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Finding the right players for the Read and React
I coach Middle School both Boys and Girls teams and have started planning for next season. The girls ran the Read and React last year and we introduced it to the Boys but they were not as successful mainly due to lack of buy in. My question is we will have a few players coming back next year and while it would be nice if we could just pick the best basketball players to fill the team our area has no youth programs and our players have very few basketball skills and low basketball IQ, we also are very strict in our program in regards to grades and behaviors so we are often filling the team each year with pretty raw players.
So I ask would you look to go with Athletes, Higher IQ players who can handle the mental side, players with specific skills (dribbling, passing, shooters) or still go with the best all around players from the tryouts.
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7 Replies
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Bob – I would go with the most TEACHABLE kids who will BUY-IN to your vision. Athletes would be next in line because you can’t teach athleticism, but I would not choose it over TEACHABILITY and BUY-IN. Skills can be taught, especially at such a young age. The same goes for I.Q. It will be developed as you push them through the Read & React.
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Although I am always working on, and searching for ways to improve my ability to create conditions which foster “BUY-IN” by all players, experiences have me tending to agree with Coach Torbett’s recommendation. Having, on a team, individuals who are quite talented basketball-wise and/or very athletic, but who don’t “BUY-IN” to the coach’s vision can create a very challenging (detrimental-to-the-team) situation. Coachability is, in my opinion, a very important consideration when constructing a team.
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Thanks for the insight Coach Rick and Michael. Obviously I would love to be able to choose from a pool of great athletes, with great skills who know the game and are coachable but at my level and my area I am happy to find players with above average skills in one of these areas but I do like the insight about finding coachable players.
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Rick:
How do you screen for teachable and buy-in based on a 60-120 minute tryout period?-
It’s not easy but I try to watch the drills to see who’s listening and how they take feedback
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I used to run conventional (or what I thought were conventional) tryouts, and then come practice time with the players I’d chosen, I would see some who would have difficulty picking things up, players who wouldn’t strive for Precise during breakdown drills, etc.
Last season I went with a different approach. I ran a Read and React Day 1 practice as my first day of tryouts. Within these, I’ll see the skills I need to see as skill development and exposure is included all over the R&R. But when we go 3 on 3, 4 on 4, or 5 on 5, and in the breakdown drills, I’ll learn more about their coachability and overall attitude. This eliminates surprises, tells me who buys in, and I’ve just used a day of tryouts to teach much of Layer 1, giving me a little head start. Essentially everybody makes the team, and then after tryouts, there’s a cut down day for those who aren’t a fit for the team.
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Players who don’t buy in ruin read and react. If a player doesn’t cut after pass. Or won’t cut on a dribble at or doesn’t move on circle movement will destroy everything that is great about the offense. Honestly, you only need two scorers with this offense and a bunch of great defenders who buy in. Eventually they will become scorers. I’m done choosing great basketball players who are in it for themselves.
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