What is Church Basketball all about?

Yesterday I took a new approach to our game. I have coached basketball since before I graduated high school (coaching intramural teams as a junior and senior). I have always loved the game and coaching is a natural way to stay connected now that I am an old man.

The new approach I was talking about was I told my team I would NOT be yelling too much at them during the game. I was going to let them play their game, and do my yelling in practice. (By yelling, I do mean instructing them with enthusiasm). We teach in practice: Come game time, they need to play and have fun. This year, Keith and I did not split them into two teams, although we probably have enough to do it. We only have two big men, and both of them are twelve. It really would not be fair to them to split them apart, and if we did not do that, the team that did not get them would be like sitting ducks. It was a tough decision, but that is what we did.

The down side of that decision is that we have players constantly rotating in and out. Nobody really gets to play a lot. But, yesterday in the game after ours, I saw the UPSIDE to this decision when another church, who had split their guys into 11s and 12s, played each other and the 12s won yesterday 30-1. YES, I typed ONE for the 11s score. It was pitiful.

And, even though I am sure there are parents unhappy with my decision to keep our guys and girl together, I stand by my call. Church basketball, to me, is all about learning the game, having fun, and doing our best. Winning if we can, but doing our best either way. But I also believe I need to give them a fighting chance. To me, keeping them together is accomplishing the last part of that statement. This way, the younger guys will get to learn from the older guys and next year, the younger guys WILL BE the older guys. And it will be their turn . . .