Youth
Basketball
Youth
basketball came about when adults decided to find another way
to get their kids moving. Adults liked the game of basketball
because it provided four fundamental principles:
Today,
kids join in the game of basketball for different
reasons.
Sometimes it is that their friend is playing on a team
and they want to be with their friend. Other kids like the
physical challenge of sports and competition. Some kids just want to
belong to a club or team to feel part of
something.
Whatever
the reasoning, youth basketball is here to stay and is
continuing to grow quickly.
In
the elementary schools team sports used to start in the fifth
and sixth grades and continue on up. But more and more
there are third and fourth grade kids that are participating
in recreation leagues or in-house teams. The in-house and rec
leagues are normally instructional play only. No scores are kept
unless they have a tournament for them at the end of the
season. Volunteers like parents are usually coaching
basketball
to
these grades.
In
the fifth and sixth grade (Junior Varsity) and the seventh and
eight grades (Varsity) teams will most likely be coached by
parents but also could be coached by teachers in that
particular school.
Most coaches at these levels are not paid. With this
also come various levels of coaching experience as
well.
Youth
basketball will play a stop clock at six minutes per period
with four periods in a game. This means that when a foul
occurs or the ball goes out of bounce the clock stops. Some school districts
choose to play a running clock at 8 minutes per period.
Meaning the clock continues to run on everything except foul
shots.
Youth
basketball is the time when a player learns their skills and
develops their natural talents in the game. The players learn
about individual performance and the importance of becoming
part of a team. How and what they learn in these early years
will determine their love and talent for the game as they move
up into high school.
