EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE

All coaches know that the most important position on the court is the point guard.  The point guard has the responsibility of leading the team, of controlling the ball and of dictating the pace of the game.

If you were to ask most HS level point guards, they would probably tell you the ONLY REASON they like running the point is because they get to touch the ball every time down the floor.  They hate having to know everyone’s position.  They hate having to know & run the plays.  They hate having the opponents’ best defender all over them.  They hate the responsibility.  They hate the pressure that comes with the position.

For the sake of this entry, I’m going to use Liz as my example.  Between her 8th grade and her Freshman seasons, she learned a lot about herself as a player.  Being a shooting guard was easy compared to running the point.  As a shooting guard, all she had to do run was run the floor and be ready to shoot the ball.  She didn’t have to worry about anything except making her shots. That all changed in her Freshman season…when she was moved to the point.  She struggled every bit as much as some of you feel that you are struggling with it now.

She learned what it was like to be pressured 80 feet from our basket.  With her limited skills at the time, she was baptized with a full court press.  She was so focused on not turning the ball over that she forgot about everything else that needed to happen.  She would often be too predictable by going to the same spot every- single time and make the same pass to the same spot every-single time.  She would try and throw some ‘thread the needle’ passes that she wished she could have taken back.  She had games where she had 8 or 10 turnover’s in the first-half of a game.  There were games that her confidence was shaken to the core.  

However, those things are just part of the maturing process for a point guard and they made her a stronger (and better) player in the long run.  

Many young point guards simply miss the focus of what is important with each possession.  Their minds tend to get jumbled up with too many thoughts and it screws them up.  This causes hesitancy and a few of you are probably agreeing as you are reading this.  Understand that the position comes very natural and easy to some and others not so much.  Either way let's make it simple by boiling it down to one thing.  The point guard’s primary responsibility is directing the offense with the prime objective of creating the best shot possible or giving the team their best chance to score.  

THE ULTIMATE POINT GUARD GOAL: Get the best shot possible!

First, don't worry about being fancy.  You don’t need to dribble between your legs and around your back.  Just get the ball up the court and only use a between the legs or behind the back if you have to.  If you are being pressured, then remember to use the court that you have.Don't just go in a straight line and don't go the same speed.  Accelerate when you have to and don't shy away from the challenge.  Be unpredictable to the defense.

Second, identify and KNOW the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates.  Who are your best players or better yet, always ask yourself - which player has the best match up right now and how can I get her the ball?

A true point guard loves to get her girls the ball in good position so they score.  She loves being in control and making sure each player feels involved and that she is going to do everything in her power to help her team win. 

Without someone on the floor accepting and embracing that responsibility (for running the offense), the team is pretty much lost.  Embrace the nervousness.  Embrace the responsibility. Embrace the challenge.

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