Coaching Youth Teams

7th August 2020

Todays Agenda

 Annie La Fleur

 Preparing a Youth Team for Competition

 Barriers / Challenges in Girls Sports

 Questions

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Cultural Background

 Growing up in Papua New Guinea

 Born in Port Moresby

 Mum PNG / dad Dutch

 Challenges

 Moved to Australia in 1979

 Grew up in Sydney

 Went to Catholic schools

 Challenges

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Transition from Playing Coaching
Workforce

1989-2003 Australian Juniors to WNBA

2004 WNBA to Glenelg Country School (GCS)

Why USA / Roles in GCS / Successes / Challenges

2008 Move back to Australia

Why / Successes / Challenges

2008 Hudson Gore Financial Services

Why / How long / Successes / Challenges

2013 FIBA Oceania Development Manager

How / Role / Successes / Challenges

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Playing Career

 1989 Junior Women’s World Championships – Bilbao, Spain

Bronze Medal Winner

 1994-2001 Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) -

Australia

Sydney Flames

1993, 1997 & 2001 – Champions

 1994 Women’s World Championships – Sydney, Australia

(Opals) – 4th Place

 1998 Women’s World Championships – Berlin, Germany

(Opals) – Bronze

 1999 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) - USA

Minnesota Lynx, 1999

 2000 Olympics – Sydney, Australia

(Opals) – Silver Medallist

 2001-2003 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) -

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USA
Coaching Career

 2004-2007 Girls Assistant Coach & JV Coach – Glenelg

Country School - USA

 2009-2011 Head Coach – Reddam House U12 Girls,

U16 & U18 Boys - Sydney

 2009-2010 Head Coach – Sydney Comets U16 Boys

 2010-2011 Head Coach – Sydney Comets U18 Boys

 2010-2011 Women’s Assistant Coach – U18 NSW Metro

(Gold Medallists)

 2012 Women’s ABA Head Coach – Sydney Comets

 2019 Level 2 Coach Accreditation

 2019 FIBA WABC Level 1 Facilitator

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Workforce

 1992-1994 Community Relations Manager, Sydney

Kings/Flames Basketball, Sydney

 1993-2003 Professional Basketball Player (WNBL,

WNBA, Australian Opals)

 2004-2006 Manager on Duty/Youth Co-ordinator,

Columbia Gym, Columbia Maryland, USA

 2005-2008 Glenelg Country School (Assistant to the

Athletic Director) Columbia Maryland, USA

 2008-2013 Hudson Gore Financial Services (Office

Manager), Sydney, Australia

 2013 - Current FIBA NF & Sport Development Manager –

Oceania, Southport QLD

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Preparing a Youth Team for Competition

 Pre Tryouts

 Philosophical Components

 Technical Components

 Pre Competition

 During Competition

 Post Competition

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Pre tryouts – Philosophical Components

 Coaching philosophy
 My coaching philosophy is the 4 E’s

 Engagement – get everyone involved

 Education – provide information

 Experience – have the players learn by doing

 Enhance – add to their basketball experience
 Done through games approach to learning

 Legendary American Women’s Tennessee College Coach

Pat Summit’s Coaching Philosophy

 Coaching style
 Task Oriented Approach – is achieving goals, whatever
they may be.
 Social Oriented Approach – is emphasising a concern for
affiliation

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Pre tryouts – Philosophical Components Continued…..

 Team Culture

 Calendars

 Talent identification

 Email to Parents & Athletes

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Pre tryouts – Technical Components

Style of Play (SOP)

 What is style of play?
 It’s the style of basketball that you want to play that puts your athletes in a
position to be most successful
 Why we play the way we do

 What influences style of play?

 Your philosophies and your type of athletes (Team identity)
 Your athletes strengths and weaknesses
 Your opponent’s strength and weaknesses
 Your core objectives. What are you trying to achieve?
 Your fundamental principals of play and concepts that you value
 Your teams culture /values /standards/beliefs

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Pre tryouts – Technical Components continued…..

