Blaine Boys Basketball 2018-2019

“Do More- Say Less”

Player/ Parent HandbookWWW.BLAINEBOYSBASKETBALL.COM

@blaineboyshoops

Blaine Boys BasketballBLAINE BENGAL BOYS BASKETBALL

PARENT HANDBOOK

BLAINE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENTThe Blaine High School athletic department, united in its commitment to excellence,

exemplifies the following PLUS components:

Performance: Master the attitudes and skills needed to become a champion. Leadership: We will exercise strong character valuesUnited: Together Everyone Achieves More. TEAMSuccess: The peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.

“BENGAL PRIDE IS FOREVER”

2018-2019 Bengal Basketball Staff

Mark Arzdorf Head Varsity 612-669-2733 Mark@mrsprinkler.orgBrandon Mortenson Varsity Assistant 612-760-2598 BMort32@gmail.comLance Pettis 763-226-8160Lance.Pettis@ahschools.usAndy Linaman Varsity Assistant 651-235-6865coach.linaman@gmail.comSteve Drewlo Varsity Asst. Strength and Conditioning 763-506-6585 Steve.Drewlo@ahschools.usKaleb Evans Sophomore 763-447-0420e.kaleb@me.comJosh Limberg Sophomore 651-262-6329Limbe018@umn.edu Nick Rusin Freshman 763-350-6991Nicholas.Rusin@ahschools.usSam Chase Freshman 763-670-2343Sam.chase@ahschools.us

Blaine Boys Basketball-Protect the Team

-No Excuses, No Complaining, No Entitlement

-Enjoy the moment

Other Non Negotiables NO JUDGING PLAYING TIME, SHOTS, MINUTES, ROLE NO COMPARING AND LABELING MOVE ON – NEXT PLAY OTHERS BEFORE SELF RELENTLESS EFFORT

Blaine Boys BasketballRules and Expectations:

Training rules and discipline expectations are in important part of a successful basketball program. The lessons learned have immediate as well as long lasting value. We expect dedication to our program as exemplified by the behaviors listed below.Player Expectations

1) Be on time!!2) School attendance = on time! Players must be in school before

11:00 a.m. in order to practice of play. This policy does not include doctor, dentist of or field trip situations. If you miss one hour of school without a note from a doctor you cannot practice or play!

3) When you step on the floor, THINK AND TALK BASKETBALL!!4) Be “UP” for practice EVERYDAY! Bring the same intensity to

practice every day that you would bring to a game.5) HUSTLE wherever you go in practice. The coach should never

have to say “HUSTLE”6) Listen at all times! We don’t want you to make the same

mistake someone else just made.7) Get your make up work for school done before school or right

after school on game days…DO NOT MISS PRACTICE TIME unless there is no other possible option.

8) If you need to miss a practice contact your coach ahead of time if at all possible.

9) No profanity allowed at any time ON OR OFF the floor.10) WE not ME!!! Do not put your own interest ahead of those

of the team.11) Use the locker room in an appropriate manner. It is not a

gossip or rumor mill. And clean up after yourselves!12) See the trainer on all injuries before you go to a doctor.

Keep coaches informed as to what is going on.13) We are a TEAM and we do things together!

i. Sit together during other gamesii. All players will dress properly on game daysiii. We support all the teams in our program!

14) Proper equipment will be worn at all practices:i. Practice jerseyii. Navy Shorts

15) Communicate with your coaches first! If you have questions…ask your coaches and you will get an honest answer. DO NOT assume things. Coaches would much rather hear from you before hearing from your parents.

Blaine Boys BasketballTraveling Rules:

We expect our players on all teams to conduct themselves in a manner that projects an outstanding image of themselves, our program, and our school. This becomes even more evident when we are on the road. Players will wear appropriate clothes when traveling. Torn jeans and ripped sweatshirts are not acceptable!!We would encourage everyone to stay for the varsity games. We feel that all teams can benefit from watching the varsity level games. Room will be made on the varsity/JV bus for all freshmen and sophomore players that choose to stay and watch the varsity game. Players may leave only if they travel with their own parents and have notified their coach and signed a release form. Varsity and JV players must ride home on the bus. We feel riding on together after both wins and losses only helps deepen the commitment to the family atmosphere we are trying to build.

