More "Off The Rim"
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PUBLISHED ON April 23, 2014
By Hoops

To mark the end of the season, if there even is an off-season now, and to finish my writings for the year, I thought I would focus on something coming up - our provincial teams. After the club championships are finished the try-outs are scheduled for the weekend on May 24 & 25.

I think we were all very proud of the successes of all of our teams last summer. Manitoba is now definitely seen as a province to be reckoned with and a threat for medals at all age levels. The slate of coaches for our provincial teams was published awhile back and I think we should all be very thankful that such good people are willing to sacrifice much of their summer to work with our athletes. The experience of playing on one of our provincial teams is the chance of a lifetime for any young athlete. All good, right ? Maybe not.

There is one somewhat disturbing fact relative to this subject. I have heard some discussion in various circles at some games this past season. It seems that some club coaches, some parents, and even some players question whether they should even try out for our provincial teams, and that seems unbelievable to this author. The opportunity to represent our province in national competition would seem to the ultimate goal for any basketball player, and, in my opinion, it should be. Why would any coach or parent tell a young player not to participate in our provincial programs? I can only guess. I hope it isn't for selfish reasons, after all, shouldn't we be doing what is best for the athletes? I think that I have always been a supporter of our provincial organization, Basketball Manitoba, but, after doing these columns this year and becoming more aware of all the things it does, I am now an even bigger supporter and will do everything I can do to promote and support our provincial programs, which are a big part of their programs - maybe the biggest.

If Manitoba is going to continue to compete for medals at our national championships, we need our very best representing us. Other provinces like Ontario, with a larger population and a deeper talent pool, may still able to compete without their very best representing them. Manitoba is not like that - we need our best out there.

I am aware that Basketball Manitoba invests many resources in our provincial programs. According to my sources in other provinces, the cost per athlete here is substantially lower than elsewhere and parents here are given opportunities to raise funds through working bingos. I am hoping that all of our club and school coaches and parents will encourage their best kids - male and female - to be there on that weekend in May and to compete for a spot on Team Toba. Let's all get behind this and make this summer the best ever.

This is my last submission as Hoops. I have enjoyed being able to express my opinions on a variety of subjects. I would like to thank the people at Basketball Manitoba for giving me this opportunity. Will I be back next season ? We'll see. Thanks to all those who have read my columns and submitted comments. I really like the slogan of Basketball Manitoba - "Together We Grow Basketball".

Let's all keep up the good work and do it together.
   
We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON April 07, 2014
By Hoops

As the school season has just completed, it seems to be an appropriate time to recognize coaches. Not just those coaching in our schools all over our province, but all those at all levels - schools, WMBA, clubs and any others.

The first thing to mention is that just about all of these coaches are volunteers - i.e. they receive no pay for all the hours they dedicate to our game. When you factor in over 30 games played in a season plus the many practices to prepare the teams, the number of hours can be counted in the hundreds. This is time away from family and loved ones, on many very cold nights with long hours, and in addition to a full-time job. I sometimes wonder if those in charge, including superintendents, principals, league administrators, and especially parents, realize how lucky their students and children are to be working with such dedicated people. In addition, many of these coaches have been at it for 20-30 years. You can do the math regarding the total number of career hours - I cannot count that high and my math skills are weak. All I know is that we in the basketball community are very lucky to have these dedicated people working with our youth in the sport we all love.

Secondly, this is also the time of year when All-Star Coach or Coach of the Year awards are presented. I have no problem with these awards as we usually have good people being recognized for their good work. However, in my opinion, these too often go to the coach of the winning or championship teams. This may be justified, but as anyone who has ever coached knows all too well, sometimes the best coaching is done with the least successful teams in terms on wins and losses. In some cases, just keeping a losing team together for an entire season can be the greatest challenge for any coach. When things start to go badly on the scoreboard, it can be very easy for kids to find excuses to quit or find something else to do. I have heard it said more than once that some coaches feel if they start a season with 12 players on the team, they feel it has been a successful season if they can end the season with those same 12 players. In other words, you do not have to win a championship to be a true "all-star coach".

Lastly, if you are a player, a parent of a basketball player, a school principal or superintendent or league administrator, why not take a moment to say thanks to your coaches - they will appreciate it and they deserve it. It is a simple gesture, but it can go a long way in keeping that person energized and committed to coaching in the long term. As the ads say, Just Do It !  


