AAU / Travel Coaches request

[Jay Bee]

May be an assistant coach soon; any secrets / tips / basic wisdom you have, please advise. Boys 8th grade / 14U

[tower912]

Figure out what your lines are.   You are going to be pressured by parents.    Know what you will and won't do.      Figure out what your goal is.    Are you going to try to improve all of the kids, or are you going to have a star system?    And know why you are doing it.     Whether you are doing it to move yourself ahead or help the kids.    I don't care which, but don't pretend one and do the other.     I love coaching.     I hope you do, too.    Have fun.   

[Herman Cain]

May be an assistant coach soon; any secrets / tips / basic wisdom you have, please advise. Boys 8th grade / 14U

Treat every kid as if they were your own( or a much younger brother). Demonstrate a sincere interest  in helping them improve their fundamentals.  Be supportive and encourage a hard work ethic.  Make sure you treat the worst kid on the team as well as the best kid. That tends to rub off on the kids.

[MU82]

Find your place and your voice without overstepping - easier said than done.

Being an assistant coach is it's own form of difficult. You want to be a part of everything but you most definitely are not in charge. My first year as an assistant was very hard for me. I wanted to learn and contribute but the coach was a control freak who did very little delegating. For the good of the team, I  didn't upset the apple cart and I did all I could to contribute.

In my two years as an assistant coach, I took copious notes on what I would do if and when I ever became a head coach. The "don'ts" far outnumbered the "do's." That list turned out to be extremely important when I did become a head coach.

I hope you have a good group of kids who really want to learn and have fun, and I hope you have a head coach who will find ways to accentuate your value.

[wadesworld]

At least pretend you're more mature than the 14 year olds.

[Benny B]

Start filing your FOIA requests now for every D-I coach in the country. 

[Eldon]

Flush your own toilet.

Either wear a gi or drive an ATV, but don't do both.

[warriorchick]

Don't hit on the moms.

Oh, and in junior high, where a typical score is along the lines of 32-29, free throws matta.

[4everwarriors]

May be an assistant coach soon; any secrets / tips / basic wisdom you have, please advise. Boys 8th grade / 14U

Ate grade boyz and BeeJay? Knot a grate idea, ai na?

[tower912]

Don't hit on the moms.

And be prepared when the moms hit on you.   

[warriorchick]

And be prepared when the moms hit on you.

Yeah, it's amazing how much some women are willing to degrade themselves just so their kid gets more minutes.

[GGGG]

Yeah, it's amazing how much some women are willing to degrade themselves just so their kid gets more minutes.

No worries.  JB is used to women asking him for more minutes.

[StillAWarrior]

Direct the kids to whichever college is giving you the most money.

[tower912]

Yeah, it's amazing how much some women are willing to degrade themselves just so their kid gets more minutes.

I don't coach AAU ball.    I coach little league, travel ball from that little league, and junior high basketball.   Lots of teams, not nearly the pressure that JB is contemplating.    Within that small world, I have been hit on a few times over the years.    Disconcerting every time, as I am generally completely focused on the coaching and am completely wrong footed.  I don't think there was a quid pro quo involved, because I treat all of the kids well and I rarely get complaints about playing time.   Just weird and not something I anticipated when I started coaching. 

[wadesworld]

No worries.  JB is used to women asking him for more minutes.

Zing.

[warriorchick]

I don't coach AAU ball.    I coach little league, travel ball from that little league, and junior high basketball.   Lots of teams, not nearly the pressure that JB is contemplating.    Within that small world, I have been hit on a few times over the years.    Disconcerting every time, as I am generally completely focused on the coaching and am completely wrong footed.  I don't think there was a quid pro quo involved, because I treat all of the kids well and I rarely get complaints about playing time.   Just weird and not something I anticipated when I started coaching.

Actually, that was supposed to be a joke.

Also, it never ceases to astound me how often guys will interpret a woman's friendliness as "being hit on".  Although I am sure in your case, Tower, your assessment of the situation was spot on.   

[Eldon]

Actually, that was supposed to be a joke.

Also, it never ceases to astound me how often guys will interpret a woman's friendliness as "being hit on".  Although I am sure in your case, Tower, your assessment of the situation was spot on.   

True, but it is WAY WORSE on the flip side.  I can give you several stories where a girl/woman responded to my "excuse me" with a "sorry, I have a boyfriend." 

[warriorchick]

True, but it is WAY WORSE on the flip side.  I can give you several stories where a girl/woman responded to my "excuse me" with a "sorry, I have a boyfriend."

That's because it often is a come-on.  Unfortunately nice guys take the rap for the creeps.  Just like nice gals have to put up with harassment because of the skanks.

[MU82]

I don't coach AAU ball.    I coach little league, travel ball from that little league, and junior high basketball.   Lots of teams, not nearly the pressure that JB is contemplating.    Within that small world, I have been hit on a few times over the years.    Disconcerting every time, as I am generally completely focused on the coaching and am completely wrong footed.  I don't think there was a quid pro quo involved, because I treat all of the kids well and I rarely get complaints about playing time.   Just weird and not something I anticipated when I started coaching.

Shyte. I'm feeling more like a loser than usual because I've never been hit on by a mom.

Either that or I'm too dense to have interpreted things correctly. I mean, I'm 50-something, unemployed, bald and have a little spare tire, so I'm guessing countless moms have hit on me without me even knowing it!

[tower912]

Actually, that was supposed to be a joke.

Also, it never ceases to astound me how often guys will interpret a woman's friendliness as "being hit on".  Although I am sure in your case, Tower, your assessment of the situation was spot on.   

One definitely wasn't.    Back in the autumn of 2001 through the summer of 2002, there was a subset of the female population that apparently had 'sleep with a firefighter' on their bucket list.     I was coaching the child of a single mom in this subset.    The fact that I was coaching her child was what brought her into contact with me.     The others...... perhaps.    But I need to feed my fragile ego, so...

MU82, none have hit on me lately.    You and I are in the same boat, my friend.   

[Archies Bat]

May be an assistant coach soon; any secrets / tips / basic wisdom you have, please advise. Boys 8th grade / 14U

Practice free throws.

[T-Bone]

Kid sized karate outfits, tanning beds, and...


Don't forget to promise donations you will not keep.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Teach and play man defense to instill fundamentals in AAU. This may garner them more PT in college than they envision.

[StillAWarrior]

Actually, that was supposed to be a joke.

Also, it never ceases to astound me how often guys will interpret a woman's friendliness as "being hit on".  Although I am sure in your case, Tower, your assessment of the situation was spot on.   

Don't think we didn't notice that wink.  Shameless...and from a married woman.  Get a room, why don't ya!

[warriorchick]

Don't think we didn't notice that wink.  Shameless...and from a married woman.  Get a room, why don't ya!

Winks are my teal.