The winter months are upon us and KIDSPORTS, after a successful fall season of outdoor sports and activities, has moved indoors with 1st and 2nd grade basketball and 3 - 8th grade volleyball currently up and running. KIDSPORTS thanks everyone: kids, coaches, parents, and the schools and city for helping us to keep kids playing, developing, and having fun!

Winter basketball - 3rd through 8th grade - is about to tip. Our 3rd - 5th grade boys and girls basketball will remain the same as it has in the past, in terms of team formation. 3rd - 5th grade teams will be formed according to elementary schools. Boys 5th grade basketball practices start the week of Dec. 5th while girls 3rd – 5th grade and boys 3rd-4th grade basketball practices start the week of Dec. 12th.

KIDSPORTS 6th - 8th grade basketball has made structural changes this year (please see kidsports.org/sport season descriptions) and starting today, Monday, Nov. 28th, TEAM FORMATION is taking place for our boys program. (5th and 6th - 8th grade girls have a registration deadline this Friday, Dec. 2nd, a Coaches organizational meeting next Tuesday, Dec. 6th and TEAM FORMATION for 6th - 8th grade girls starting the week of Dec. 12th, 2011)

As we head into the basketball season, I wanted to share some words of advice and experience from Chip Kelly, Head Coach of the Oregon Duck's Football Program. This fall, Coach Kelly spoke to the KIDSPORTS Tackle Football Coaches at the annual KIDSPORTS Tackle Football Coaches Organizational Meeting. Even though Coach Kelly is a football coach, he had very important, significant, and meaningful advice for not only our Tackle Football coaches, but as well, for ALL youth sport coaches.

Coach Kelly's coaching and teaching philosophy has been formed by his overall sporting and life experience, from that of a child and adolescent participating in sport to now, one of the most successful coaches in college football.

I share his comments with you all as we head into the basketball season of team formation, practice, and play so that we can all keep in mind the importance of having "all kids," play, develop, and have fun! If you follow Coach Kelly's advice, there is no guarantee of a championship season, but that of something bigger: an opportunity to help all kids develop character and confidence and thus, give them all a chance to "win the day, and win in life!"

Chip Kelly's Coaching Philosophy:
• Coach Kelly's coaching philosophy is founded on his experience as a kid participating and competing in team sports
• The best part of his youth sport experience was playing and having fun.
• Most memorable moments of his youth sport experience was playing for a coach who developed FUNdamentals, who involved ALL of the kids, played ALL of the kids, and thus allowed everyone on the team to have FUN.
• Coach Kelly advised that at the youth level, one must teach FUNdamentals to ALL kids, and let ALL kids play. At Oregon, Coach Kelly says, "the first thing the coaches do is explain to the student athletes WHY we do the things we do. If you explain the WHY'S rather than just tell the kids what to do, or do it because I say so, they will be engaged, give great effort, and be more focused on the drill, skill, or scheme, because the understand the why."
• Coach Kelly basis his teaching and coaching philosophy on this:
1. I hear and I forget.
2. I see and I remember.
3. I do and I understand.
• Coach Kelly therefore recommends for coaches at the youth level in whatever sport one is coaching, to let kids "DO" rather than talk, lecture, or chalkboard to them the why's and the what's of practice.
• For instance at Oregon, practices begin with a walk through to let the athletes do and feel and understand the what of the drill after they know the why of the drill.
• Again, "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.
Chip Kelly's Practice Philosophy:
• Oregon's practices are very intense but not long in duration. The coaching staff breaks practices down into: a teaching component, and competition components. They teach more skills and fundamentals than they do schemes (x's and o's). Coach Kelly advises, " don't try and run too much stuff - many youth coaches try to "out- coach" or "out - fox," the other guy and they teach way too much! If you can run 3 plays well, then run 3 plays well! Most coaches have too much and as a result, the kids aren't able to do anything really well or effectively. Keep it simple, stick to the basics, and work on the fundamentals of each kid."
• Coach Kelly talks about the importance of all the kids on your team, knowing that they will be given a chance to play in the game. "At the youth level, it is of utmost importance that ALL kids play! That is what is FUN - playing! As a kid, why would you be at practice, and practice hard, IF you knew you weren't going to play? NOT PLAYING IS NOT FUN! As a youth coach, why wouldn't you play ALL the Kids?"
• Coach Kelly relates that even at the college level, if his players are not having FUN, they lose interest and they will not and do not practice well. And that is why the football team's practices and meetings are not very long, but focused on playing hard and having fun. Coach Kelly's only goal for every practice, game, and year is that his team leads the country in effort. And for kids to give effort in practice, at any age, but particularly in youth sport, kids have to be having fun and fun means being able to play in the game.
Coach Kelly's Game Philosophy:
• Coach Kelly says, " If all kids are given an opportunity to play in the game, you will be amazed at how well the kids play when given a shot! Their engagement, effort, and execution in practice is magnified when they know they are going to get in and play during the game! Establish a rotation so that ALL kids get in the game and play a meaningful role.
• Kids when given a chance, will rise to the occasion. And if they make a mistake, well that is part of teaching, coaching, and developing kids. They will learn form those mistakes. You must keep the kids playing! Isn't that why you are coaching? I mean, it is certainly not about your resume at the youth level, is it? I mean really, as youth coaches, are we looking for a job? Come on, the biggest victory is having all those kids play and as a result develop, and have fun! They just have to! Our guys at this level have to have fun!
• Coach Kelly says, "play all your kids. Great things happen! As an example of this, let me tell you about our defense at Oregon and how and why it has improved in the last couple of years. Our defense is very good and very effective because we play 23 - 25 guys on the defensive team in a game. Most teams play 11 - 15 guys on defense during a game. ALL of our defensive guys know that they WILL play in the game. And when you watch them play, see how much effort and energy they have! Because so many guys are playing, our whole unit is fitter, faster, and we wear people down! Now that is FUN!
• We have established a rotation where they ALL get in and get to contribute in a meaningful way. As a result, in practice ALL of our guys are fully engaged, give great effort, and our entire defensive execution is magnified because of this focus and attention. Our guys do make mistakes, but our goal is to have them learn from those mistakes. Effort and engagement on their part is a requirement, however, knowing they will get another chance and get in the game, galvanizes that effort and engagement.
Coach Kelly final words to the KIDSPORTS Tackle Football Coaches and All youth sport coaches:
• Keep things simple.
• Focus on the FUNdamentals allow ALL kids play, develop, and have fun.
• Tell the kids "why" we do things the way we do.
• Coach and Teach with this in mind: "I hear and I forget: I see and I remember: I do and I understand!"
• Coach Kelly asks his team only one thing: "We need to lead the country in EFFORT! If we lead the nation in effort, success and winning will take care of itself! Effort is what we all should be coaching and you will get great effort when kids are engaged, having fun, and are well rested. PLAY ALL YOUR KIDS!"