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PUBLISHED ON March 20, 2014
By Hoops

Before we begin Part 3 of our look at Long Term Athlete Development, it should be noted that on Pages 8&9 of the latest edition of the City of Winnipeg's Leisure Guide (Spring/Summer 14) there is a great explanation of LTAD, its stages, and movement skill development. The guide also introduces a colour coding system that links all programs listed in the guide to the LTAD stages. This is another example of how this is now driving all amateur sport and is something that we all need to learn more about.
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PUBLISHED ON March 11, 2014
By Hoops

For the second instalment in our look at Long Term Athlete Development and how it affects the game of basketball, I thought we would look at a subject that is becoming a popular topic in our game - the question of whether we are having too many games for our younger athletes and too few practices. In LTAD lingo, this means too much emphasis on competition and not enough on training.

Before we go any further, we should clarify that we all agree, even the LTAD authors, that competition is a good thing and we should be making our practices as competitive as possible. Long Term Athlete Development defines competition as regularly scheduled games with officials. If you talk to the assignors for basketball officials in Manitoba they would all agree that the number of games scheduled has increased tremendously over the past 5 years. It now seems that there really is no basketball off-season. Is this a good thing ?

It is Hoops' opinion that we often make the assumption that kids will learn from playing and, too some extent, that is true. However, there can be no substitute for quality practice time especially for younger players. LTAD states that, ideally, the ratio between practices and games should be about 3:1, i.e. three practice sessions for every one game. I wonder how many teams out there are meeting that goal?

Awhile back, I was reading an American college basketball magazine and, based one article, it appears that this situation is of concern there also. Veteran NCAA University of Miami coach, Jim Larranaga, is quoted as saying "Kids don't develop their skills anymore. They're too busy playing games and they don't work on their skills." To back up his argument he cites statistics showing how field goal and free throw percentages have declined substantially in the past ten years. He adds, "The amount of practice time it takes for a player to become a good shooter is hours and hours every single day and kids aren't doing that anymore - they are playing too many games in numerous leagues." When you look at the fact that many of our young players here are playing with a school team, on club teams, in the WMBA, in other leagues, and possibly with our provincial teams, it is no wonder that there is little time left for practices.

It should be mentioned that a part of the problem is the difficulty in accessing facilities to hold regular practices, a topic dealt with in some of my earlier writings. However, it has been stated by more than one veteran coach that one reason coaches may schedule more games than practices is that, sad as it may sound, it is much easier to coach in a game than in a practice. After all, in a game, one only needs to substitute at times and yell occasionally at players and referees, but to hold an effective practice requires planning, teaching and giving players necessary feedback.

One last point that the philosophy behind LTAD states is that this situation is often affected by an increasing problem in youth sport and that is the imposition of adult values on that sport. Parents, especially those who may pay a substantial amount of money for a child to play on a team, may view the number of games as a return on their investment and may not see time spent on training as valuable. As usual, I welcome all comments. We will look at LTAD and specialization next time.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON March 04, 2014
By Hoops

 Another trilogy? - we'll see. Maybe Hoops has a future in movies.  I realized that in a number of my writings I have referenced Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) and I have always prefaced my comments with "in my limited knowledge". I decided to change that and, lately have spent too much time in front of my computer reading up on the subject and how it relates to basketball. I am definitely not yet an expert, but I am now more comfortable discussing it.

Firstly, it appears to be something that we cannot ignore - it's not going to go away. It is based upon sound scientific research. The funding of all amateur sport is more and more tied to it and it makes sense. It may be something that some of us would disagree with, but ignoring it, would probably be foolish for us all. If I have concluded one thing, it is that we all need to try to understand it, gradually embrace it, and begin implementing it in what we do in basketball. This may be one of those big paradigm shifts we sometimes hear about.

LTAD is defined as a framework that recognizes the distinct stages of physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional development in participants in sport. It provides a clear path to better sport, greater health, and higher achievement. Children, youth and adults need to do the right things at the right time to develop in the sport. It describes the things athletes need to be doing at specific ages and stages. The stages have some odd names - Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learn to Train, Train to Train, Train to Compete, Train to Win and Active for Life. These terms are showing up more and more in the day-to-day discussion of all amateur sports.

It appears that the most important part of the title is long term. I think we might all agree that too many basketball coaches appear to be more concerned about the short term - i.e. the current season and how many games that team can win - now. If we truly care about the basketball future of the players we are coaching, and the game in general, we need to look at doing what is best for them in their skill development over the long term and that may not coincide with what we could do in an attempt to win as  many games as possible during the current season.

