War Plans

I know my basketball friends get tired of me yelling the positives of the “system” brand of basketball that places like Grinnell and Olivete Nazerene play, but the “system” has more strengths then weaknesses. They say athletes can’t be recruited. Colleges recruit players, not systems. And trust me when I say that there are plenty of opportunities for HS players to continue their careers at the next level. It may not be on a full scholarship, but there are opportunities to play.

Checkout number 4,15,26 and 27 on the positives they are good for athletes being recruited.

Checkout five on the negative. College recruiters question sometimes how hard an athlete plays, there is no questioning how hard an athlete plays in the system.

Lastly, a couple of years ago here in Iowa, a system team had the 1A girls’ player of the year. She started 4 out of every six rotations, meaning four out of every six games. In the state tournament she started one of two games. She knew what the system did for her and her team mates. In the introduction line at the state tournament she was the last girl in the line celebrating as hard for the girls that were “starters” as they were. I have been around few athletes that cared more for her team or her team mates than she did. In that game the girl that didn’t start was in the game 35 seconds in. She had 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. I do not think the system hurt her much. That girl scored 2012 points in her high school career. Here are the good and the bad.

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF "THE SYSTEM"

1. More players get a chance to develop and play. Especially at the
freshmen and junior varsity levels. More kids get to dribble and
shoot the ball than in most other traditional styles of play.

2. The team scores a lot of points so more players can score more
points.

3. The system draws attention to the kids and that helps kids get
recruited.

4. Kids get higher scoring averages and that helps kids get
recruited more.

5. The coaching staff doesn't have to scout much at all because the
opposing team isn't going to run the offensive sets that they
normally run due to the trapping nature of the system's defense.
This reduces travel time and money spent by the coaching staff as
well as time reviewing opposing teams video tapes. * You should be
aware of opposing teams presses.

6. The system doesn't require taller and superior athletes.

7. The officials tend to get tired of calling fouls so the most
aggressive team tends to gain an advantage. Especially when they
use two man crews !

8. Kids tend to shoot with so much confidence because they are not
under pressure from the coach to shoot a "good shot" only. They all
have the "green light" to shoot after 12 seconds when we have ran a
play for our primary and secondary shooters. Also, everyone has
the "green light" when an offensive rebound occurs. We are trying
to get fast break lay-ups and three point shots predominately.

9. Kids tend to play with so much confidence because they are not
under pressure from the coach that they may be pulled from the game
because of some mistake they made. The substitutions are pre-
scripted until the later stages of the game.

10. Time needed to spend in practice is greatly diminished.

11. Most kids love it because it's fun !

12. You can play players that normally wouldn't get a chance to play
and they still may contribute.

13. It creates more of a stress free environment for the coaches and
the players.

14. The fans like a high scoring, fast paced and hustling defensive
style of play. This style tends to draw big crowds and media
attention.

15. A coach can get the younger players in his program involved
earlier than in traditional systems. This is attributed to the fact
that effort and enthusiasm are often more important than physical
maturity.

16. Taller players get a chance to dribble the ball up the floor to
an extent. This is attributed to the fact that it's very important
to push the ball up the floor quickly.

17. Coaches can be more positive and not have to focus so much on
the mistakes that kids make while playing "traditional basketball".

18. The system tends to wear the opposing team down because the
players playing the system are going 100 miles per hour all the time
they are on the floor. While the systemic players play and rest the
opposing players usually continue to play at this unusual and
uncomfortable pace.

19. Foul trouble is rarely a problem because the playing time is
being spread out so widely amongst the players playing the system.

20. This system tends to create a team that is "more together"
because of the fact that everyone participates and has a chance to
affect change in the games.

21. It's a well thought out as well as a well-tested system that has
one championships and turned many programs around.

22. The system tends to force a lot of turnovers because of the
aggressive trapping all over the court defensively.

23. While playing the system you tend to produce less turnovers
yourself because we are shooting the ball before we can make ball
handling mistakes resulting in turnovers.

24. Creates a much more positive atmosphere in practice.

25. Sometimes average shooters become great shooters because of the
great number of opportunities without the pressure of missing the
shot.

26. Just about everyone involved racks up more stats than they do
during traditional styled basketball.

27. We can concentrate on developing shooting, passing and dribbling
fundamentals rather than mastering a lot of plays etc.



NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM
1. Bigger and slower kids tend to not be as effective in this system.

2. Some parents will not want their kids being taken out of the game
so often. They may cry that their child "can't get in the flow of
the game".

3. People haven't seen it and don't understand the system so they
may tend to be very critical of it. Citing things like giving up
too many lay-ups and too many threes etc.

4. The coach is subbing too quickly and the kids don't have a chance
to get in a rhythm.

5. An unknowing observer may declare that there is not a disciplined
way to play. To the contrary, this is a very disciplined style of
play. It's just played at 100 miles an hour !

6. If you have a "star type" of player or a player who thinks they
should be a "star" then they may have a tendency to not embrace this
system.

7. If things are not going well for you against a particular
opponent then you may potentially get beat bad.

…….. And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Music plays a very important place in my life. The funny thing is I have no musical skills at all. Maybe that is why I love it, because I want what I do not have. I have a harmonica and can struggle through a couple songs. I have a replica of a Civil War bugle and I can make it sound like an elephant, I play the radio with the best of them and lately I have fallen in love with Youtube. Still I have zero musical skills.

Last school year I could not get a student to do a presentation in class, she was scared to get up and be made fun of. I made a deal with her, if she would give the presentation, I would sing at Coffee House. Coffee House is our schools talent show. It is for students but I talked my way in somehow. It would be my first public performance, although I sing in the hall all of the time, the last time I performed in public was my 4th grade Christmas show.

I chose for a song “Some humans Ain’t Human” by John Prine. In my mind John Prine is one of the premier song writers of our time. Another wonderful song that John Prine wrote was “Paradise”, besides Prine himself singing it, artists like Johnny Cash and John Denver have as well. It reminds me of going back to West Virginia with my dad and mom in the summer time.

Anyhow for Coffee House I convinced the vocal teacher Kraig Emick to accompany me. He could make pork chops out of pigs’ feet. I went about 5-10 times early in the morning and Mr. Emick and I practiced. He was very kind and patient with me. Also on my evening walk on the river road I would sing it.

Some other songs and singers out there right now that I really enjoy are “Company of Friends” by Danny Schmidt, and “Crooked Road “by Chris Knight, both poignant and heart clenching.

The title of this post is “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. It is about a man from Australia that fought the Turks during WWI. He talks about the romance and glory, and then he talks about losing both of his legs.

Before I close let me wish you all a Merry Christmas.