Coaching youth basketball can be a really rewarding experience, yet we also recognize it takes a large time commitment and a great deal of dedication from our volunteer coaches.  As the Willowbrook Jr Warriors Board, we are very grateful to the parents and other members of the basketball community who dedicate their time and basketball expertise to provide a great athletic and team experience for our young players. 

Our coaching philosophy emphasizes player development, focusing on the fundamentals of basketball, and teaching kids the right way to play basketball and to love the game. This includes a commitment to helping kids develop an understanding and love of the game that they will be able to apply in future opportunities. 

Below is the process we use for team and coaching selection:

• Teams for the upcoming season are formed after tryouts based on player ratings. A former coach or parent of a child in that grade will not be involved in the ratings for that grade to allow for a fair process. Feedback from each coach based on last season will be collected at the end of each season and used for reference by the board in borderline cases. 

• We largely depend on parent volunteers that have prior basketball experience as a player or coach to coach our teams. In the case that a qualified and willing person is not found in a grade, we will attempt to find another outside coach. If no suitable coach can be found, the Board may make the decision to not field the team. 

• Understanding that coaching basketball is challenging, we have coaching resources and consultation available to support coaches, including professional coach practices. However, given the complexity of the game, coaches ideally should have prior experience or training either as a player or coach. 

• In the case where a particular grade has multiple willing and qualified coaches, we recommend that the kids have the benefit of learning from multiple people, as coaches often have particular strengths and perspectives. This may include rotating coaches for a season or having more than one coach for the team. Having more than one coach per season also helps ensure practices are more easily covered, and facilitates more individual work and small group drills.