Metrowest Area - One to One Basketball Coaching

[Bleedred]

My son is in 6th grade and plays on the high level town team in Metrowest. The team is very good, and he's a top 5-6 player. The other night, after practice, he said that he was "not where he wanted to be, and asked if he could get one on one basketball coaching/tutoring." Anyone know of a patient, competeng, high level coach who does this? I live in Needham, will not drive all over the state for this.

 

[Jer]

Have you taken a look at CoachUp?

 

[Bleedred]

I have now, thanks. If anyone has personal experience with a coach, I'd like to hear about it

 

[Heinie Wagner]

Not a one on one coach, but the best player development videos I have seen are from Better Basketball - I've watched the ball handling, shooting, one on one offense, shooting workouts and post play videos.  The content is excellent and they are suitable for a sixth grader to watch on his own.   http://betterbasketball.com/player-development-basketball-training/

 

[Bleedred]

Thanks for the link HW. By the way, our Metrowest league prohibits pressing for 4th and 5th grade teams other than in the last 2 minutes of the first half and the last 4 minutes of the game (to answer a much earlier question of yours from another thread).

 

[Heinie Wagner]

You're welcome, Better Basketball runs specials on those videos from time to time, if you're not in a hurry sign up to get on their e-mail list.  The video on demand system is pretty cool, you can watch on the internet instead of having to bother with a DVD.
 
I convinced the guy who runs a 4th grade travel league in this area to implement rules against pressing and zone defense for the whole game.  How about this for unintended consequences, one coach has four of his players literally stand on the sideline, while their best player goes one on one.  Some teams start to set their offense with their point guard a half step in the back court, so he can't be guarded, and two teammates will set ball picks just over half court.  Ridiculous stuff that just shows that some people will find ways to ruin even the best of intentions.
 
I can't wait to coach against those guys next season, their kids are gaining very little from playing like that and will have a lot of adjusting to do when those rules are no longer in play. Some of the players (and many parents) literally yell at the refs "no double teaming".  The intent is completely lost on them because the score is so important.  Pathetic.

 

[Bleedred]

Preposterous. Our league doesn't allow zones in 4th or 5th grade either, but help defense is permitted below the 3 point line (double team only), and there's essentially an unwritten rule that if a player is in the paint, then anything goes as to help (i.e. too hard for officials at that level to determine if there is doubling). Otherwise, unless you expressly have a "no clearing out rule," then you get what's happening in your league. My son has played on a competitive 6th grade AAU team this past year, and I honestly want to take a shower after each tournament. The unsavory characters that make a life of AAU coaching (win over all) is repellent to me. Not all coaches, but many of them.

 

[Heinie Wagner]

That's pretty much my experience with youth basketball, travel and AAU, too many adults in it for their own ego.  
 
My wife coaches my daughter's 6th grade team, there is a huge difference from team to team, they beat some teams by 20 and get blown out by other teams.  Their league has a rule - no full court pressing after you're up 20.  They got down by 20 in the first half today, so the other team took their full court press off and put on a half court trap.  As you said "preposterous".

 

[Bleedred]

The coach I tried to contact at Coachup has not responded unfortunately. 

 

[TheRooster]

Check the local AAU programs.  Many of the coaches for those teams will do 1 on 1 instruction for kids who are not in the program.  I think the Huskies may be in your general area.