Memo
TO:
2016 Dayton Flight Parents
FROM:
Coach Mark Velasco ([email protected]) (937 475 2124 Cell)
DATE:
February 20, 2016
Re:
Dayton Flight 2016 Priorities
WELCOME TO THE 2016 DAYTON FLIGHT TEAM!
It is hard to believe that the fourth year of the Dayton Flight is underway. I consider it a privilege
that you have entrusted your daughter’s AAU Basketball season to the Dayton Flight. This Memo is to set
expectations and convey as much information as I can. Please share with your daughters as you see fit.
1.
Priorities. I believe the decisions we make as a Team need to be driven from a set of
priorities. Here are our priorities for the 2016 Dayton Flight which the Coaching Staff will use to make
decisions for the Team and each Team Member.
Priority #1 – Player Development.
development:
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“Player Development” means 3 specific areas of
Skill – ball handling, shooting technique, footwork, finishing at the basket, etc. We will
devote about 50% of our practice time to skill development. The other 50% of our practice
time will be devoted to Team concepts (sets, plays, etc.).
Basketball IQ – Young players need to learn the game and we hope to continue to teach
them the game (e.g., how to handle a double team, when to go back door, when to pump fake,
when to pull up, when to step through, when to change speeds, etc.) – In short, how to apply
the skills they learn
Team IQ – How the game works as a team. Learning roles, plays, game flow, how to move
away from the ball, how to screen away from the ball, different types of screens, etc.
A few words on this topic . . . I view this season as a part of a long-term player development
effort, of which we are now a small part. School ball, individual workouts, individual lessons, also factor
into player development. I want your daughter to GET BETTER, and get closer to her goals for
basketball (whether that’s WNBA, playing in Europe, Division 1 collegiate play, other collegiate play,
high school varsity, or just being good and schooling her brothers . . .). I firmly believe versatile, all
around players, are what we are trying to develop at Flight. I point to our own #24 of the
University of Dayton and WBNA L.A. Sparks, Andrea Hoover (Holder), whose statistics at UD are
legendary (e.g., 4th Time Leading Scorer All Time; most 3 pointers made, highest 3 point
percentage, highest free throw percentage in a season, etc. – all this at 5’9” with shoes). I believe
Andrea’s fundamentals (compare Priority #1 – Player Development) are why she is so good. Hence,
you will see us trying to push your daughter to be versatile and get better at ALL ASPECTS OF THE
GAME. You may see “bigs” shooting 3’s and working on ball handling, you may see “littles” learning
Dayton Flight Parents
Dayton Flight 2016 Priorities
February 20, 2016
post moves, you may see traditional multi-purpose guards learning how to do everything. The point is
that these priorities will help your daughter long term by turning her into a complete player.
Priority #2 – Have a Great Basketball Experience. You know by now how this basketball team
was originally formed – primarily from a number of our daughters bonding together. I want your
daughter to have a great basketball experience. That means that we will work hard toward our priorities
and goals, but it also means that we will have fun. Your daughters are teenagers – they have plenty of
time to win championships, get collegiate offers, get on ESPN, etc. Of course there will be times where
part of the experience is learning (and sometimes learning can’t happen well with too much giggling or
messing around), and part of the learning experience will be coaching and correction. Also, I recognize
that everyone on the team will generally have more fun WHEN WE WIN. Winning and attempting to
win will be done in the context of our priorities.
Priority #3 – Compete Well Against Great Competition. I believe that playing against better
competition makes players better. My goal is to compete well and be well prepared to play elite teams.
I’d like to play teams that push us, where we have to play our best to win. Jim Westbeld has a great
quote, “I’d rather lose by 10, than win by 40
For 2016, these priorities will be balanced with exposure to NCAA recruiting, as our players
transition to being recruited. For example, we will make it a priority to play in front of college coaches
each weekend during NCAA Evaluation Periods in April and July.
2.
Playing Time. Given the priorities I listed above, you may find that we do not have
regular “starters” rather we will likely rotate players as “starters.” Because I believe player development
and the “experience” of basketball is more important than winning at all costs, you will find that during
pool play in tournaments that the minutes for the Team will be more or less equal (with those playing well
playing a little more). When we play in elimination play, particularly in the big tournaments, such
as the Shamrock, higher profile Showcase Tournaments, AAU State Tournament (Ohio District
Championship), and AAU Nationals, we will coach more like a high school coaches, playing players
to win the game. We don’t anticipate sitting players for extended periods of time, but, it is unlikely
that we will rotate players based on time only in elimination play. When we play in a championship
game, we will try to win by playing the players playing the best. With the intensity and speed we will
be playing with, I think players will be fine with their time on the floor and be ready to come out . . .
While we will try to play the girls as much as possible consistent with our priorities, one
basketball lesson to learn will be that PLAYING TIME IS EARNED, NOT A RIGHT. I want your
daughter to learn that hard work and performance will be rewarded. We will base playing time (deciding
starters for big games, who plays a little more than others, who plays during crunch time, etc.), generally,
in order of importance, using these factors:
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The Coaching Staff’s impression of which Team member gives us the best chance to win /
those that give the most effort during games. We expect that all players will play EVERY
POINT, EVERY PLAY, EVERY POSSESSION -- AS HARD AS THEY CAN.
Performance during previous games
Performance and effort during practice
Attendance and promptness at practice
The reality of the situation (i.e., the “bench” plays more when the games are not close – the
“bench” plays less when the game is close)
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Dayton Flight Parents
Dayton Flight 2016 Priorities
February 20, 2016
3.
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Communicating with Coaches/Problems. The protocol for problems is:
Please communicate with the Head Coach directly about the problem. The Head Coach will
consult with the Coaching Staff and try to work through the problem with you.
If the Coaching Staff can’t resolve it, we will escalate the problem to the Basketball Club
Representatives (a “Board” of sorts):
For Flight Carolina – Tony Greene, Don Keller, Shannon Velasco
For Flight Red – Tina Foos, Jeff Stephen, and Mark Velasco
If the issue involves any of the Representatives’ daughters, I’ll ask a neutral parent(s) to
substitute.
PLEASE DO NOT LOOK FOR PROBLEM RESOLUTION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
GAMES. Please understand that emotions are probably running high and the Coaching Staff may need
some time to unwind from the competition – Athletes and Parents may also need some time to reflect if
the problem arose during a game.
We always welcome your phone calls, E-mails, and texts.
4.
Coaching. Please let your athlete play with only one set of coaching instructions.
Preferably, this will come solely from the Coaching Staff! Parents are more than welcome to cheer and
encourage during the games – PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE leave the coaching to us. I often find that
the Team’s priorities for your daughter may not line up perfectly with your priorities for her – receiving
conflicting instructions is difficult for the teenage athlete. Parents are welcome to coach all they want in
the car on the way home!
That said, I recognize that may of our parents are also highly qualified coaches. We welcome
your thoughts and opinions about your daughter’s development and the Team . . . just communicate it to
us so we’re on the same page when giving instruction to your daughter and she has one set of coaching
instructions.
Finally, please be mindful that these are teenagers and not professional or collegiate athletes.
Support your daughters and everyone else’s daughters; please avoid correcting or criticizing our
players. They need as much positive input as possible.
Summary. I think this is going to be a great year and I thank you and your daughters for
stepping out and playing with the Dayton Flight. We consider it a privilege to coach your daughter and
be part of her (and your family’s) basketball journey.
This is a basketball family that values the basketball journey as much as our players' ultimate
basketball destination. Thanks again for joining the Dayton Flight!
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