If you want to make a difference in the lives of young people, you should try coaching youth basketball. I did, and boy am I happy about the whole thing. There are many many places that will show you how to coach youth basketball, from charities to workshops to who knows what else.

Even if you have no training or history when it comes to coaching basketball you can still do this. There are many charity groups who will help give you a hand. All you need is a few hours a week and a patient attitude with kids and you will do great.

Many of the kids we coach would have nothing to do after school without us. Driven by boredom or peer pressure they could start doing drugs or committing crimes. This may seem a bit of a stretch but it’s a fact that kids who are not involved in organized activities are more likely to start doing illicit activities. Since many communities do not have the funding for such programs it is often up to local volunteers like us to fill in the gaps.

A few of the kids we have coached have told us there stories, and I honestly believe that if they hadn’t got involved with basketball they may likely be in jail or dead. For them, basketball becomes like an obsession that fills in the gaps in their lives. If they were to continue with the drugs or the crime then they know they would miss out on their favorite game, so they quit doing the illegal stuff and concentrate on basketball instead.

I did not know much about youth basketball coaching when I first got into it. I did not even have any training. I had to watch youth basketball coaching videos, and hustle to prepare for my first day as a coach. But boy was it worth it. I crammed in all of those coaching aids, and soon I was directing the team like a pro. Now that I am good at youth basketball coaching, I’ll tell you a secret. With youth basketball coaching, it does not matter where you start, as long as you persist.