I recently came across a website for a youth basketball program that described themselves as having "proper" coaching for youth aged 6-17.  I immediately reacted by questioning my own ability as a coach. I am a proper coach? The description implied that I may not be.  Reflection is healthy, don't get me wrong but at 7 in the morning and unprepared for it, it made me grumpy to think that someone assumes that they are a proper coach and I am not.  I mean come on,  would you want Gregg Popovich teaching 6 year old how to do layups.  No thanks.  Let's get it straight and right.  Calling yourself Proper or the Right kind of coach is not for you to decide but is an athlete decision.  If they hate their "proper" coach then what? A chest thumping, look at me,  elite, approach to basketball screams arrogance.  If the coaches are this way then would it be possible that the coaches might be teaching your kids this way as well?  Seems like a proper way to teach narcissism.
  
  Ask yourself these questions and if the answer is yes to all of them then you probably have a "Proper Coach"
Is my athlete having fun?
Is my athlete safe?
Is my athlete getting exercise?
Is my athlete learning?

​

 Over my years of coaching thousands of athletes there the one thing that constantly holds teams back is  attendance.  Coaches can't teach absent players so inevitably there will be a lack of progress on and off the court.  Most coaches especially at the youth level measure their success in team and individual progress and attendance affect the outcomes of a season directly.  
I do realize that a student/athlete can have a tonne of stuff on their plate and this is a good thing as long as it is managed well.  Parents play a vital roll in establishing management strategies for the student athletes time and should help them follow through on all their commitments.  Management means not over committing. 
  Parents play a huge part in how much activities the athlete is enrolled in and if their is a primary activity they are usually good to let the coach know well in advance of other commitments.  It is usually the parent holding the power(and the keys to the car) that decide to skip practice because they are tired or don't feel like driving or there is a family function.  Imagine if your coach took this approach?
 Teams need to be together to get better together and it crazy to expect improvement when attendance is an issue.  Get to your practices people!  Your team needs you!

There is nothing harder than getting up at 5:00 AM to go for an optional run.  I have been able to commit to this endeavour fairly regularly since September but; November how I love thee not!  I am building myself up mentally as we speak to do just the thing I used to laugh at merely a year ago.  Run in the winter!  So for all you 40 something year olds who prefer to make fun of "that guy" running through his own vapour trail of frozen breath. Go ahead and have your laugh.  For those who dare to join us, here is a little sage advice on the topic of winter running from a bunch of nuts who have travelled this path before. Happy Winter!!! 

https://www.runnersworld.com/cold-weather-running/10-tips-to-make-winter-running-less-miserable

Gatorade, Powerade, and other energy drinks are not really built for young athletes.  In fact they are down right nasty.  Krush Sports Performance detests them and says as much in their "War on Sugar", and now the Canadian Government is on board as well.  These drinks are loaded with sugar, some with caffeine, and other morbid chemicals!  The result of feeding youth these addictive drinks can also reduce their cognitive function, which ironically makes them worse athletes. Addiction to sugar, which is always a good thing, can cause many cranky side effects, up to and including death! (If death is a side effect). Have look at the links/video that are posted for supporting evidence.  Do your research and stop killing your children.

http://krushperformance.com/krush-war-sugar/

Shooting Fixes to The 2 Worst Shots in Basketball
Basketball shooting form is not only an art, it's also a science. The best shooters in the world have perfected their shots through years of practice, constantly searching for even the slightest imperfection that would decrease their accuracy. Here are two shots that have so many imperfections, even the best shooters wouldn't be able to overcome them.
THE BEHIND THE HEAD WIP - We often see this type of shot from players who shoot above their heads. The shot basically looks like a slingshot. The lower arm looks like a catapult with the elbow acting as the hinge. The telltale sign is the arc of the ball is almost non-existent. It's a line drive.
The problem with the slingshot is the angle of the elbow is too narrow. Instead of shooting up and then out, the shooter extends out first and can't get enough arc on the ball.
THE TWO- HANDED CHUCK - This is more often seen in younger, weaker players who don't have the strength to get the ball to the rim without using their guide hand. The problem is that as these players get older, they never break the habit. It can easily be seen during the follow-through, because the shooter's guide hand will be turned facing the basket instead of staying perpendicular to the body.
The problem with the two-handed shot is that it's extremely inaccurate. The guide-hand thumb doesn't touch the ball every time. When it does, airballs often result.
A Quick Fix for BothOne-arm shots can fix both problems if you follow the keys below on every shot:

• Start every shot at 90/90. Your elbow and shoulder should both be at 90 degrees. The ball should be directly over your wrist, and your wrist should be directly over your elbow. Your guide hand will be at your waist. It will never touch the ball.
• Shoot up through your eyebrow and then out.
• Hold your follow-through. Your elbow should be near your eyebrow, and your middle finger should look like it's dipping directly in the middle of the rim at the end of the shot.
• Start close. Move back only when you've mastered the movement.