Two of the most relevant aspects to the game of basketball deal with the appropriate age for specialization and the relationship between practice time and games - i.e. training vs. competition. I think that I will leave those both for my next submission. As usual, I welcome any and all comments below.

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RELATED...





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PUBLISHED ON February 19, 2014
By Hoops 

 In my last two writings we looked at two aspects of how parents affect their basketball playing children. Both were negative and, based on many of the comments received, we all hope this will improve. To end this trilogy, I thought I would discuss the fact that many parents, probably the vast majority, are great people and contribute a great deal to the experience kids have in sport. Unfortunately, as with many things, this is often overlooked and they are even taken for granted.

Hoops sees many games during the year and I see most adults, probably the parents of the kids playing, being great fans and assisting in any way possible. They drive players to and from the games, sit and watch the games cheering good plays and encouraging players from both teams. They thank the coaches for their time and realize officials are doing their best and do make mistakes. In general, they have fun watching their children and others having the opportunity to play a game which they know is a good thing for those individuals and society as a whole. Many of these adults played sport when they were young and know what a positive experience it can be and that the so-called "life-lessons" will make their children better citizens whether they win the championship or not.

This begs the question about how we can further foster this kind of attitude from all parents. We may not be able to control it, but it is my opinion that we can influence it. Like many things in life it appears to be based upon building relationships. Coaches need to get to know the parents of the kids they are coaching. Pre-season meetings are a good start. At these meetings, we can discuss our expectations of parents regarding acceptable and unacceptable behaviour during games and how to deal with any problems appropriately. Also, if coaches make it clear to all parents their philosophy on playing time at least the parents know what to expect right from the start of the season. I believe that some coaches make too many assumptions in this area. It may seem like common sense to us, but, as they often say, common sense isn't as common today as it used to be. If the role of parents is discussed in an open manner and in an open forum that will give coaches and other supportive parents a benchmark to refer to in the event of any problems. I truly believe that, much like the players we work with, the parents need to coached and all expectations need to be clearly laid out for them.

Recently, Hockey Winnipeg has announced that there will be on on-line course that all parents must take. I'm sure it can't hurt, but, it is my belief, that, if we want to facilitate real change, it will only come from personal face-to-face connections between those who have already built a relationship, and the best people to do this are coaches, not a computer.

I would be interested in your comments. See you next week.    


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  

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PUBLISHED ON February 05, 2014
By Hoops

 Last week we looked at parents, how some create problems as spectators at some games and what we could or should do about it. This time, I would like to examine the role parents play with their children in terms of "helping" them as their basketball careers develop. We probably have all heard the terms 'trophy kids', 'helicopter parents' and 'bubble-wrapped kids'. Are some of our basketball parents too involved with their basketball playing children?

Hoops has heard from a number of university coaches over the past few years that they have decided not to recruit a certain player even though that player may have real potential to play college ball, just because of the parent(s).  "I like the kid, but I don't want to have to deal with the parents for five years". This has been often labeled as "parent as agent" and describes a situation where one or both parents are way too involved in their child's basketball career - trying to negotiate the best deal often pitting one university coach against another, confronting a coach when that child is not getting the floor time the parent feels he/she deserves, or publicly criticizing a coach based on a style of play or general philosophy. The parents may believe that they are truly helping their child, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

Another disturbing trend in sport is the pressure that some parents place upon their children to excel and be the best. Hoops overheard a group of parents watching a 9-10 year old game last month talking about which club or team would give their son or daughter "maximum exposure" so that others could see them play as much as possible. I realize that earning a scholarship to attend university makes the parents task of paying for an education much easier, but at what cost. It is not surprising that we hear of some very talented kids who quit the sport altogether feeling burned out or just fed up with all the pressure placed on them by adults, including their own parents.

It appears that the best thing we might do for our children is to just let them play, have fun, enjoy their childhood and sport so that they might want to play for as long as possible. If I had kids, I hope that I would want to enjoy watching them play and have fun and allow them to be kids for as long as possible. Kids seem to grow up too fast already.

