Hoops

Quality of coaches in lower divisions

Great to see someone seriously thinking about what it is that drives kids away from basketball. If you are the gangly, poorly coordinated kid who is growing so fast he never knows where he is in space; you're going to end up in the lower divs where the chances of you getting anything like the coaching you need to blossom are slim. I'm certain a lot of adults have forgotten how awkward many kids are until their growth spurts level out. It's not much fun when from one week to the next you are not sure how long your legs or arms are and if you can connect everything or not! This of course leads to a kid who looks really clumsy and poorly skilled, when all he needs is to be 16 years old and slowing down on the growth curve (or for girls read 14 years old!).
I'm not knocking the parent coaches either, there are some great people out there but they are often fighting politics in the clubs and the dreaded pushy parent! As non-pushy parents we can support those who are trying their best to coach a lower div team by ensuring our kids turn up to training, take part in extra training opportunities when they arise, practice skills at every opportunity and take our turn doing the stuff that keeps a team ticking over, like scoring and time keeping. It doesn't hurt to say thanks occasionally too, as a volunteer they aren't going to get a lot more!