Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Youth Basketball Coaching

By Gary Pearson

If you want to make a difference in the lives of young people, you should try coaching youth basketball. I did, and boy am I happy about the whole thing. There are many many places that will show you how to coach youth basketball, from charities to workshops to who knows what else.

Now that it's been a few months and we've worked out the kinks, we are loving it. Our 'kids' as we call them have become our second family. We both look forward to the weeknights when we coach, and can't wait for the next game to come. Win or lose, we are all having a great time.

Kids these days need distractions to keep them from getting into trouble. Organized sports help kids stay off drugs, away from gangs, and in school. This is an amazing result for just shooting a few hoops. Every once in a while you may find yourself in the presence of true talent and you can consider yourself the one who helped it be discovered. Your influence actually helps these kids have safer lives and better futures.

Thinking about all the positive influence you could have, why don't you coach youth basketball? There's no reason why you couldn't. Help make a difference in a bunch of kids' lives while getting you out of the house. Make the neighborhood a better place by single-handedly reducing drug usage and crime.

I did not know much about youth basketball coaching when I first got into it. I did not even have any training. I had to watch youth basketball coaching videos, and hustle to prepare for my first day as a coach. But boy was it worth it. I crammed in all of those coaching aids, and soon I was directing the team like a pro. Now that I am good at youth basketball coaching, I'll tell you a secret. With youth basketball coaching, it does not matter where you start, as long as you persist.

No comments: