June 2019
 
Greetings from BCAM!
 
June for high school basketball means team workouts, scrimmages with other schools, annual team camps and NOW... Division 1 recruiting for Men's NCAA member institutions. This rule change only on the boy's side was put into place recently because there is a widespread opinion that amateur basketball is out of control in America. These rule changes, quite frankly, were thrown on us and not very clear as we attempted to prepare for June of 2019. I have included a podcast we did with the State Champs Network in February, explaining why BCAM and the MHSAA decided together to run our Reaching Higher one-day showcase in year one of this new process instead of team camps. Since this podcast aired, other states have decided to tackle team camps this June. BCAM will be forming a team camp committee to investigate overall costs for facilities, officials, staffing, etc. for June 2020. If you are interested in chairing or contributing to this new committee, please email me: danyoung@bcam.org
 
BCAM Sponsor updates: Shoot-A-Way has continued to be committed to BCAM and has recently announced they will be having a drawing to give away a "GUN 10K" shooting machine at this year's Coaches Clinic, October 12-13 at Oakland University. To win you must be a BCAM member and be present at the clinic. 
 
Krossover has joined the Hudl family. Click on the Krossover logo in the sponsor section for questions and answers about the merger.
 
BCAM Scholarship application opened on May 15 and will run through June 20. The application form is online and is under the "Nomination Forms" tab. The BCAM Scholarship is a $500 grant for children of BCAM members. You must have been a member for the last 5 consecutive years and your child must be a 2019 high school graduate.
 
BCAM's Posting Boards: Be sure to check out the "Bulletin Boards" on our website: JOBS, COMPETITIVE EVENTS, and CAMPS/CLINICS. They are starting to come alive with activity for the summer months.
 
Best Regards,
 
Dan Young 
Executive Director
 
In this edition: 
  • BCAM Coach Spotlight: 2019-20 President Bill McCullen, DeWitt Girls' Varsity
  • 8 Strategies for Developing an Assistant Coach
  • Chapter 2 "The Old Man In The Gym" by Bob Taylor
  • MHSAA Updates: Seeding for 2019-20
  • Your Captains Need To Do These 12 Things Today
  • Basketball Officials & Coaches Communication Committee
  • "Grow Our Great Game": A guide for first year coaches
  • Toughness Drills Build Team Character
 
8 Strategies for Developing an Assistant Coach
To be a successful athlete, a player seeks the guidance of a good coach. Likewise, for a coach to find success, they need the support of an experienced and knowledgeable coach
 
 
Bob Taylor coached college basketball for more than three decades when he began to notice a difference in players: Their basketball IQ was declining. He discovered that the problem began in the youth game, primarily with the coaching methods used to teach today’s players. In “Old Man in the Gym,” Taylor breaks down his step-by-step plan for how coaches and parents can train their young basketball players the right way, building a foundation that improves court sense, decision making and feel for the game. Taylor also shares the drills and practice routines he used to help his players earn a spot on their varsity team as freshmen. Pick up “Old Man in the Gym” to learn the secrets behind building better basketball players!
 
Seeding Update
 
Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, girls and boys basketball will employ a seeding process to place the top two teams in every district on opposite sides of that bracket, guaranteeing those two teams could not play each other before the district championship game.
 
The two teams to be seeded in each district will be determined using a Michigan Power Ratings computer formula based on regular-season results against other MHSAA Tournament-eligible teams and opponents’ strength of schedule. (Games against out-of-state or non-MHSAA opponents will not count in the MPR formula.) The MHSAA will draw all brackets two weeks before the start of district play. After the top seeds are determined and separated to opposite sides of the bracket, the draw process will place the remaining teams on the bracket based on a randomly-selected order determined earlier in the season. However, the draw process does not guarantee the seeded teams will receive byes or serve as home teams.
 
Awards Increase 
 
The Council also approved an increase from $25 to $40 as the maximum value for any award (trophies, medals, plaques, etc.) that an athlete may receive for participation in an athletic event without conflicting his or her amateur status.
 
Your Captains Need To Do These 12 Things Today
 
Athletes of all ages often wonder, “What can I do to be a better leader?”
While often subtle, leaders are afforded at least a dozen opportunities to demonstrate leadership every day. These leadership opportunities rarely are available in the form of dramatic, rousing, win-one-for-the-Gipper speeches, but more often present themselves in simple but significant interactions on a daily basis.
 
 
Basketball Officials & Coaches Communication Committee
 
Good Communication Between Basketball Officials and Coaches Is Key
Wallace Whitfield
Supervisor of Officials
Metro Detroit
 
Grow Our Great Game
Better Coaching Always Matters
BCAM is committed to improving our game by assisting new coaches. This program: Grow Our Great Game, Better Coaching Always Matters, is based on the idea that first year coaches would benefit from knowledge shared by veteran coaches gleaned from years of experience.
Our program is designed to introduce you, the first year coach, to the fundamental steps necessary for you to join the ranks of sound basketball coaches.
The purpose of this publication is to acquaint the new coach with many of the issues related to coaching basketball. We have intentionally omitted references to plays and drills as they can be found on any number of other websites.
 
Toughness Drills Build Team Character
Hustle and toughness for your team can be improved through hard work in practice and an emphasis on what it takes to be mentally and physically tough. The following drills can help you build a tough team that’s ready for battle on game days.
 
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