Let them score

I have a friend that coaches a young talented girl, she is only 12 years old and after her first 3 games this season she has a average of 39points, 12 rebounds, 19 steals, 6 assist per game. I had the pleasure of training her and her teamates in 7 practises in one weekend some weeks ago and she is something special.

Swedish, Nordic basketball has never been strong in my opinion in creating scorers, we have a tradition in all sports to create super teamplayers, but that killer scorer, that wants the ball, has her/his go to moves. The players that take over games by her/himself we miss, but % we have them just as other countries but we kill them by moving them up to mant steps or to early to a to high level for them to continue to be a scorer.

For scoring abilities to grow to me a obvious thing is that the players needs to continue being a scorer for many years on her/his team to make that a mindset and to create/maintane a scorers mentality.

What many times happens is that the young scorer is doing great numbers at her/his level and then is moved up 1-2 years and her/she is not ready to be the scorer like in her own age at this level and becomes something else and she/her went from shooting 30 shoots a game to 5 a game. You will not become a scorer shooting 5 shots a game it takes no scientist to tell you that.

If a player has scoring mentality we need to guide that player into the same role if we move them up or of course that mentality will change.

My friends player has a lot of things going for her not only doesn`t she have scoring mentality, she is athletic, intense a loves to compete and shatter the openents.

She also has more of a boy mindset when it comes to scoring. Whats the first question from a boys thats core after a game?

How many did I score? is propably the most common question.

She asked after one game that question and my friend answered 43points (25minutes) and she was like "damn!" and he wondered why that reaction?

I didn`t break my record of 46 points from the last game. I love it!

We coaches also often teach a lot of skills/moves to our players, but the can only use them 1-0 or with dummy defense or againts their own teamates that maybe are a little bit weaker.
Cause if they are trying to learn ex "Kobe`s turn around fadeway or whatever and they are on a to high level with to strong players, what will happen BOOM ball goes to another areacode or they get pushed totally of balance and they fail bigtime.

If they get the chance to make that move their move in their own agegroup and make it a habit and not a 1-2 times/game they will be ready for tougher challenges.

Is this the truth in all cases, NO their is never one truth in sports or in life it of course is decided by manyy factors, but most players we coach or see is not Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Durrant, like they where at a very young age, but we sure as hell can create Swedens version of Kobe Bryant or Denmarks version of Kevin Durrant if dont rush and put the talent in the wrong sourroundings to early.

I may be wrong but I doubt it, like my banner says.