Maywood Junior High Basketball Fun with Fundamentals
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Maywood’s Jr. High girls’ and boys’ basketball teams began the season with their first game on December 2nd against McCook Saint Pats. Although both teams played hard, neither team was able to come out with a win. The girls’ team consists of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders coached by Janice Arent. The boys are seventh and eighth graders coached by Bryson Kennedy.
Coach Arent had the following things to say after the girls’ first game: “The junior high basketball team is young and inexperienced. Currently there are only three girls who have played basketball in previous years. The A-team starts one 8th-grader, two 7th-graders, and two 6th-graders. With only 9 girls out, they should all see a lot of playing time.” Coach Arent added that the girls are working hard on the fundamentals such as dribbling, passing and lay-ups.
When the Jr. High boys’ coach, Bryson Kennedy, was asked how the first game went and his thoughts on how the rest of the season will go, he responded “We did all right. Our fundamentals have improved since last year and that is our main focus, but we still have a lot of room to improve. I think if we continue to improve we should be .500 by the end of the season. They are doing pretty well every day, but we are limited on [practice] time which makes it tougher to get a lot done during practice.”
Fun Facts about Fundamentals
Lay-ups are the backbone of any team offense. Without the threat of a lay-up, all other shots would become next to impossible. A basic lay-up is just what it sounds like: a shot where the player lays the ball up on the backboard or over the rim and into the basket. It can be done forwards, backwards, or sideways. It is a lay-up just the same. What part of the body allows you to make lay-ups? Your hand? Your arms? Your legs? Many coaches believe that you make lay-ups with your eyes. With all that goes on around you during a basketball game, that activity level increases ten-fold as you get closer to the basket. There are more players, more defenders, more hands, and more contact the closer you get to the basket. The demand for your concentration goes up accordingly. No matter what else you do, you must keep your eyes on the prize. Block out all that is going on around you, and keep your eyes on the target until the ball comes through the net.
Teaching Points
- You make lay-ups with your eyes.
- Shooting is about rhythm
- Early in the process, success has to be defined in terms of correct form rather than made baskets.
- Focus on the process, not the results. Younger kids may have problems with balance and strength. Don’t sacrifice form for made baskets
ROSTERS:
Girls
NO NAME GR
1 Davi Dodson 6
2 Reagan Williams 6
3 Jaden Wolfe 6
4 Julie Ingison 7
5 Angel Padilla 6
10 MaKena Roberts 7
13 Natalie Koubek 7
21 Paige Wood 8
22 Kizziah Rutherford 7
23 Mariah Schneider 8
50 Karlie Gerlach 7
Boys
NO NAME GR
24 Nolan Benjamin 7
25 Chance Frost 7
30 River Hastings 7
31 Jon Moore 7
32 Seth Robinson 8
34 Asher Kalher 7
35 Tate Hartley 8
42 Parker Johnston 7
43 Tyler Schleeman 7
44 Kyle Fackler 8
45 Daniel Doyle 7
53 Austin Wolfe 8
55 Ronnie Zeigler 7
Jr. High Basketball Girls/Boys Schedule
12/2/14 at McCook St. Pats 2:00
12/15/14 at North Platte St. Pats 4:00
12/17/14 Paxton 2:00
1/8/15 Wallace 1:30
1/12/15 at Hayes Center 2:00
1/14/15 Eustis-Farnam 1:00
1/28/15 at Hitchcock County 2:00
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