Self Awareness, Discipline and Correction
 Your coach will not always be there so you will need to be your own coach most of the time.  Honestly assess your own shot often and work through the mistakes on your own.
 Things to ask yourself.  

• Was I looking at my target, and am I even using the right target?
• Did I follow through and hold it?
• Is my other hand in the way?
• Was I balance when I shot the ball?

*This is a quick fix only.  It takes years to become a great shooter but this will put you on the path*  
Take our Summer Shooting Clinics to learn more.  WWW.AVIATORSBASKETBALLCLUB.COM

This article really provides a frame work of understanding related to the role you play as parents of a young athlete.  If you are new to sport then this article should be a template for your new adventure into sport along with your young athlete.  (Remember that not all adults have seen this article so lead by example)  -  Ron Olson

By: Steve Henson 2/15/2012
Hundreds of college athletes were asked to think back: "What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports?"
Their overwhelming response: "The ride home from games with my parents."
The informal survey lasted three decades, initiated by two former longtime coaches who over time became staunch advocates for the player, for the adolescent, for the child. Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching LLC are devoted to helping adults avoid becoming a nightmare sports parent, speaking at colleges, high schools and youth leagues to more than a million athletes, coaches and parents in the last 12 years.


Those same college athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame.
Their overwhelming response: "I love to watch you play."
There it is, from the mouths of babes who grew up to become college and professional athletes. Whether your child is just beginning T-ball or is a travel-team soccer all-star or survived the cuts for the high school varsity, parents take heed.
The vast majority of dads and moms that make rides home from games miserable for their children do so inadvertently. They aren't stereotypical horrendous sports parents, the ones who scream at referees, loudly second-guess coaches or berate their children. They are well-intentioned folks who can't help but initiate conversation about the contest before the sweat has dried on their child's uniform.
In the moments after a game, win or lose, kids desire distance. They make a rapid transition from athlete back to child. And they’d prefer if parents transitioned from spectator – or in many instances from coach – back to mom and dad. ASAP.
Brown (pictured below at podium), a high school and youth coach near Seattle for more than 30 years, says his research shows young athletes especially enjoy having their grandparents watch them perform.


"Overall, grandparents are more content than parents to simply enjoy watching the child participate," he says. "Kids recognize that."
A grandparent is more likely to offer a smile and a hug, say "I love watching you play," and leave it at that.
Meanwhile a parent might blurt out …
“Why did you swing at that high pitch when we talked about laying off it?"
"Stay focused even when you are on the bench.”
"You didn’t hustle back to your position on defense.”
"You would have won if the ref would have called that obvious foul.”
"Your coach didn't have the best team on the field when it mattered most.”
And on and on.
Sure, an element of truth might be evident in the remarks. But the young athlete doesn’t want to hear it immediately after the game. Not from a parent. Comments that undermine teammates, the coach or even officials run counter to everything the young player is taught. And instructional feedback was likely already mentioned by the coach.
"Let your child bring the game to you if they want to,” Brown says.


Brown and Miller, a longtime coach and college administrator, don't consider themselves experts, but instead use their platform to convey to parents what three generations of young athletes have told them.
"Everything we teach came from me asking players questions," Brown says. "When you have a trusting relationship with kids, you get honest answers. When you listen to young people speak from their heart, they offer a perspective that really resonates.”
So what’s the takeaway for parents?
"Sports is one of few places in a child's life where a parent can say, 'This is your thing,’ ” Miller says. "Athletics is one of the best ways for young people to take risks and deal with failure because the consequences aren’t fatal, they aren’t permanent. We’re talking about a game. So they usually don’t want or need a parent to rescue them when something goes wrong.
"Once you as a parent are assured the team is a safe environment, release your child to the coach and to the game. That way all successes are theirs, all failures are theirs."
And discussion on the ride home can be about a song on the radio or where to stop for a bite to eat. By the time you pull into the driveway, the relationship ought to have transformed from keenly interested spectator and athlete back to parent and child:
"We loved watching you play. … Now, how about that homework?"


