Hey, Coach

I have coached the young men's basketball team the past two years. We are the Junior Fighting Walnuts (the name of our ward is Walnut Creek and when I played with the men, we called ourselves the Fighting Walnuts). I enjoy coaching even though I just wing it. These are usually the things I say (and not much more besides making sure everyone gets playing time):

• Move your feet!
• Box out!
• Slow down/Take your time! Your fancy dribbling may look pretty sometimes, but the turnovers don't.
• If we don't shoot the ball, we don't score points and we can't get ahead without points.
• Don't reach!
• Call out who you have on defense!
• Make good passes!
• Spread out!
• Move! Help him!

Most of the time, I could just say any of these and it would apply. I guess street ball on TV has made people want to look pretty rather than have some fundamental skills. Maybe I'm old school, but sometimes when we practice, I make them pass it 3 times before they can shoot (like Hoosiers). It doesn't really matter though, most of our points come off a steal and fast break and they seem to have fun and they got better during the year.

We had a good turnout (11 played) and a good year. Last year, we only won 1 game. This year, we had a little more success. Each of the young men got better since last year and we had a move in or two. We got to the semifinals of the stake tournament and were only down 20-26 to the defending champions before they went on a 15-0 run. We responded with a 11-4 run, but it was too little too late.

• Regular Season (W-L: 3-1)
• L 18-19 Jan 12 vs. Wells Branch
• W 31-14 Jan 26 vs. Pflugerville
• W 31-17 Feb 8 vs. Shoal Creek/Marble Falls
• W 23-11 Feb 16 vs. Lake Austin
• Tournament (W-L: 1-1)
• W 42-19 Mar 7 vs. (5) Anderson Mill
• L 31-45 Mar 8 vs. (1) Cedar Park (semis)

#3 Casimir Bissereth, #4 Fally Joseph, #12 Jon Dover, #20 (blue) Ben Loveday-Calhoun, #20 (white) Levi DeCrescenzo, #21 Jeremy Calhoun, #23 Michael Calhoun, #40 Jarom DeCrescenzo, #44 Michael Kelm, #50 Jon Kelly (#12, #20, #21, #23, and #50 are all cousins; #3 and #4 are cousins; #20 (white) and #40 are brothers). Not pictured: Josh Rasco.

Last year's team (2007 W-L: 1-6)

L-R: I forget his name (friend of one of the boys), Levi DeCrescenzo, Casimir Bissereth, Michael Calhoun, Me, Jon Dover, Jarom DeCrescenzo, Michael Kelm Not pictured: Josh Dover, Jeremy Calhoun.