I have been very interested in the comments people have submitted on my past writings. I don't have all the answers and this is only one person's opinion. Let's hear from you. Part 3 of the parent thing next week.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON January 29, 2014
By Hoops

Last week I was reading another newspaper article about sports and parents -"Hooligan parent needs to stay away from kids' game". Once again, the focus was on hockey and how some parents are way too involved in their kids' sports and create problems at games with officials and other parents. It made me think - are things that much different in basketball? This is a delicate subject because, as Hoops has learned over the years, and despite the fact that I have no children, when a situation involves your own child, people sometimes can become very irrational and emotional.

Can  we prevent these kinds of ugly occurrences from happening in basketball and, if so, how? Hockey Manitoba has suggested that they may make all parents take an on-line course, similar to the one many coaches have taken. It couldn't hurt, but I doubt if it would have much affect. How someone will answer in front of one's computer and how that same person would act in the crowd during an emotional game, could be very different.

Why can't some parents allow their children to play without interference and without getting involved in conflicts during some games? We sometimes hear horror stories about how some young and promising referees leave officiating because of abuse from fans and coaches.

The WMBA has a policy of "zero tolerance" as it relates to coaches and that seems to be a positive thing, even though it is unfortunate that such things have to be written. Hoops also believes that coaches should play a role in trying to influence the behaviour of fans. Many coaches have a pre-season meeting with parents and that probably would be a good opportunity to review a parents code of conduct. If there is a root of this problem it probably is that we don't discuss it in an open forum often enough. As with many things, we make assumptions that people already know this stuff instead of tackling it head on and making it clear to everyone that certain behaviours are unacceptable and detrimental to young children and sport in general, even if it involves your own son or daughter,.

I hope we can all agree that, in general, adult values are too often imposed on youth sports. Maybe our provincial governing body, Basketball Manitoba, needs to deal with this issue before we become like hockey.

I would be interested in hearing from you out there - comment below. Part 2 on this subject will be coming next week.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  

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PUBLISHED ON January 23, 2014
By Hoops

I'm back ! Hoops was lucky enough to be able to take a winter vacation somewhere warm. I definitely picked the right time to be away. Upon my return, it appears that my newest topic for discussion has already been chosen for me. For some unknown reason, I was forwarded a number of emails discussing the fact that the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association (MHSAA) has decided not to compile any rankings for Junior Varsity teams this year. It appears that a number of people, coaches and fans, are unhappy about this development. I decided that I would weigh in on this topic.

On the one hand, I understand that such rankings do generate interest and are one of the few things that the local print media might actually publish. They create discussion and do assist tournament organizers in the formation of more competitive draws.  However, I also believe that there is already too much emphasis placed on competition (i.e. games) at the younger levels. Are game results and rankings that important for kids 14-15 years of age ? Is the call for rankings just another example of adult values being placed on youth sport ? Don't we already have enough of that ?

In my admittedly limited knowledge of the principles involved in Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), a philosophy which is now the basis of all sport in Canada, even hosting a provincial championship at the JV level is not compatible. Is the MHSAA trying to send a message to us all ?

One way or the other, it probably would be helpful if those at the MHSAA stated their reasons for this change. And, ultimately, rankings will be published later in February and there will be a provincial championship tournament played in March.

Sometimes, I wish that we got more excited about important things in the game of basketball, improved coaching and officiating, less competition or fewer games, and more training or practices, among others.

Let me know what you think in the comment section below.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON December 31, 2013
By Hoops

In the past two writings, we have looked at two sides of the gymnasiums where we all play. First, we looked at the increasing difficulties and costs associated with booking gyms in Winnipeg and then the advantages and disadvantages of the surfaces being installed in these gyms. Most of the feedback I have received on these two columns has been positive. In the third and final installment in this series we will look at those using the gyms on weekends and evenings.

It has been said many times that with every right there goes responsibility. Hoops feels that this is definitely the case here. Unfortunately, this is something that often gets overlooked. It may be our right to have access to the gymnasiums in our communities, but let us not forget our responsibilities in this area. So, let's make a list of the responsibilities of the users - you and I:

  • we will leave the facility in good shape with only a limited amount of garbage left around - how often do we see stands littered with used coffee cups after games?
  • we will clear the bench areas of litter
  • we will check all locker rooms before leaving - any damage should be reported and most trash removed
  • we will restrict people (players and fans) to the gym area and not allow anyone to wander elsewhere in the school
  • we will deal with excessive noise and any disruptive behaviour in a timely manner, both inside the gym and in the hallways
  • we will ensure that all school division rules are followed - all Manitoba schools are smoke free  
  • we will ensure that the gym is totally clear of people no later than the time specified on the permit - be sure that the start and end times are realistic and account for ample warm-ups and longer than normal games including overtimes
  • we will introduce ourselves to the person in charge (caretaker or supervisor) and maintain good communication with that person