Playing Time:

Playing time is something that is earned. It is not the coach’s obligation at any level to spread out playing time equally. Coaches will reward ability and hard work with playing time. Talk to your coaches about playing time issues and they will be honest with you. Coaches want to hear from you before they hear from your parent!Unexcused Absences:

1) One unexcused absence will result in a one game suspension2) Two unexcused absences will result in a two game suspension3) Three unexcused absences will result in dismissal from the team

**let your coach know ahead of time if you are going to be gone!!**Snow Days

Practice or games will be cancelled if school is closed.We may have optional shooting sessions on these days.

Blaine Boys BasketballTeam Academic Policies:

The State High School League requires that students be on pace to graduate in order to be academically eligible for high school athletics. We will ask all players to fill out an academic progress report at least a couple times throughout the season. If a student fails to bring back a progress report, they will not be allowed to participate in practice or games until they do. If a student brings back a progress report and it shows them to be failing a class, they will be ineligible for all games until they can provide documentation that they are now passing the class. Team Philosophy:

Our basketball program has 5 teams. The most important thing is that kids get the opportunity to play basketball regardless of the level. We have freshmen A and B teams on which only freshmen can play. We have a sophomore team on which primarily only sophomores will play but a 9th grade player may be eligible to play. We have a junior varsity team on which only 9th graders, sophomores, and juniors will play. The JV members will play in their own game prior to the varsity game and will be the support players for the varsity during the varsity games. At times it may appear that the junior varsity should get into the varsity games, and at times they may. However, keep in mind that the junior varsity players have already played their game and that the varsity players deserve to play in their game. MISSING PRACTICEMissing practice, whether excused or not excused, hurts the team. For example if a team has less than 10 players at practice, then team drills that involve 5 on 5 situations or scrimmages are harder to simulate. Whether excused or unexcused, players can expect to see decreased playing time in the game following a missed practice. Any absence should be communicated to the coach ahead of time. Chronic absence may result in sitting out entire games, and team expulsion.

An injured player must be at practice and dressed in practice uniform unless he is excused by the Head Coach. A player who is in In-School Suspension the day of a game will be held out of that particular game. A player who is in In-School Suspension on a practice day must

attend practice but will not participate. The player will sit out the first half of the upcoming game.

A player with an unexcused absence will not start for that particular game. A second unexcused absence could lead to squad dismissal.

Blaine Boys BasketballCHEMICAL USE:

Because chemical and alcohol use can be so harmful to our students, we take the issue very seriously and have put several policies in place to prevent our students from using chemicals. Despite these efforts, some Blaine students, just like students from across the country, are involved in chemical use.

It is important that young people receive clear and consistent messages from school and from parents that illegal drug use and underage drinking are inappropriate, unacceptable and illegal. Purchase or possession of alcohol by a person under age 21 is illegal. Possession or sale of street drugs or controlled substances, including drugs prescribed by another person, is illegal. It is also illegal for property owners to allow minors to consume alcohol or other drugs on or in his/her property.

Some of the places where illegal chemical use, including drinking, takes place are in parties at homes, in fields and parks, and in vehicles and limousines on the way to and from social events. Many Blaine students who do not drink or smoke marijuana refrain from participating in social activities because they do not want to face peer pressure to use. Both groups of students are suffering. Here are some things to consider as your family faces these issues. Please talk to your sons about:

Parties and Underage Drinking There are usually two essential ingredients in the recipe for a party disaster:

alcohol and absent parents. Parties at home are a natural way for young men and women to socialize and have fun together. Without planning and supervision, however, parties can lead to disaster. More than a few parents, some from Blaine, have experienced the consequences of parties careening out of control. Homes can be damaged, sometimes severely. Young people can become dangerously ill or injured. Police are sometimes needed to restore order. Parents are ultimately responsible for injuries or damages resulting from a party in their home. Prom Night

Post prom parties have become an area of concern for many parents. At many schools, including Blaine some couples have rented hotel rooms for their after prom party. Others have used family cabins as a gathering place, without adult supervision. Sometimes teens will change their plans at the last minute, leaving their parents in the dark as to exactly where they will be and who they will be with. As a school, we discourage overnight partying involving mixed groups of boys and girls.

Consider offering your student alternative ways to celebrate the night at a location where adult supervision is present. Know for certain where your teen is throughout the night, and who they are with. Good communication between parents is an important ingredient for planning a safe and special prom night. These guidelines can be applied to midwinter formal and other dances as well.

