Tazers Basketball - What's It All About?

A Brief History

When the Tazers were formed three years ago, I took on the responsibilities as Head Coach of 5th and 6th graders who wanted to play competitive basketball. Not Jr. Jazz, but real super league, competitive basketball. This random group of young men has grown and become a dominant force on the hardwoods. We've lost players here and there, but the core group remains intact.

The Coach's Philosophy

Play the game the right way. We can be competitive, without being jerks. We can be successful, while being respectful of opposing teams, coaches and officials. We play with sportsmanship 100% of the time. No excuses! If you can not play with sportmanship, you can not play with the Tazers. Tazers are not permitted to receive technical fouls. The Coach is not permitted to receive technical fouls. I have received a couple and I regret letting it get to that point. Did I deserve them? Does not matter. A coach should be smart enough to have avoided receiving them and simply put, we can not worry about things we can not control - the officiating.

What The Coach Cannot Guarantee

Playing Time. I will do my best to give all players on the Tazers playing time. It will not always happen. We are playing competitive basketball and we are playing to win. Is winning the most important thing? Absolutely not! Not by a long shot. However, we do not need to enter competitive basketball leagues and tournaments if winning is not a priority. We are about competitive skills development. The goal of victory helps us obtain competitive skills. As a coach, I will make mistakes with strategy, rotations, team management, and playing time disbursement. As a great college coach once said, "It doesn't matter what five players start the game, it matters what five players finish the game." Enough said.

Happy Demeanor. In the fierce battle on the hardwoods, or at practice, I cannot guarantee that I will always have a happy demeanor. I may push a player because inside, I want to see the best in that player. There is no "I" in "team." I love competition and I want the Tazers to succeed more than anything. Sometimes I may display "tough love" if that gets a player or the team's attention it may be the case. This may (or may not) lead to their improvement. So, I may not appear nurturing all the time, but I promise the welfare of these young men is my top priority. I will praise loudly and criticize softly.

Winning All The Time. Our first year, we lost about 40% of our games. Last year, we won more than 70 of our 93 games. We may win our fair share but we will loose from time to time. I am very interested when we loose. I'll analyze the stats, I consider our players, I assess certain players and I look at our strengths and weak links. But first and foremost, I am proud of the poise with which our players handle themselves - true Champions!

What The Coach Can Guarantee

110% Effort From The Coach. Day in and day out. Success on and off the court is very important. I understand that more than I can possibly stress. Commitment is HUGE in my book! It should be a priority with each individual player.

Top Notch B-Ball Experience. The Tazers will receive a basketball development experience not avaliable to others. Skill development and basketball knowledge that are not stressed in very many other organizations is part of our focus. We stress offense, defense, shooting, team work, press breakers, and most importantly how to enjoy this sport and to have fun. We work on individual and team development. The two go hand in hand.

Level Headedness. With the amount of time and effort devoted to the Tazers, there are times when the Coach (and parents) get fired up. I will always keep basketball in perspective. I will stress to each player the understanding of basketball in the grand scheme of things. During a game, we will do everything possible to win. We will compete ferociously. Once the game is over, win or loose, we will evaluate what we have learned, and move on. We do not have time to dwell on any one game. Period. We move on.

What I Need from Players and Parents

COMMITMENT! Be at practice. On time, with shoes, with a b-ball and ready to go. We run specific offenses and defenses more than any other time. We rehearse from time to time the same plays, presses and defense for purposes of reminding us of their importance and skillful execution. To master all of this, we need full participation. Missing practice will result in loss of play time. Not because the coach is upset that a player did not come to practice, but because you can't learn or perfect our plays if you are not there.

Focus. Come to practice ready to practice. Come to games ready to compete. Prepare mentally and physically. You won't succeed, and neither will your team, if you take for granted your individual preparation. Leave your cell phone, your Ipod and your whatever else behind. There is no place, or time, for these things at practices.

Attendance at Games. Missing a game, in my book, without a valid reason, is unexcuseable. It tells me, and your teammates, you don't care enough to be there or to make the arrangements to be there. Players are expected to be at all games, one-half hour before game time, ready to compete.

You are the Tazers. Do not be tempted by the dark side. Sometimes, less ethical situations develop and coaches from other teams try to recruit you to leave the Tazers to play for their team. They may entice you with promises of new uniforms, gear bags, travel, no fees and warm-ups. Don't do it. I am absolutely offended when one of our players leaves the Tazers to go play for a rival team. For a player to jump ship is insulting to me and his team. We work hard to maintain this team and we have a tremendous support system. This team has been a passion of mine since it began. A lot has been sacrificed. I have been approached by parents and prospective players about playing for the Tazers and I may from time to time invite someone to a practice. That does not mean they have an automatic spot on the roster. I will do my best to maintain the roster at eight to nine players. Realistically, this is the best number for a super league team.