BasketballBob
Earlier this year

Are Junior Coaches and School Selections Hurting Player Deve

I've been observing junior basketball at both the state level and within school selections, and I’ve noticed a trend that seems to be affecting our young athletes’ development. It appears that the coaches responsible for forming teams often don’t know the players well enough to make informed decisions. They rely on reputation or limited glimpses of a player’s skills rather than a comprehensive understanding of their abilities and history.

Do you think this approach is detrimental to the performance pathways of our young athletes? Are we missing out on building stronger teams and fostering better player development because of this? Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this issue.

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hoopjunkie
Earlier this year

I was under the impression that school teams practice on a regular and is the basis of team selection?

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DoGooderBaller
Earlier this year

Do you mean the school sport state teams like the 12 years and under and 16 years and under?

It depends how much knowledge the selection panel have of that particular age group and how the trials are run. Some trials I've attended seem like they could be fairer in some ways (ie watch players in full court scenarios and don’t instantly give priority to height).

However, in terms of this hurting their development... sure a kid might miss out when they should have gotten in, but this can and will happen to most players at some point and that too, overcoming disappointment and reacting well to it, is all part of development. Getting into the training for these tournaments and one of these tournaments is not critical to optilum development. Attitude and hard work are. Which district/rep coach a player has week in week out will have a more lasting effect.

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Manders
Earlier this year

If you mean actual school coaches (not state school team, which is a lucky dip) then I am not sure I agree entirely. Obviously experiences will vary. But actually school coaches (and there are some really good ones with state and rep level experience) provide different perspective to club coaches who can sometimes be blinkered. School basketball gives kids an opportunity to prove themselves. Seen many state players not start in school teams, because the school team coach is looking for something different and they don't know or care about reputations elsewhere. Just a different perspective, which can be good and is a bit of an eye opener for some.

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Massive
Earlier this year

When you say reputation do you mean where there is a record of performance rather than simply making judgements based on the trial? There will always be bias and decisions are made on info known. Massive bias in SA for state selections. Forestville and Norwood seem to get more than there fare share. used to be sturt but they are not the power they were. ive seen kids move clubs to get in the right place for state selection.

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Manders
Earlier this year

Reputation based on selection and preference elsewhere, is what I mean. Agree there is always bias, and that bias then gets built upon. That's why school basketball is quite interesting - provides a reality check to the system imo.

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Are Junior Coaches and School Selections Hurting Player Deve

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