Blaine Boys BasketballSpring Break At Blaine we support and encourage parents to allow students to go only on Spring Break family trips that are chaperoned by parents. Unchaperoned trips often result in students using alcohol or becoming involved in inappropriate sexual behavior. Parents, beware that the majority of advertised trips for students to destinations such as Cancun, etc. allow and encourage such activity.

MSHSL POLICY: Minnesota State High School League Policy will be enforced at all times during the season and during the off-season. Policies are included in the State High School League brochure. A player who is serving a penalty practices with the team but does not participate in any games until the penalty time is over.

BECAUSE WE TAKE CHEMICAL AND MSHSL POLICY VIOLATIONS SO SERIOUSLY AND BECAUSE WE VALUE INTEGRITY AND LOOK TO BUILD CHARACTER AS A RULE WE MAY LENGTHEN ANY PENALTY GIVEN TO A PLAYER FROM THE MSHSL OR THE SCHOOL.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE: Players must be in school before 11:00 a.m. in order to practice or play. This policy does not pertain to doctor, dentist, or field trip situations.

INJURY PROCEDURE: If an injury occurs during practice or during a game, a coach will make an effort to contact you. If it is an emergency and we cannot contact you, we will get your son to a doctor if you consent. A trainer is present at games. The trainer will treat non-emergency situations. If a problem surfaces after hours you can call the Institute for Athletic Medicine Athletic Injury Hotline at 612-920-8850 to speak to an on call trainer. Our trainer, Lisa, has a voicemail box at the school which is 763-506-6729. Leave her a message and she will get back to you at her convenience. IN CASE OF ILLNESS: Please contact one of the coaches as soon as possible.

THEFT:

A player who steals from another basketball player will be dismissed from the team for the remainder of the season.

Blaine Boys BasketballEQUIPMENT POLICY: Your son is responsible for the equipment issued to her. Players must pay for any unreturned or damaged equipment.

UNIFORM CARE: 1. If possible, clean immediately after wearing or soak in cold water overnight. 2. Avoid excessive heat while washing and drying. 3. Please mend snags and rips after cleaning. 4. Use regular detergent. 5. Avoid bleach!!!

NUTRITION: Pre-game: A good pre-game meal consists of carbohydrates and should be consumed 3 to 4 hours before game time. Avoid proteins and sugars as they are hard to digest. Pancakes, pasta, and breads are examples of good pre-game foods.

Game Week: A good diet and plenty of rest are essential. The meal consumed the night before the game is also very important. The drinking of fluids during the week and the night before the game is very important. A player must be at practice unless he is sick and not in school or if excused by the Head Coach. A player must be in school by 11:00 a.m. to be eligible to practice or to participate in a game. A player is allowed to practice or play in a game if he is absent from school due to a doctor appointment or a school field trip or function.

Blaine Boys Basketball

SOCIAL MEDIA

As you begin participation in another athletic season, the Athletic Department of Blaine High School and our coaching staff want to make sure you are aware of the revised social networking guidelines. The Blaine High School Basketball Program recognizes and supports the student-athletes’ rights to freedom of speech, expression, and association, including the use of social networks. In this context, however, each student-athlete must remember that playing and competing for The Blaine High School Basketball Program is a privilege. As a student-athlete, you represent Blaine High School and Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools and the communities that surround Blaine High School and you are expected to portray yourself, your team, and the School District in a positive manner at all times. 

Below you will find the new social networking guidelines which provide the following guidelines for social networking site usage:

Everything you post is public information – any text or photo placed online is completely out of your control the moment it is placed online – even if you limit access to your site. Information (including pictures, videos, and comments) may be accessible even after you remove it. Once you post a photo or comment on a social networking site, that photo or comment becomes the property of the site and may be searchable even after you remove it.

What you post may affect your future. Many employers and college admissions officers review social networking sites as part of their overall evaluation of an applicant. Carefully consider how you want people to perceive you before you give them a chance to misinterpret your information (including pictures, videos, comments, and posters).