I may have missed some - feel free to comment and add any others. It is Hoops opinion that, if we want to have greater and easier access to the gymnasiums we need to run our practices and games, we have to take our roles more seriously and ensure that we do not do anything to jeopardize use by us or others.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON December 18, 2013
By Hoops

Last week we discussed the increasing difficulties in booking school gyms for basketball, both games and practices. I am hoping that this is an issue which will go away and will get resolved with some consistent and workable policies which result in all school gymnasiums becoming easily accessible and with reasonable rental rates.

This week, I would like to look at what some believe is a disturbing trend in what is being used on new gym floors. There was a time when it appeared the only choice was hardwood. Now, an increasing number of new facilities are using synthetics - tile or rubber or some combination. It may be cheaper in the short term, but is it as good in the long haul?

Basketball Manitoba has published some interesting information comparing the two surfaces. If we are to believe that data, it appears hardwood is still the better choice as to its durability and the benefits to the bodies of the players using it. However, Hoops is aware of a number of new facilities in Winnipeg that have installed a synthetic floor in the past few years - the North Centennial Complex on Sinclair, Norberry Community Centre and Valour Community Centre to name three. On the other hand, the new Lindenwoods Community Centre chose hardwood. Was it only budget considerations that affected this choice? I have been told that the original surfaces in the Frank Kennedy Building at the University of Manitoba were synthetic. All of them were removed within the last 15 years and replaced with wood.

To assist in this debate, I surveyed 10 players, ages 10-18 years, at two different games last week about
their preferences. Overwhelmingly, their choice was hardwood. I wondered whether the only reason was that basketball traditionally has been played on wood and that it has become part of the culture of the game. My on-line search comparing the two surfaces showed that most studies lean to hardwood for both its life (up to 75-80 years for hardwood as opposed to 20-25 years for synthetics) and for the benefits to players' joints and legs.

Therefore, is the thinking to install synthetic flooring short-sighted and does it ignore the facts?

Hoops is definitely no expert on this topic, but I hope that those making the decisions on all future facilities will do their research and make these decisions based on what is best for sport and not just financial considerations.

The final segment on this topic will appear next week.  


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  

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PUBLISHED ON December 09, 2013
Lindenwoods Community Centre gymnasium
By Hoops

This week, I thought I would begin an examination of the venues where basketball is played in the province - i.e. the gymnasiums. Hoops hears more and more complaints from coaches and league organizers about the increasing costs and the difficulty in getting permits for gyms, especially in Winnipeg. There is no question that there is an ever-increasing demand for gym space, not only for games, but also for regular practice times. The questions I often hear asked are...


  1. Why is the per hour rate of one school division substantially different from another? 
  2. Why do schools say that their gyms are being used when they often are not? 
  3. Why is it much simpler to book a gym in one school division than another? 
  4. Are school divisions seeing this as an area for increased revenue generation? and 
  5. Why do the two Winnipeg universities charge different rates for their gyms? 

Doing these columns has made Hoops a bit of a public pollster, a role which I have come to enjoy. Therefore, I decided to call two school divisions and ask about this subject. In short, the information I got on the phone only made me more confused and raised more questions. It appears that there is something called a "blanket permit" which most junior and senior high schools have in place, meaning that their gyms are used by their own school teams and other school events during those times, which is often 4:00 - 10:00 most weeknights. My next step was to check out two of them. I drove to two different schools one night between 7:00 and 7:30 - there actually were three, but I couldn't get into one school. I found that in the two schools I could get into the gyms were in darkness, even though, according to the division offices they were being used by school groups. I wondered, how often does this happen and are outside groups denied access even though the school is actually not using it?

Next, I did an on-line search and came up with two Winnipeg Free Press articles from April of 2011 and September of 2012 dealing with this issue. The headlines read, "School gym policies a mess" and "Ball's rolling on keeping gyms open". Both articles stated that there is a provincial government policy stating "the community paid for school gyms, so open them for the community". According to the articles, school divisions had until January 1, 2013 to comply and it was stated that "they can't make money from the rentals". I wonder - who is checking on this, as is appears all are not in compliance?

