Let the Rice Cook - A Coaching Dad's Story

Hey SAVI Coaches,  

Most parents of youth basketball players want their kid to be successful, unfortunately, they’re focused on the wrong timeline.

I know because I'm living it right now. While I’ve taken thousands of players through developmental camps, clinics and training, including developing D1 and professional players, I still find it challenging to apply what I KNOW to be true to my own daughter.

That picture is my daughter Charlie. Age 8. First year playing. She was scared, played timid, couldn't dribble, pass, or shoot and was probably the weakest player on her team. A team losing by 30 or 40 points a game.

And I had to tell myself: this doesn't matter.

Because here's the thing about development. Every time you take the top off the rice pot, the steam escapes and the rice stops cooking.

We take the top off when we say: "You're on the wrong team." "You need a better coach." "Why aren't you scoring more?" "Let me fix your shot."

All of it. Taking the top off.

I have a video you can share with parents of youth players on this topic.

If you want it, just reply “Youth” and I’ll send it to you.

Now back to the story.

Two years later, Charlie is 10. She’s one of the best in her age group, playing up for competition and training with high schoolers and pro players. She’s moving with confidence, smiling, wanting to be on the court.

That's what two years of letting it cook looks like after a recent MVP award.

So here are three things I'd tell every coach and parent in youth basketball:

1. They have to love it. It’s not your love for the game that will give them a chance. It’s theirs. If they don't have their own internal love for the process, getting in the gym, dribbling in the driveway, wanting to get better, they will never spend enough time at it to actually grow. Your job is to protect that love, not pressure it out of them.

2. It takes longer than you think. Give it two years. At least. Seriously. The majority of the growth happens at the end, not the beginning. Trust the process enough to stay patient through the part that looks like nothing is happening, they’re not getting it, they are staying the same and other kids are passing them by. Hardwood grows slowly and each kid grows at their own pace, it all ends up as it should in the end when they are ready to move to the next level.

3. Zoom out. Short-term thinking looks like: I need to get them on the best team, score the most points, learn the coolest move. Long-term thinking looks like: are they learning to read the game, make the right pass, understand spacing, develop a great attitude?

Charlie might be one of the best 10-year-olds in the region right now. And that doesn't matter at all. Being the best 10-year-old in the state doesn’t mean she’s good enough to play in college. She had a LONG way to go, it’s still a marathon, not a sprint. I know that. She knows that. We have to keep that in mind. Let the rice be. So we keep cooking.

When in doubt — zoom out, let the rice cook, and be patient with the process.

I'm right there with you.

Cheers, Tyler

P.S. If your youth player is scoring 20 a game but not learning how to recognize advantages, make the right pass, or understand spacing — that's not development. That's iso ball against a 10-year-old. Zoom out.

P.P.S. Join the Off Season Challenge inside SAVI Basketball and get a 30-day guided plan to help you build a plan that actually translates to wins. Click here to try it FREE for 7 days.

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