[daytw]

Please Respond if you have ideas:
My 14-year-old son is a 6-0 point guard and holds his own very well on the outside. However, he just can't compete when he gets inside, even if he is going against players smaller than he is. On the other hand, there are 5-11 players on his team that seem to be effective inside, make their shots, and are able to draw fouls. My son can't draw a foul to save his life when he is inside. He also gets his shot blocked a lot. Why do some players play "big" and others, like my son, play "small" around the basket? I've tried to figure it out, but I can't.

[Jahiem28]

I'm the same height and had the same problem when I was that age. I jumped in the weight room and improve my game both inside and out. Being physical can be a mental thing as well. Good luck

[oldcoach]

daytw,

YOU SAID:
Please Respond if you have ideas:
My 14-year-old son is a 6'-0" point guard and holds his own very well on the outside. However, he just can't compete when he gets inside, even if he is going against players smaller than he is. On the other hand, there are 5-11 players on his team that seem to be effective inside, make their shots, and are able to draw fouls. My son can't draw a foul to save his life when he is inside. He also gets his shot blocked a lot. Why do some players play "big" and others, like my son, play "small" around the basket? I've tried to figure it out, but I can't.

MY RESPONSE:
Jahiem makes a good point. Many players that are your son's age have coordination problems and, in some cases, height-to-weight ratio problems. In addition, there is the mental/emotional stress of being 14. For the most part, they grow out of it. However, your son's problem sounds more like a need for under-the-basket techniques and a possible dislike of the contact in there. Neither do I know your son, nor have I seen him play. Therefore, I will assume he has the toughness and the desire, but lacks the right techniques to be successful under-the-basket.

Start by videotaping his games. Let him analyse the games with you. Do not be concerned whether the team won or lost. Instead, make sure that he understands you are studying the differences among all the ways he and his teammates are successful under-the-basket. Study the best techniques over and over. Slow them down. Look at the situation in which each technique is used and make note of the timing. Do not get into pointing out mistakes. Instead, find all the successful techniques and help him to learn them. Pay special attention to how each move is set-up, starting position (In relation to the basket and opponent), footwork, and matchup (How the two palyers involved in the technique are different in skill, size,and toughness).

Bear in mind that your son will not always have a favorable matchup. So he may play a supporting role at times. The more skilled he becomes, the more valuable he will be to the team and coach.

Get the videotape series by Pistol Pete Maravich for him and help him learn the moves to sharpen his one-on-one skills. To teach him teamwork and the two-man strategies by getting recordings of John Stockton and Carl Malone of the Jazz. They are the best.

That's all for now. Please keep this dialog going by telling me how he is doing and ask lots of questions.

OLdcoach

[daytw]

Thanks, Coach. It is probably mental and physical. He doesn't look for opportunities to take the ball to the hoop as much as he used to. That is probably due to a lack of confidence. He seems content to sit on the outside and shoot the 3-pointer. I told him that if he wants to be a "complete" player, he needs to develop other parts of his game. He says he wants to, but his actions speak otherwise.

As far as physical, he seems very weak when he gets around other players. He has good hands and good moves around the basket, but that doesn't seem to help. I personally think he should be more aggressive, but that's easy for me to say. He gives up on the ball too early, and he seems a tad slow in reacting to where the ball is compared to his counterparts. He has quick feet and quick hands, but his reaction seems slow. How do you teach more quick reaction? I frequently see "slower" kids "out-quick" him to the ball, particularly around the basket.

From my vantage point, I see a couple of things that he can work on:
1. Weight room (bulk up some)
2. Leaping ability

I don't see that these things will solve the problem because he still reacts slowly, and he doesn't appear to like contact around the basket, though he doesn't shy away from contact on the open floor with loose balls, taking the charge, etc.

Thanks for your help!