Similar to comments made in person, the Blaine High School Basketball Program, Blaine High School and Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools will not tolerate disrespectful comments and behavior online, such as:

o Derogatory language or remarks that may harm my teammates or coaches; other Blaine High School Basketball student athletes, teachers, or coaches; and student-athletes, coaches, or representatives of other schools, including comments that may disrespect my opponents.

o Incriminating photos or statements depicting violence; hazing; sexual harassment; full or partial nudity; inappropriate gestures; vandalism, stalking; underage drinking, selling, possessing, or using controlled substances; or any other inappropriate behaviors.

o Creating a serious danger to the safety of another person or making a credible threat of serious physical or emotional injury to another person.

o Indicating knowledge of an unreported school or team violation—regardless if the violation was unintentional or intentional.

In short, do not have a false sense of security about your rights to freedom of speech. Understand that freedom of speech is not unlimited. The on-line social network sites are NOT a place where you can say and do whatever you want without repercussions. The information you

post on a social networking site is considered public information. Protect yourself by maintaining a self-image of which you can be proud for years to come.

Blaine Boys BasketballVarsity Lettering : A player can earn a varsity letter one of the following ways:

A letter will be awarded if a varsity player has perfect attendance throughout the season. A letter will be awarded to every player who is a member of a state tournament team. A letter will be awarded to a player who has seen action in 12 varsity games.A letter will be awarded to a player who is deemed deserving by the coaching staff and athletic director but did not meet the above criteria due to extraordinary circumstances. In addition to earn a letter each Varsity player will be required to volunteer 6 hours to the local youth community. An example would be attending a traveling practice with a Varsity coach and helping with the team.

NOTE: A player must finish the season in good standing with the coaching staff. Final decisions on letters are up to coaches’ discretiion

Blaine Boys BasketballParents:

Parents are a very important part of the Bengal Boys Basketball program. Please be supportive and encouraging of your son, his teammates, the coaches, the referees, and the opposing players. There are 4 roles at every game: player, coach, referee, and fan. A person can only take on one role at a time. Your positive and supportive actions towards your son and his team are crucial to the success of the program, regardless of wins and losses.

Parent/Player/Coach Relationship High School basketball can teach many positive traits, such as the spirit of cooperation, self-discipline, and regard for physical fitness.  We ask that parents refrain from criticizing opposing players, other parents, teammates, coaches, or officials. In our spectator enthusiasm, we are often prone to issue instructions to the players that are contrary to those of the coach; this only causes confusion for the players. PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR SON TO FOLLOW HIS COACH’S INSTRUCTIONS AND LEAVE THE COACHING TO THE COACH. Parents need to align themselves with the coach in teaching their son how to cope with the natural frustrations of being a member of a team. Sports provide an excellent opportunity to teach young men about the realities of competitive situations. They must be taught how to be a cooperative team member, how to make use of both positive and negative feedback, how to cope with adversity, how to achieve mental toughness, and how to be a gracious winner or loser. When a player has an issue with the coach, parents have the responsibility of teaching their son the steps necessary to remedy the situation. The following steps should be taken if a player has a grievance with the coach:

 PARENT COACH COMMUNICATION1. Player talks to team coach

2. Player talks to head coach3. Player and parent meet with team coach and head coach

Blaine Boys BasketballParent Meetings:

Coaches will only meet with a parent during the season under the following conditions:

1) The player must be present2) The meeting maintains a respectful tone3) Only the player of that parent will be discussed

 UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES is a parent to approach a coach with a complaint or an evaluation of coaching philosophy. The above procedure must be followed in dealing with any situation that may arise. The administration of Blaine Boys Basketball will NOT ALLOW THE COACHES OR PLAYERS TO BE BERATED by parents or fellow teammates. If you or your son refuse to follow the guidelines set forth, you will be asked to leave the program.  Our number one rule for our players at all times is: Don’t Let Your Teammates Down. A player or spectator may be asked to leave the premises if they become disrespectful to other players, coaches, or officials. Please be careful and respectful.We ask that a parent never call a coach to discuss playing time, personnel, and coaching suggestions. It is inappropriate, unethical, and against high school league rules for us to talk to you about any one other than your son. It is just as inappropriate for you to talk to us about them. Please do not put a coach in a difficult situation by talking to them about other basketball players.

Parents:

Wanting the best for your child is expected, wanting your child to be the star is understandable, wanting your

child’s stardom to precede team’s success is unacceptable.

