Round Orange Ball
Years ago
State of SA coaching
I have been reading the posts regarding the players at the last U18 nationals with interest. Especially the Mens team.
All posts have been about the players, who should have been in the team and who did not play to their potential.
All 10 men this year are good players and each deserved their place in the team.
So, what went wrong and why?
After going to the last 4 nationals watching this team and others coming up through U16 in Tasmania, 2 trips to Perth, then here in Adelaide, I have noticed a continuing decline in on court performance of both players and coaches.
This is not the fault of the players, but the coaching staff and their selection.
SA coaches have a habit of being negative and abusive to players to the point of having those players focusing on themselves before each game and not focusing on the team and what the team has to achieve in the game.
They are and where this year, looking at themselves, thinking if they stuff up, they will be on the bench.
Before each game, each player came into the stadium with long faces, very few of them sat, or talked to each other and none of them felt they where part of a team, just an indivdual who has to perform of they will be on the bench. Obviously they played as individuals and results show this.
The only thing that will lift SA at national level is for coaches to change their approach.
If one looked at the teams that where at the top of the competition, the coaching staff where freindly between themselves and the team and because of this the team acted and played as a team and their on court peforamce showed.
Unfortunately, this negative coaching approach is from the top down and a number of clubs have the same attitude. Until this changes, SA will always be in the middle of the field.
The best coach that I have observed at nationals is Marissa Fillipou who deserved the honor bestowed upon her this year. She is firm, clear, angry when she needs to be, but has compation and is very encouraging as well.
Just my thoughs on SA junior basketball!
