that coach!

[Hawks Coach]

Originally posted by Ridge Wiz
And another question, How does kids learn to play the game if they barely, or rarely, get to play at the games?
I beg to differ. Nobody learns how to play during the game. They learn how to play in practice. That's why you practice more than you play. I hear parents say they don't want their kid to try for the middle school team in the 5-6th grade because they won't get as much playing time as they would in our "youth" league. I don't agree. Our youth league practices one hour on 1/2 of the court & plays one game per week. However, the middle school practices 3 or 4 times per week for about 2 hours using the whole gym. They also play 1, 2 or sometimes 3 games per week.
Best of Luck to you.

I somewhat agree, but I am firmly in the camp that you learn different things in each environment. I want to practice more than we play, but you can see a big difference in players who practice only and players who get substantial playing time. I trimmed my roster this year (to some parents' chagrin) because I knew that certain players would not get enough court time on my team and needed to go elsewhere so they would obtain necessary game experience.

Practice is essential for building good skills and habits, but substantial game time teaches you how to cope with the things that you see only when you play other teams. And we practice hard, but there is no substitute for game intensity.