I'm not sure what, if anything, can be concluded from this. It appears to be a political issue, one in which Sport Manitoba and Basketball Manitoba may need to get involved.. It would be nice if one of our local MLAs seized this as something to be championed in an open public forum with all of the so-called stakeholders. I think we would all agree that we want school gymnasiums to be easily accessible and open as often as possible. Seeing those two gyms in darkness last week really upset me. More to come on this topic next week.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
 

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PUBLISHED ON December 04, 2013
By Hoops

This week, I thought I might discuss the rules of the game we all love. We now all play under FIBA or international rules while we used to play with what is usually called Federation Rules which, I believe, were North American. Are FIBA rules better for the game, have the few adaptations we have made been positive, and should we be implementing more or leaving it as it is? I do know that more changes are coming with a new farther 3-point line, the larger key area, and the so-called "no-charge circle".

One very good thing that has come out of the change to FIBA rules is that our entire country (other than Ontario, I believe) is now playing under the same set of rules making adaptation to inter-provincial games easier.  

I am aware that high school games went to a 30 second shot clock and a 10 second mid-court count at the Junior Varsity level in the last few years. Most people feel this was a positive move, especially in games where the skill level is low. One thing I find interesting is that we can watch a local varsity boys or girls high school game using a 24 second shot clock and then go home at watch our televisions with two Division 1 NCAA teams using a 35 second clock. Are we right and they are wrong or vice versa?

Hoops is enjoying writing these columns and especially talking to fans, players and coaches looking for their opinions. So, I decided to do just that on this topic by asking 5 players, 5 coaches and 5 fans. Once again, I understand that this is a very random and a very small sample to draw any conclusions, but I thought it would be interesting nevertheless.

My results indicate that the rules we use, whatever they may be, seem to be of very little consequence to the players, as not one of those I talked with had any negative comments and all expressed no desire to change anything. On the other hand, four of the five coaches felt that FIBA rules make the players play too quickly and that we should all be using at least a 35 second clock. These sentiments were very similar to the thoughts of the fans (mostly parents). Four coaches mentioned that they still do not like having to call for a time-out from the scorer's table and would much rather be able to stop the game by requesting a time-out whenever they have the ball.

Does this mean that concerns about rules are adult concerns only and are based upon their own experiences with the game when they were young and the fact that coaches have had to relinquish some control in games? In other words, are the negative comments based only on a desire to keep things the way they were and simple opposition to any change?

I do know that the philosophy behind FIBA rules is to place as much control of the game in the hands of the players and to remove it from the coaches. The example usually given for this is that time-out rule because, as it is pointed out, when you see kids playing a pick-up game, they don't call time-out when trapped or in trouble - they need to play out of it and not have a coach bail them out.

There is no question that the game has changed. How much of this is due to the rules?


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  

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PUBLISHED ON November 25, 2013
By Hoops

This week, I thought I might really stir things up by writing about something that usually creates a great deal of discussion and debate within the basketball community - referees - and what exactly might make a 'good referee'.

Hoops decided to do some talking to players, coaches and fans and, not surprisingly, I found no shortage of people willing to express an opinion on this topic. What I found most surprising was that, out of the 15 people I surveyed with the same question at three different games, "What makes a good basketball referee?", not one mentioned anything about knowledge of the rules of basketball. It appears that the various officials clinics I see advertised, where I assume the referees get together to discuss rules and the interpretation of those rules, might not be necessary.

So what did I find out you ask? Here are some of the responses I most commonly received and, in most cases, these are quotes :

  • "someone you can talk to without being threatened with a technical"
  • "someone who doesn't think he/she is more important than anyone else at the game"
  • "someone who doesn't take it all, including him/herself, too seriously"
  • "someone who can be an official without being too officious" - I liked this one
  • "someone who seems to be giving a good consistent effort to be in position, no matter what game or level it is"
  • "someone who makes calls with confidence and who you can hear"
  • "someone who is not afraid to admit that he/she could have made a mistake"
  • "someone who seems to be enjoying refereeing the game " - I liked this one also

I also found it interesting that at least five people commented that they felt some officials do too many games and that they would like to see some other officials being given more games. I am not aware of how officials are assigned, but I have to admit that I do see the same referees at many different games and, as I heard from some people "it must be difficult to do so many games and still be sharp". However, we do know that there is an increasing number of games being scheduled and there are probably challenges covering all of them.

If I can conclude anything from this very unscientific poll, I guess it would be that, like many things in life, it appears that the ATTITUDE of the person plays a huge role in his/her ability to be what others would describe as a good basketball referee.