Offensive / Defensive systems

 Transition

 Offense vs man
 Screen the Screener
 4 out 1 in

 Offense vs Zone
 3 out 2 in – high low

 Defense
 Man to Man
 2-3 Zone

 Out of Bounds
 Baseline – stack
 Sideline – box set / screen down

 Press Breaker principle

 Less dribble / more passing
 Get ball to middle 12
Pre Competition

Tryouts/trainings
 First team meeting

 Philosophy's

 Expectations, communication, goal setting, team bonding

 Setting rules

 Can also include the players in this process so they take responsibility

 Equipment – balls, coloured bibs, cones, first aid kit, ice

 Feedback to players – individual meetings, written, everyone learns

 Personal / Basketball emergencies feel important

 Understand the dynamics of the group - who is teachable an not ec…

 Example from current team

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Pre Competition Continued….
Youth Practice plan
Date: 23.7.2020 Venue: Varsity College

Session Plans    
 
Team: Varsity Vipers Open Equipment: 6 basketballs
  Girls 10 cones  
Half court only
 
Offensive focus: Defensive focus:

Every practice should include the following elements:    

1. Transition 1. Shell Drill – help defense  
2. Head up find the 2. Communication – using voice
open player early  
 
 Equipment List – what do you need? Basketballs, cones, TIME:
5.00
ACTIVITY:
Warm up
Matchups:
1 on 0
Teaching points
Stay low – head stays down
 

Defensive slides on drop step

Slide – jog – slide jog Channel to sideline  
  Communication
whistle etc 5.05 Mass sliding drill 1 on 0
Hand pressure
Stay low – head stays down
  100% effort on drop step
  Working on quickness  

 Warm up – ball control and body movement activities 5.10

 
Foul shot x 2
 
 
Communication
Focus on target / same
routine
  Run misses  
High five players on make or
 Individual skills – passing, dribbling, shooting and 5.13 Drink  
miss
   
5.15 Shell Drill 4 on 4 walk Jump to the ball
through Open stance

defending
Communication  
High Split/Low Split
Channel to baseline
5.20 Defensive Close Out 4 on 4 Jump to the ball
competitive Open stance
 Team tactics – both offensive and defensive Communication
High Split/Low Split
Channel to baseline
 

5.32 Foul shots x 2   Focus on target / same


routine
“Game Like” activities – varying the rules, methods of Run misses
High five players on make or
miss
 

5.35 Drink      

scoring and allowed movements to focus on various aspects 5.38 Transition 5 on 0 Implement transition
1–5
 
 

5.48 Shooting   Passer contests shot

2 spot shooting Ready in stance  
 Warm down 6pm
 
END      
   
NOTES:
From Wednesday night game
Don’t forget to also schedule drink breaks! 

Need to implement a transition
Need to contain penetration
 Help D
 Noticed some tension between players  
 
 
 
 
 

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During Competition/Tournaments

 Extra shoot-around/trainings in conjunction with game

schedule
 Session plans – what's included (see slide 14)
 Scouting e.g talk to others, when I scout a team etc….
 Recovery for athletes – ice, massage etc…
 Player welfare e.g. team buddies etc…
 Feedback – individual player meetings
 Meet with Captains – suggest have two (Captain and vice
captain?) team can help select
 Work with support staff to ensure things run smoothly off
the court – who are they? E.g. parents, manager, assistant
coach

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Post Competition

 This is about, did the girls enjoy themselves 

 For more serious competition

 Individual player feedback

 Coaches debriefing

 Evaluate goals and review of competition and performances

 Requirements of your Association / Club

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Barriers / Challenges in Girls Sports

 Barriers to Participation

 Barriers to Enjoyment

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Barriers / Challenges in Girls Sports

Removing Barriers for Young Girls

 Girls generally like sport for different reasons than boys. The following slides
provide suggestions aimed to reduce the effect of barriers prior to participation
and during a basketball activity. These barriers are generalised and may not be
experienced in the same way by every girl.

 You will need to try to tailor your delivery to the needs of the girls you are
working with and this will come from understanding why your players are
there.

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Barriers to Participation

 Don’t want to play with boys

 Social need to feel included

 Lower enthusiasm for competitive games than boys

 Lack of time, money or focus to commit to a sport/activity long-term

 “Basketball is a boys’ sport”

 Female role models can help to dispel this myth! Who are your role models/Ambassadors

 Worries about change in appearance, getting sweaty, etc

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Barrier to Enjoyment

 Disinterest with physicality of basketball

 Social need to feel a part of the group

 Lack of confidence

 Not getting to touch the ball enough

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My contact details
annie.lafleur@fiba.basketball

Questions

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