Blaine Boys BasketballParent Expectations:1) Support your player.2) Support your player’s teammates.3) Support your player’s coaches.4) Respect the referees and opposing team, coaches and fans.5) Positively represent Blaine Basketball, Blaine High School and your family

at all Blaine Boys Basketball events. 6) Read the handbook and keep it available for reference.7) Support and follow the Parent-Coach Communication Strategy8) Attend games and special events whenever possible.9) Actively participate in/support Blaine Basketball Volunteers.10) Volunteer to work at concessions at the Blaine Backcourt Club Boys

Basketball Tournament. Each parent is needed for one shift in order to completely fill the schedule.

11) Volunteer to help with at least one other event.Scheduled events are:Parents Night, Youth Night, BBCC Youth Basketball tournament concessions, Youth Night, Senior Nigh, End of Season Banquet

Other opportunities:Work pizza sales at home games (Freshman parents)Host after game safe party.Host carbo load.Take game photosSell ads for game programSecure donations for special eventsParent coordinator (one for each team)Blaine Basketball Volunteer board memberParticipate in Friends of Blaine Basketball event

Blaine Boys BasketballWhat Makes A Nightmare Sports Parent -- And What Makes A Great OneFebruary 15, 2012 8:20 pmWritten by:Steve HensonNEXT STORYHundreds of college athletes were asked to think back: "What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports?"Their overwhelming response: "The ride home from games with my parents."The informal survey lasted three decades, initiated by two former longtime coaches who over time became staunch advocates for the player, for the adolescent, for the child. Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching LLC are devoted to helping adults avoid becoming a nightmare sports parent, speaking at colleges, high schools and youth leagues to more than a million athletes, coaches and parents in the last 12 years.Those same college athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame.Their overwhelming response: "I love to watch you play."There it is, from the mouths of babes who grew up to become college and professional athletes. Whether your child is just beginning T-ball or is a travel-team soccer all-star or survived the cuts for the high school varsity, parents take heed.The vast majority of dads and moms that make rides home from games miserable for their children do so inadvertently. They aren't stereotypical horrendous sports parents, the ones who scream at referees, loudly second-guess coaches or berate their children. They are well-intentioned folks who can't help but initiate conversation about the contest before the sweat has dried on their child's uniform.

In the moments after a game, win or lose, kids desire distance. They make a rapid transition from athlete back to child. And they’d prefer if parents transitioned from spectator – or in many instances from coach – back to mom and dad. ASAP.Brown (pictured below at podium), a high school and youth coach near Seattle

for more than 30 years, says his research shows young athletes especially enjoy having their grandparents watch them perform.

"Overall, grandparents are more content than parents to simply enjoy watching the child participate," he says. "Kids recognize that."A grandparent is more likely to offer a smile and a hug, say "I love watching you play," and leave it at that.Meanwhile a parent might blurt out …“Why did you swing at that high pitch when we talked about laying off it?""Stay focused even when you are on the bench.”"You didn’t hustle back to your position on defense.”"You would have won if the ref would have called that obvious foul.”"Your coach didn't have the best team on the field when it mattered most.”And on and on.Sure, an element of truth might be evident in the remarks. But the young athlete doesn’t want to hear it immediately after the game. Not from a parent. Comments that undermine teammates, the coach or even officials run counter to everything the young player is taught. And instructional feedback was likely already mentioned by the coach."Let your child bring the game to you if they want to,” Brown says.

Brown and Miller, a longtime coach and college administrator, don't consider themselves experts, but instead use their platform to convey to parents what three generations of young athletes have told them."Everything we teach came from me asking players questions," Brown says. "When you have a trusting relationship with kids, you get honest answers. When you listen to young people speak from their heart, they offer a perspective that really resonates.”So what’s the takeaway for parents?"Sports is one of few places in a child's life where a parent can say, 'This is your thing,’ ” Miller says. "Athletics is one of the best ways for young people to take risks and deal with failure because the consequences aren’t fatal, they aren’t permanent. We’re talking about a game. So they usually don’t want or need a parent to rescue them when something goes wrong."Once you as a parent are assured the team is a safe environment, release your child to the coach and to the game. That way all successes are theirs, all failures are theirs."And discussion on the ride home can be about a song on the radio or where to stop for a bite to eat. By the time you pull into the driveway, the relationship ought to have transformed from keenly interested spectator and athlete back to parent and child:"We loved watching you play. … Now, how about that homework?"FIVE SIGNS OF A NIGHTMARE SPORTS PARENTNearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from

