History Repeats Itself??!!

Judy's family is kind enough to share their lives with me. Nearly every day seems to bring something new, whether "grandparents' Valentine's lunch" with Caleb, or watching them pester Grandma about adding games to her iPhone. A Wii game. Then again, there is 4th grade basketball.

Think back to Mark coaching Nate's teams in Pleasanton. "Follow Coach Wooden," he thinks, "the best way to learn defense is to play man-on-man, heads up, fannies down...move your feet." "You're building the next generation for future high school coaches." Then, the opposing coach has apparently watched someone else growing up, and decides to throw a 2-3 zone into the mix. "I thought Coach only liked zone plays on the full-court press, what's UP with this?"

"Gee," says Mark. "Even a lazy guy can teach zone concepts, and attacking a zone at this age isn't that tough." But to teach the kids to attack a zone at practice, one is required to teach them how to PLAY a zone on defense. Damned if you do, damned (sometimes by the parents) if you don't. Unfortunately, you are scheduled against the coach who's had his kids for two years. They are now fifth graders, mixing in a few fourth-graders. They "get" zone defense. You, unfortunately, mostly have fourth-graders who will be terrific with another year under their belts, but right now they aren't long enough, quick enough, nor do they anticipate where the pass will be made when the point guard panics at the elbow under pressure from two defenders. UUUUgh! Throw in the fact that some of the opposition may be younger brothers, accustomed to bullying from the opposition, and it can make a long day for the Purple Shirts.

Watching Eric, I see the same frustrations. Point guards fire it up from everywhere, hoping it will hit something and maybe a rebound will turn into an entry pass. Where have we seen that before, Nate? Bigger kids know that rebounding is important, but somehow translate the shouts from the parents to "get under the basket" too literally, standing directly under the ring while watching rebounds carom over their heads. Coaches sit back, knowing that the kids will get better with age, but frustrated that they are getting spanked when it isn't really the kids' fault. All it would take is a night or two of the two-three zone, they'd be setting picks down low, dropping shots from the baseline, frustrating the zone defense with passes whipped around the perimeter. Never over-dribbling, especially into the middle of the key to be surrounded by the opposition.

It will come. In the meantime, history repeats itself, across the country, in gym after gym. Learn something to win today, avoid something that will make them a better player in the long run. If life only stopped at fourth grade.

Thankfully, it continues on. The losses of today mean that the scrawniest kids will probably make teams they shouldn't, because they've dug deep and put their noses into a defense that never rests. Just wait 'til those guys are in seventh grade two years from now, and ours are in sixth. THEN we'll see who gets up and down the floor with grace and success!

Probably a good lesson for more than basketball, if we really think about it. We don't have to worry quite so much about the results this weekend, maybe the investment in future growth is the important step.

Next up?? Why is fly-casting like hitting wedges?