Daddy Ball

Navigating through recreation and AAU basketball can be challenging. One of the biggest issues I hear when it comes to youth basketball seems to surround “Daddy Ball”. Daddy Ball is a term used to describe a team who has a coach with a kid on the team. No matter what the situation his child always gets the most playing time, the bulk of the attention, and usually never gets yelled at. It drives the other parents crazy, but how should you deal with this situation? It’s a loaded answer, but let’s look a little bit deeper! 

Why on earth would anybody coach a team of 11 year olds if there is no incentive…? That answer is easy, coaching on the recreation/AAU level is voluntary so Dads take this opportunity to get closer to their kids. Some mistakenly feel like they can do a better job and this will allow their child to be the highlight of the team. Believe it or not, sometimes this strategy works but sometimes this causes problems with the parents and ultimately the team. 

Parents won’t admit it but they are always complaining about their kids playing time but they really complain if their kid is better than the coach’s kid and he is getting all the minutes and all the shine. In my opinion Daddy Ball only works if the coach is knowledgeable about the game and is really truly a good coach. Secondly, his kid must be the clear cut best player on the team. This can’t be disputable. If these 2 things are in place parents will support the idea and other players will want to play on the team. A team with a good coach and a really good player is always a good foundation to build around. If the coach is sub-par and his kid is not one of the top players you might have a few issues and I would suggest joining another team. The problem with that is that most of the recreational and AAU teams have a Dad who coaches the team so you have to pick your poison. It’s rare, but there are also a few coaches out there who just love the game and will coach 10 kids because… well… he just loves it! I was once that guy and NO I will not come out of retirement to coach your kids, lol. Navigating through Daddy Ball can be difficult, but how good the coach is and how good his kid is can be the difference between a great team experience or Not. Choose Wisely.