I would invite some of our basketball officials out there to weigh in on this topic.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  


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PUBLISHED ON November 19, 2013
By Hoops

This week, I would like to open the discussion of who might be the best players to ever play in Manitoba. Although we will never actually know, I wonder how players like Carl Ridd, supposedly one of the best ever, and the first Manitoban to be offered an NBA contract, would do against some of today's best? In addition, how would some of the top teams from our past fare against teams from 2013? I think we would all agree that the game has changed. It is more athletic and played faster that it was in the past. However, are the skills of today's players better also? I'm not so sure.

The game today seems to often focus more on the individual rather than team play which could be attributed to the 24 second shot clock and the 3-point line, neither of which were a part of the game in much of the past. It also appears that today's players seem to sometimes be more concerned with making the "highlight reel" move rather than learning how to play within a team concept. The media probably plays a role in this as it seems to always focus on the great individual move in their game highlights.

So who are our best ever? I did some non-scientific polling surveying eight people who have been around a lot longer that I have, including Ross Wedlake, the President of Basketball Manitoba and the Chair of our Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame who graciously allowed me to mention his name so that I might hopefully increase my admittedly very limited credibility, added my own research, and here it is, in no specific order, my all-time born-in-Manitoba teams.

Let the debate begin!  Who am I missing?  Add your comments below.  

MEN                                    
  • Carl Ridd
  • Martin Riley
  • Todd MacCulloch
  • Ken Opalko
  • Joey Vickery
Honourable Mention 
  • Fred Ingaldson
  • Bob Town

WOMEN
  • Sandra Carroll
  • Beth Cochran
  • Angie (Johnson) Straub
  • T.L. Johannesson
  • Leslie (Hamerton) Divers
Honourable Mention
  • Pat (Pisnook) Boland
  • Gail (Winston) Kendall


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON November 13, 2013
By Hoops

In this, the second installment of my commentaries, I would like to discuss the basketball being played in our high schools and junior high schools, and why it appears that some schools seem to always be in contention for conference and provincial championships while others seldom are or, if they are, only sporadically.

It is Hoops' opinion that the main reason is the difference between running a program and having a team. If you look at the schools which are consistently in contention and regularly appear in all top ten rankings, these are the same schools that have consistency with their coaches, some of whom have been there for many years.

This is sometimes the root of recruiting allegations directed at some schools. In truth, it could be the athlete recruiting the coach, rather than the opposite, which can and does happen, meaning good players might want to play where they know they are going to get good coaching and a competitive schedule. Can we blame them, no matter what the affect on their community school?

As in many organizations, it often comes down to leadership. In education, this means the school boards, superintendents, and principals. It does not appear that Education Manitoba, or any school division, have any real policies governing athletics. Some administrators seem to understand the importance of teams in our schools and make the effort to hire and support quality coaches ensuring that their schools offer quality basketball programs over the long term. Players get good coaching at the younger grades and progress through to the varsity teams, ensuring success.

I am aware that teacher unions avoid this topic and would prefer that the present system of volunteer coaches remain outside of any collective bargaining discussion. However, it is Hoops' opinion that until school divisions develop strong policies governing the need to hire and support quality coaches in all of our schools, many schools will only continue to be able to say that are fielding teams on a year-to-year basis rather than offering a quality program that the school can be proud of over the long term.


We welcome your comments on this topic by posting them below!  Basketball Manitoba welcomes submissions from the basketball community to its website.  If you would like to become a regular contributor, please contact our webmaster.  
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PUBLISHED ON November 06, 2013
By Hoops
If you did not see my introduction in the last edition of Fastbreak, I am Hoops. I am going to be writing these opinion pieces regularly. I hope to create some thought and, maybe, some debate about some important issues relative to the game we all love..

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PUBLISHED ON November 01, 2013
Hi - My name is 'Hoops' and I welcome you to my first contribution to the Basketball Manitoba website. I will be contributing an item regularly dealing with some issue related to basketball in our province and elsewhere.

I appreciate the opportunity given to me to express an opinion on some topic which I hope you might find interesting. There will be an opportunity for anyone to comment on or react to what I have written and, in truth, that is mainly what I am trying to do - create some debate and possibly get us all to think about some of the issues connected to the game we all love.

Whether you agree or disagree with what I write, I hope you will become a regular reader and share your thoughts with me and the others who receive the website.

Stay tuned - it should be fun!
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