I'm pretty sure boys don't respond like that. Boys would keep slugging it out and they would report that they hate those SOB's.
When I've been on the wrong side of lopsided scores, I personally hated it, hated it, hated it, when it appeared as if calls aren't being made so we can just puleeeeze get this mess over with. The reason is because I'm trying to teach them how to play the game and if the rules are being sort of skimmed over, or over looked, it makes it more difficult to teach and robs me of precious time when the clock stops on the whistle and I can use those seconds to communicate. Sometimes when the call isn't made, the teaching moment is lost. Other times it can be re-constructed later.
Our last game (3 more) of the season is against a league opponent who we beat 59-11 a week ago. We didn't run, we didn't press, I made us run offense (I'd never make them count passes before they can try to score, that BS is more humiliating than the lopsided score). We could have just spread out and dribbled past them to the basket. I've been trying to figure out a creative way to make the last game more challenging and still get something of value out of it. Like I said, I won't make them count passes. That's bush league in my opinion, and it messes up flow and rythym on offense. Today I had them run our motion offense with no dribble allowed except in the paint for about 10 minutes. I like making them go no dribble in practice because it forces the player with the ball to get their eyes up and really see the court, and it forces those without the ball to learn how to get open. When we go no dribble on them in the game (after getting a good lead), it will just look like we really pass the ball well, the score will probably not get so lopsided, and my kids will be better players than if we just counted passes, or ran it up.
Just thought I'd toss in my coaches point of view on this topic.