sports because their parents become insufferable.Even professional athletes can behave inappropriately when it comes to their children. David Beckham was recently ejected from a youth soccer field for questioning an official. New Orleans radio host Bobby Hebert, a former NFL quarterback, publicly dressed down LSU football coach Les Miles after Alabama defeated LSU in the BCS title game last month. Hebert was hardly unbiased: His son had recently lost his starting position at LSU.Mom or dad, so loving and rational at home, can transform into an ogre at a game. A lot of kids internally reach the conclusion that if they quit the sport, maybe they'll get their dad or mom back.As a sports parent, this is what you don't want to become. This is what you want to avoid:• Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship: The best athletes keep their emotions in check and perform at an even keel, win or lose. Parents demonstrative in showing displeasure during a contest are sending the wrong message. Encouragement is crucial -- especially when things aren’t going well on the field.

• Having different goals than your child: Brown and Miller suggest jotting down a list of what you want for your child during their sport season. Your son or daughter can do the same. Vastly different lists are a red flag. Kids generally want to have fun, enjoy time with their friends, improve their skills and win. Parents who write down “getting a scholarship” or “making the All-Star team” probably need to adjust their goals. “Athletes say their parents believe their role on the team is larger than what the athlete knows it to be,” Miller says.• Treating your child differently after a loss than a win: Almost all parents love their children the same regardless of the outcome of a game. Yet often their behavior conveys something else. "Many young athletes indicate that conversations with their parents after a game somehow make them feel as if their value as a person was tied to playing time or winning,” Brown says.• Undermining the coach: Young athletes need a single instructional voice during games. That voice has to be the coach. Kids who listen to their parents yelling instruction from the stands or even glancing at their parents for approval from the field are distracted and can't perform at a peak level. Second-guessing the coach on the ride home is just as insidious.• Living your own athletic dream through your child: A sure sign is the parent taking credit when the child has done well. “We worked on that shot for weeks in the driveway,” or “You did it just like I showed you” Another symptom is when the outcome of a game means more to a parent than to the child. If you as a parent are still depressed by a loss when the child is already off playing with friends, remind yourself that it’s not your career and you have zero control over the outcome.FIVE SIGNS OF AN IDEAL SPORTS PARENTLet’s hear it for the parents who do it right. In many respects, Brown and Miller say, it’s easier to be an ideal sports parent than a nightmare. “It takes less effort,” Miller says. “Sit back and enjoy.” Here’s what to do:

• Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child: Parents should attend as many games as possible and be supportive, yet allow young athletes to find their own solutions. Don’t feel the need to come to their rescue at every crisis. Continue to make positive comments even when the team is struggling.

• Model appropriate behavior: Contrary to the old saying, children do as you do, not as you say. When a parent projects poise, control and confidence, the young athlete is likely to do the same. And when a parent doesn’t dwell on a tough loss, the young athlete will be enormously appreciative.• Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach: The mental and physical treatment of your child is absolutely appropriate. So is seeking advice on ways to help your child improve. And if you are concerned about your child’s behavior in the team setting, bring that up with the coach. Taboo topics: Playing time, team strategy, and discussing team members other than your child.• Know your role: Everyone at a game is either a player, a coach, an official or a spectator. “It’s wise to choose only one of those roles at a time,” Brown says. “Some adults have the false impression that by being in a crowd, they become anonymous. People behaving poorly cannot hide.” Here’s a clue: If your child seems embarrassed by you, clean up your act.• Be a good listener and a great encourager: When your child is ready to talk about a game or has a question about the sport, be all ears. Then provide answers while being mindful of avoiding becoming a nightmare sports parent. Above all, be positive. Be your child's biggest fan. "Good athletes learn better when they seek their own answers," Brown says.And, of course, don’t be sparing with those magic words: "I love watching you play."

Blaine Boys Basketball

Coaches’ Expectations:

These are the expectations players can have of their coaches.

1) Show genuine interest and concern for each player as an individual.

2) Be fair and consistent when dealing with players and various situations as they arise.

3) Run an organized, fundamentally sound basketball team

4) Coaches will assist players in both on and off the court behavior to be a positive role model and citizen

5) The coach will make decisions that he/she feels are in the best interest of the team and program not a particular individual