KSBC: Where tomorrow’s stars play, today
Ever since it’s inception, the KSBC league has been on the forefront of trying to improve Kenyan basketball from the grassroots level upwards. It has been an honor being part of this long journey up until now (2018-2022). Technically, worldwide, ‘youth’ basketball refers to ages 16 and under, boys and girls… because the local, regional and international basketball championships between national teams usually starts at age 17. Therefore, everything younger falls under the definition of ‘youth’.
During my research journey these past few years I have gathered some information that would greatly improve the current trajectory of youth basketball in the country. Impactful and, quite honestly the most reliable team of individuals have always been ready to spearhead this mundane development therefore, I would like to thank coach Frank Mwenda (CFO) and Chris Ismail (League Coordinator) for standing up for all this despite the constant challenges faced. Without these guys we would not be where we are today. Special shout-out to coach Allan Ngayo (Calvary Warriors) for all the stuff he’s doing for kids in Dandora, Nairobi.
Here are some five steps I believe have always been the core of what we stand for here at KSBC that would help elevate our kids’ game to the next level.
- Build the Foundation – As simple as it sounds, the basic fundamentals of any sport should always be stressed and mastered before progressing. We often see a lot of young players today working on euro-steps, spin moves, combo moves who don’t yet have the body mechanics to run, catch and finish an off-hand layup. A house is only as strong as the foundation, the simplest of fundamentals are player’s foundations; they must be strong before building more.
- Use age-appropriate basketballs and basket heights. Clubs should not move to 10-foot baskets until at least U14’s. There are definitely balls of different sizes for all age groups and so boys should not use 29.5/7s until at least 14 years of age, if not high school while girls maintain the size 6 basketball into adulthood.
- Enforce Stringent Coaching Requirements – The fact that anyone can pick up a ball, a whistle and head out to the local youth league and coach kids without any training isn’t a good thing. Having youth coaches be required to go through some type of training would ensure that only dedicated parents/individuals have a chance to impact the kids. Parents, relatives, etc. should be able to coach their child if they’d like, but there should be some baseline and background understanding of coaching ethics, practice structure, game management, and conflict resolution to do so. Certifications should be a requirement before coaches are given the mandate to teach our kids.
- More practices/skill work and less games. For example, man to man half court defense until 15-16 years old. This can be enforced by using a smaller court size & game play like 2v2 or 3v3 so players get more touches and more decision making reads because kids at a young age lack the basic fundamentals to make plays in a more structured 5v5 environment. Having a better skill set would make competition more enjoyable and would advance the game.
- Lastly and most importantly, youth basketball should be FUN for kids. Too often coaches and parents take the fun away and make it stressful. Let the kids enjoy the game.
The above ideas are changes that we at KSBC league are going to constantly support and advocate. We hope you will too. Let’s keep improving the game.
