Calling any middle school coaches...

[MSU Cat]

Anybody out there?

[Will Lavender]

My friends are middle school girls coaches. One of them also is an assistant for the boys. They're pretty successful: the first year, I think their 8th grade won only 2 or 3 games; the second year they won about 28; this past year they won 20 or so. (Middle school girls basketball in Kentucky is played from June to September.)

I think I. Melvin at one time was coaching middle school ball.

I noted to my friend the other night (not sure if he agreed with me or not) that I don't think you should play zone in middle school. When I played, both in middle school and in high school, we ALWAYS played zone. I guess this is because we were all white and slow. But I think if you taught a really solid man to man when the kids are young, it could be absolutely devastating.

The way they -- and I'm talking about middle school boys; I watched them play over the weekend -- play the zone is so passive. It's really a defense that just lets the other team shoot from outside, which I guess is understandable because young kids shoot at about a 25% clip from out there. But a man to man is so much more aggressive, and I think that's what's lacking in a lot of high school and middle school kids' games: fierceness. If you let some of these kids be weak, then they'll be weak. I'd want to toughen them up as soon as possible, starting in the fifth or sixth grade. You can really turn some not-so-talented players into formidable high school players like that, maybe.

[SamKat]

As I recall, Adolph Rupp never wanted to use the zone. When he finally did, he told the sports journalists that it was a trapezoidal something or other. He said he wouldnt begin a game with a zone. I thoughthis point was that a zone tends to let defensive players stand around too much and, more or less, become lazy. Returning to a man to man then becomes too difficult for the players to revitalize themselves.

I am not a coach. I was privileged to observe the best coach of all IMHO with the best winning percentage over the longest period of time.

I welcome corrections on my reply, late as it is..

[Madiblue]

your best zones have a lot of man to man principles to it, every successful coach who plays zone teaches man to man first, personallyI think if you dont teach zone with man principles the players have a tendency to stand and play lazy, especially on the weak side of the ball, There really has to be a lot of time spent teaching recovery to the shooters, if you watch a poorly ran zone it usually has players standing upright, flat footed, and there is no communication, getting a middle school kid to move athleticly is tough because for most of their basketball development is playind a soft "23" zone and chasing the player with the ball.

[Dr. H Lecter]

SamKat wrote: As I recall, Adolph Rupp never wanted to use the zone. When he finally did, he told the sports journalists that it was a trapezoidal something or other. He said he wouldnt begin a game with a zone. I thoughthis point was that a zone tends to let defensive players stand around too much and, more or less, become lazy. Returning to a man to man then becomes too difficult for the players to revitalize themselves.

I am not a coach. I was privileged to observe the best coach of all IMHO with the best winning percentage over the longest period of time.

I welcome corrections on my reply, late as it is..


I believe he called it a hyperbolic-paraboloid. I don't have any idea why I know that because it was before my time.

I've coached middle school boys and girls basketball and coach man defense pretty much without exception. I think use of a zone is short changing the kids ability to learn to play defense. Learn to play man first...then use the zone in situations such as foul trouble or to give a different look.

I guess we all use the "shell" to teach help man defense and the concept of helping/recovering, stop the penetrator or helping out in the paint. I guess this helps with zones too, especially with match-up zones.

[Will Lavender]

My friend and I watched Eastern and UK play this weekend, and he started drawing up some defensive rotations for his 7th and 8th grade girls.

Next season, he's going to try the 1-3-1 that West Virginia and EKU use. He says he might experiment in rotating it to allow girls to shoot that 16- to 20-foot corner jumpshot, because he says middle schoolers shoot that shot at about 20%.

I still contend that coaches of young players should play man to man, but what do I know. I've never coached a game in my life.