Basketball Coaching FAQ

Q: I played a little bit many years ago, but have not played since then. Do you have to be an expert to be able to coach the sport?

A: No, you do not have to be an expert. If you are excited about the sport and eager to help out there are various BSA resources (see below) that can help you coach your players.

Q: Coaching sounds fun but I’ve never coached before. What kind of support do you offer first time coaches?

A: We welcome new coaches into our program every year. To support these coaches:

  • We offer a coaching clinic at the start of the season.

  • We hold meetings for coaches (by league) at the start of the season.

  • We have a coaching manual for all coaches and additional resources on our website.

  • We try to pair new coaches with returning coaches when possible.

  • Our Director of Basketball, Assistant Director of Basketball and Executive Director are available to help coaches with questions and issues as they arise.

Q: If I coach will I be guaranteed that my son or daughter will be on my team?

A: Yes.

Q: If I coach a U6 or a U8 team will all of my team’s practices and games be on the weekend?

A: Yes – All U6 and U8 teams practice and play games on the weekend. There are no weeknight practices or games for our U6 and U8 teams.

Q: I’m worried about my travel schedule for work. What if I can’t make it to a practice or game (for the U10 and U13 leagues)?

A: The majority of our coaches travel so we have a system in place to support you. Specifically:

  • We work hard to ensure 2 or even 3 coaches per team.

  • We will try to secure a particular practice night for you if this will help you to make the majority of practices.

  • We try to assign at least two teams from the same league (ie. U13 Boys) to the same practice night and location. This means that when the coaches from one team are unavailable to practice they can ask the coaches from the other team to run a joint practice and/or scrimmage for that evening.

Q: Will I be able to request evenings that are convenient for me to run my team’s practice?

A: Yes. We will work hard to assign you to an evening that is convenient for you.

Q: I see that you have U10 and U13 practice sessions at the International School of Brussels (ISB) in Watermael-Boitsfort and at St. John’s International School in Waterloo. If I coach can I request the location that is most convenient for me?

A: Yes. We will ask all coaches and assistant coaches their preferred location for practice sessions. We will then do our very best to secure that location for you. We appreciate your flexibility but understand that one location may be better for you than another.

Q: Can other families request a particular practice night or practice location?

A: No. We cannot accept special requests from non-coaches because we simply are not in a position to meet all of these requests.

 

Reasons to Coach with the BSA

Have fun with your child - Coaching is a great way to spend time with your child and to have fun together. It will be something you both remember for years to come.

Share your love of sports - Don't just tell your kids that an active lifestyle is important. Demonstrate this by getting out on the court with them!

Be part of a team - There is nothing quite like the feeling of being part of a team. If you no longer play competitive sports now is your chance to get involved on a team.

Get active - Get some exercise instead of standing on the sidelines! Coaching is a great way to fit in a little physical activity into a busy schedule.

 Get out and make new friends - What better way to pass a Sunday afternoon than with a group of friends running around and being active.