Coaching Youth Basketball - Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30 - I'VE GOT THE M-2-M BLUES
Your season must be in full swing because I've received at least 100 e-mails about m-2-m defense. It seems that most of the teams you play are using a zone defense, and you are losing your games because of it. The common thread appears to be, why can't I switch to a zone defense? Let me tell you a story and see if this helps.

I have a friend that I coach against , named Pat. For the last 2 years he has taken his team to the city-county finals of the catholic league. Let me put this into perspective. This league has at least six districts, and 3 to four divisions in each district, and this is per grade. So there are about 180 teams playing in each age group. He has been the second best team out of 180 teams for the last 2 years in a row. So, let's just say he has a very nice team.

My team plays his about 3 times a year, and every game is a barn burner and we take turns winning. FYI, I'm not in that league. We played his team 2 weeks ago and his team played worse than I could ever have imagined. It was obvious within the first few minutes that my team was going to win. The next day I called and asked him what happened to his team. He laughed and explained what he was doing.

Every year he had his team playing a 1-3-1 or a 2-3 zone defense. His girls were great at it and you really had to be on top of your game just to compete with him. This year he was teaching his girls m-2-m defense. He waited until they were in 8th grade, to teach them man-2-man. I have watched 2 more of his games since then, and he lost both of those.

So why not revert back to his winning ways? He says because if his girls ever want to make a high school team, they have to learn man-2-man defense. Imagine how these girls, who have the reputation for winning, are having to swallow their pride now. I honestly feel sorry for them. I will give them credit, they are handling it very well.

I don't respect a single win he has had in the past, compared to how much I respect him for putting his girls basketball futures ahead of his own ego. If you think it's hard for you to see your team lose at their age, how much harder would it be for you to try to explain to your players, and their "Parents from hell," why they should learn m-2-m after they had been one of the best non-select teams in the city for 5 years in a row?

Very few coaches would do what Pat is now doing because they are in search of the almighty win. Riley's Rule # 00 = Most youth coaches start out coaching for the right reason, then become egotistical power mongers. We all start out coaching for the kids. Most coaches end up coaching because of their own secret agenda, their own ego.

How do I look at Pat? PAT IS MY HERO! Here is a person who is standing up, taking a bunch of crap, simply because he realizes that he should have started off teaching m-2-m defense and didn't. Instead of hiding from that fact, he is now trying to help his girls the best he can, by teaching them m-2-m now. Is it too late for some of his girls, yep. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. But it's not too late for all them. Wanna know something else, IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU!!!!

I know you are frustrated and maybe even taking some heat from the parents. By the way, pretty soon you will understand why I call them the "Parents From Hell." The point is you need to stick to your game plan.

Think of it this way. A man is walking down the street in front of you. No one else is on this street. No one else sees you or him. He drops a bag without realizing it. You pick it up and there are 100 dollar bills falling out of it. Do you do the right thing and run after him and give it back? We all say we would, but we never know until we are in that position. What if you were behind on your mortgage and in trouble at work, now would you give it back? Doing the right thing isn't always easy.

When you learned to ride a bike you probably fell off of it a dozen times and hurt yourself. Why didn't you quit trying to a ride a bike after all of those falls? Normally, it's because your parents wouldn't let you quit trying. Now you can ride a bike. You wouldn't trade all of the pleasure you had when you were young riding your bike, for anything. As a coach you are like your own parent who wouldn't let you quit trying. If you do the right thing, these kids will thank you in their later years. Do the right thing.

I don't know how to make a more passionate plea. There are people in life who walk toward the light. Then there are people who go over to the dark side. Want to know how they get started toward the dark side? By taking the first step.

That first step towa