FIVE SIGNS OF A NIGHTMARE SPORTS PARENT
Nearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from sports because their parents become insufferable.


Even professional athletes can behave inappropriately when it comes to their children. David Beckham was recently ejected from a youth soccer field for questioning an official. New Orleans radio host Bobby Hebert, a former NFL quarterback, publicly dressed down LSU football coach Les Miles after Alabama defeated LSU in the BCS title game last month. Hebert was hardly unbiased: His son had recently lost his starting position at LSU.
Mom or dad, so loving and rational at home, can transform into an ogre at a game. A lot of kids internally reach the conclusion that if they quit the sport, maybe they'll get their dad or mom back.
As a sports parent, this is what you don't want to become. This is what you want to avoid:
• Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship: The best athletes keep their emotions in check and perform at an even keel, win or lose. Parents demonstrative in showing displeasure during a contest are sending the wrong message. Encouragement is crucial -- especially when things aren’t going well on the field.


• Having different goals than your child: Brown and Miller suggest jotting down a list of what you want for your child during their sport season. Your son or daughter can do the same. Vastly different lists are a red flag. Kids generally want to have fun, enjoy time with their friends, improve their skills and win. Parents who write down “getting a scholarship” or “making the All-Star team” probably need to adjust their goals. “Athletes say their parents believe their role on the team is larger than what the athlete knows it to be,” Miller says.
• Treating your child differently after a loss than a win: Almost all parents love their children the same regardless of the outcome of a game. Yet often their behavior conveys something else. "Many young athletes indicate that conversations with their parents after a game somehow make them feel as if their value as a person was tied to playing time or winning,” Brown says.
• Undermining the coach: Young athletes need a single instructional voice during games. That voice has to be the coach. Kids who listen to their parents yelling instruction from the stands or even glancing at their parents for approval from the field are distracted and can't perform at a peak level. Second-guessing the coach on the ride home is just as insidious.
• Living your own athletic dream through your child: A sure sign is the parent taking credit when the child has done well. “We worked on that shot for weeks in the driveway,” or “You did it just like I showed you” Another symptom is when the outcome of a game means more to a parent than to the child. If you as a parent are still depressed by a loss when the child is already off playing with friends, remind yourself that it’s not your career and you have zero control over the outcome.
FIVE SIGNS OF AN IDEAL SPORTS PARENT
Let’s hear it for the parents who do it right. In many respects, Brown and Miller say, it’s easier to be an ideal sports parent than a nightmare. “It takes less effort,” Miller says. “Sit back and enjoy.” Here’s what to do:
• Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child: Parents should attend as many games as possible and be supportive, yet allow young athletes to find their own solutions. Don’t feel the need to come to their rescue at every crisis. Continue to make positive comments even when the team is struggling.


• Model appropriate behavior: Contrary to the old saying, children do as you do, not as you say. When a parent projects poise, control and confidence, the young athlete is likely to do the same. And when a parent doesn’t dwell on a tough loss, the young athlete will be enormously appreciative.


• Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach: The mental and physical treatment of your child is absolutely appropriate. So is seeking advice on ways to help your child improve. And if you are concerned about your child’s behavior in the team setting, bring that up with the coach. Taboo topics: Playing time, team strategy, and discussing team members other than your child.
• Know your role: Everyone at a game is either a player, a coach, an official or a spectator. “It’s wise to choose only one of those roles at a time,” Brown says. “Some adults have the false impression that by being in a crowd, they become anonymous. People behaving poorly cannot hide.” Here’s a clue: If your child seems embarrassed by you, clean up your act.
• Be a good listener and a great encourager: When your child is ready to talk about a game or has a question about the sport, be all ears. Then provide answers while being mindful of avoiding becoming a nightmare sports parent. Above all, be positive. Be your child's biggest fan. "Good athletes learn better when they seek their own answers," Brown says.
And, of course, don’t be sparing with those magic words: "I love watching you play."
​http://proactivecoaching.info/shoppac/